James Fowler yesterday swapped tracksuit for shirt and tie as he was officially confirmed in the role he has fulfilled since Jim McIntyre's sudden departure from Palmerston Park last month.
The manager's position at Queen of the South had been conferred on Fowler immediately after that unexpected exit, but his transformation into a manager has not been sudden. He attained his B coaching licence six years ago while at Kilmarnock, a club he served for 17 years as a player and latterly as a coach of the under-20 side. An A licence followed last summer, with his apprenticeship completed during a brief spell as assistant to McIntyre this season and a period as interim manager which was marked by both a home win over Hibernian and a defeat away to Cowdenbeath. The club's board was aware that recent success has followed the appointment of similarly tenderfoot managers in Allan Johnston (now with Kilmarnock) and McIntyre, and the appointment of 33-year-old Fowler - initially until the end of the season -has followed that template.
The promotion play-offs at the end of the season remains the stated ambition of the Dumfries side, a challenge which will continue with the visit of Hearts on Saturday.
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