Town pays tribute to cup heroes

By Giancarlo Rinaldi South of Scotland reporter, BBC Scotland news website

Fans lined the streets of Dumfries to see their cup heroes

A tide of football fans has flooded the streets of Dumfries to pay tribute to the town's Scottish Cup heroes.

Queen of the South narrowly lost out 3-2 to Rangers in the final at Hampden Park on Saturday.

Despite the result, an open-top bus parade took place in the town on Sunday to mark the achievement of reaching that stage of the competition.

Queen of the South had never previously appeared in a Scottish Cup final in their 89-year history.

It appeared the whole town had taken to the streets to hail its heroes.

From the moment the bus left the DG One leisure complex until it reached Palmerston Park, the route was lined with fans.

Supporters rushed from one part of town to another to get a better view of the players who took the club so close to the Scottish Cup.

I don't know what it is like to win the lottery - but this must come near it Provost Jack Groom In Pictures: Cup final parade

Club chairman Davie Rae said: "If anybody had said to me at the start of the season we were going to finish fourth in the league, play a Scottish Cup final against Rangers and be in Europe, I would have told them to go and see a psychiatrist.

"They did the town of Dumfries proud, they did Queen of the South proud - they did everybody proud."

Every vantage point across the south west Scotland town was taken to get a better view of manager Gordon Chisholm and his team.

Hundreds waited for autographs and photographs outside the leisure complex following a civic reception for the team.

Lap of honour

The procession made its slow journey along Shakespeare Street, the High Street and Buccleuch Street where the pavements were awash with blue and white.

Then the faithful followers packed into Palmerston Park to produce one of the biggest crowds of the season.

"I don't know what it is like to win the lottery - but this must come near it," said Dumfries provost Jack Groom.

Supporters poured towards Palmerston decked in blue and white

As players and management took to the pitch at the Dumfries club's stadium the supporters were still pouring in.

Families packed the two stands and terraces as the Doonhamers' players went on a lap of honour.

Many of the 15,500 fans who had followed their team to Hampden turned out to get a second chance to salute their players.

It made for a special atmosphere inside the Dumfries ground.

For many supporters, no doubt, it was over all too soon but, as their chairman kept reminding them, there is always Europe to look forward to.

Queen of the South will play in the Uefa Cup next season.

As the fans eventually filtered away on Sunday afternoon they must have been left with a good feeling, despite the outcome of Saturday's game.

It might sound to an outsider like a celebration of failure.

To anyone who followed the open-top bus around Dumfries, however, it certainly did not feel that way.

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