The Spiders were expected to slip back into lower league obscurity after businessman Lord William Haughey ended his financial agreement with the club last year. However, Crighton's side remained defiant, finishing sixth in the Championship last season. The under-17s and under-19s teams have also thrived, with both winning their respective leagues.
According to Crighton, the club's impressive Lochinch training ground, transformed by Haughey's City Charitable Trust, is a key factor in their success. "One thing we've got here is a great training centre," he says. The manager is keen to continue developing young Scottish talent, with a view to the balance sheet. Crighton points out that several players have moved on to bigger clubs, including Josh Fowler to St Johnstone and Seb Drozd to Partick Thistle.
On the pitch, central midfielder Scott Martin is impressed by the level of emerging Scottish talent at the club. He praises young players like Aiden McCallion and Lewis Stewart, who have joined on co-operation loans from Rangers. Despite a challenging start to the season, Martin believes Queen's Park have what it takes to stay in the Championship. The club hosts Ayr United, one place and one point above them, in their next match.