D epending on one’s outlook, Friday evening in the unlikely surroundings of Ochilview Park could either see a Scottish football fairytale come to life or the latest temporary vindication of the boom-or-bust culture that has scarred the game in the past.
Queen’s Park, who were amateurs for more than a century and proud of it, will earn a place in the top flight as a professional team if they defeat Dundee.
But for an Arsenal-esque stumble – Queen’s have won one of their past six games – promotion would already have been secured.
Sixty-five years have passed since Queen’s, formed in 1867 and Scotland’s oldest league club, played top-division football. In those more simple times of 1957-58, Hearts secured the title at a canter from the Old Firm as The Spiders won four matches out of 34.