Following on from recent uncertainty surrounding the QOS Tanner Fund, the QOS Board of Directors and Fund Chairman, Richie Nicoll recently held a very constructive and productive meeting.
behalf of the Tanner Fund Committee, Richie outlined the concerns they had and their reasons for taking the decision to close the fund, which was taken on board. While, the Board clarified the situation from their side and explained that as far as they were aware the Fund was set up to be used when it was required.
The Management team have investigated signing multiple players that would merit the use of the Tanner Fund money, but due to several factors suitable players are not available. It is becoming increasingly harder to recruit players, with Covid still around and the change to the substitution rule (which allows clubs to have more players on the bench on a match day), clubs are reluctant to release players.
After both parties had their say, it was clear that the Board were very supportive of the Tanner Fund and discussions opened on how things could work going forward.
One suggestion that came up and was of interest to both the Board and Richie was the youth system at Palmerston and how the money could potentially be used to help with the progression of local talent.
The Directors highlighted that there were a number of local players within the youth teams that had a very good chance of making it to the first team in the future if they were offered professional contracts and were able to train fulltime.
younger players have combined training with further education but with a change to the system, the players now must be paid the National Minimum Wage. As things stand, The Barflies Supporters group, make a fantastic annual contribution to help with the funding but to help increase numbers, the Board asked if the Tanner Fund would consider retracting the cessation of the Tanner Fund in order for it to be used to provide further funding for these players over two seasons in the hope they could continue their progression to the first team.
It is the ambition of Queen of the South to have as many local based players in the first team as feasibly possible, installing ‘Dumfries’ back into the heart of the club’s playing staff without jeopardising our league status. With the afore mentioned option of funding, we believe that this would allow the club and the Tanner Fund to align and enable that vision, providing a grassroots route plan from the Community to First Team for our local players without losing them to other teams further afield. We fully appreciate the wishes of some Tanner Fund members for the fund to be utilised to fund a sole player to make an immediate impact, however this obviously brings an element of risk if the player gets injured or is unable to force his way into the first team. By pushing suitable and selected local talent through this initiative, it would provide us with the potential of adding multiple players to the team, indirectly achieving exactly what we and the Tanner Fund aligned to by signing the Tanner Fund Pledge and to quote ‘to aid in the purchase of a player or as a contribution towards as new or existing players wages.
The club fully appreciate the fans well-earned financial contributions, and we hope that this vision is supported by the Tanner Fund. Together, we firmly believe we can make a difference and hope that the Tanner Fund can retract its cessation.
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