Queen of the South boss can't wait for fans to return to Palmerston for Premier Sports Club clash with Queen's Park

Allan Johnston can’t wait for fans to return to Palmerston for the first time in nearly 18 months.

When the Doonhamers welcome 500 lucky fans to their Premier Sports Cup clash with Queen’s Park on Saturday it will have been 497 days since a supporter set foot in the stadium.

The help of supporters will add to the occasion on Saturday as Queens kick off their competitive 2021/22 campaign.

Allan said: “I don’t think anyone could have ever imagined this would be the scenario we’d be in with no fans.

“It’ll be good to get some atmosphere back – you can hear it in the Euros with fans there. It adds a bit more pressure and motivation to the players rather than feeling like a training game some times.”

There will be some familiarity on Saturday as the Doonhamers face Queen’s Park for the fourth time in three seasons.

The two sides clashed in this competition last year before facing each other in the Scottish Cup at Hampden.

Allan added: “We know them quite well. The majority of their squad is the same they’ve kept the majority of their players and added a couple of good, younger players too.

“I’m sure it will be a tough task as they’ll be one of the favourites for the division below so its going to be a tough start. But hopefully we can go and put on a good performance and get the result.”

The manager is keen to add bodies to the squad and says he is light in defence. He hoped to be able to make some additions before Saturday’s match.

He said: “We’re obviously talking to a couple of the trialists.

“Hopefully there’s a wee bit of movement there this week because we’re really short of defenders. I think we’re short six or seven players.

“But at the end of the day because we are short of players the League Cup is going to be a tough start to the season because I don’t think our squad will be fully in place until the start of the league campaign.

“Kirk Broadfoot is one of the players we’ve been talking to over the last week. Hopefully there should be a decision within the next day or two anyway.

“We need to get a centre half in quite quickly. Paul McKay is injured at the moment but we did know that when we signed him. He’s on course to be ready when the season starts.”

The game takes place at 3pm on Saturday.