GO: QoS detested Gretna, and with good reason; many of Gretna's marketing schemes (such as handing out free tickets to schoolkids in Dumfries) seemed designed to undermine QoS as much as help Gretna.

I'd never heard of Solway Star, but it seems clear that Annan Athletic are their direct descendents: same amber/black/white colour scheme, and Annan were formed the year after Solway folded.

There was a fair bit of animosity between the two clubs based largely on geography, and the final game between Queens and Gretna in the first division sparked the bust up that saw Rowan Alexander being given compassionate leave, after some alleged fisticuffs in the dressing room. There was also a bit of ill-feeling from QOS fans that Gretna were seen to be going into schools in Dumfries and offering free tickets and coaching in order to poach kids that might be seen as natural Queens supporters.

Or, you know, what Blameless said.

Jimmy Bignutz wrote:

QUOTE:
Stranraer are their main rivals, surely?

You've clearly never driven to Dumfries from Stranraer.
Well done Annan, didn't they have a decent cup run recently where they played QOS?
I make it only Stranraer and Berwick have no obvious derby game now in Scotland.

From a prononciation point of view, this is dull news. I'd have much preferred a Gala Fairydean, an Inverurie Loco Works or a succinct Buckie Thistle.

Maybe we could get them to change back to Solway Star.

Well done to Annan. No doubt they'll be dumping us out of a cup in the not too distant future. Probably the Challenge Cup season after next.

In th early 90s I shared a flat with a QoS fan, and ,despite the distance, the Stranraer rivalry was alive and well. Possibly it's cooled now Qos have gone up in the world.