In a remarkable turn of events, 28-year-old Dan Armstrong has transitioned from being a teenage goalkeeper at Queen of the South to becoming the chief executive of the Scottish League 1 side – one of the youngest individuals in such a role in the United Kingdom.
Armstrong’s initial dreams of a professional playing career were dashed when he was released by the club after a three-year stint, but the Dumfries outfit saw potential in the young man and offered him a role as a community coach. This marked the beginning of Armstrong’s transformation from a player to an integral part of the club’s operations.
“I was just sort of guessing and playing at everything and asking so many questions of so many people – and it would have been the most ridiculous questions,” Armstrong admitted. “But you got an answer and started shaping an idea and seeing what other clubs were doing and did a lot of research in my own time.”
This curiosity and willingness to learn led Armstrong to become the commercial manager, and when the board announced plans to step down a couple of years ago, he was appointed as the chief executive. Now, he oversees a wide range of responsibilities, from community initiatives to negotiations with kit suppliers.
“It could be we’ve got meetings with the community team, what’s our vision for that, what do we want to achieve, how do we achieve that?” Armstrong explained. “And then from that it could be on a call with the Macron kit supplier about maybe what’s the kits looking like next year.”
Despite the pressure from fans to deliver a winning team, Armstrong is determined to build a sustainable business model that goes beyond just on-field results. “I’ve never been at a game and never played in a game where I’ve gone – I wouldn’t mind the other team winning today – because everybody wants to win,” he said.
The former goalkeeper’s unwavering commitment to the club and his innovative approach have earned him praise, and he remains steadfast in his vision to see Queen of the South reach the heights of the Scottish Premier League. “If you could see Queen of the South in the Premier League, it would be a dream, an absolute dream,” Armstrong said. “And I don’t see why you can’t aim for that and strive for that.”
