Paul Burns
Personal information
Date of birth (1984-05-18) 18 May 1984
Place of birth Irvine, Scotland
Position(s) Right midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2011 Queen of the South 226 (25)
2011–2012 Dunfermline Athletic 26 (2)
2012–2015 Queen of the South 54 (3)
2015–2021 Cumnock Juniors
Total 307 (30)
Managerial career
2018–2019 Cumnock Juniors
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Paul Burns (born 18 May 1984) is a Scottish former professional association footballer who played primarily as a right midfielder.

During his career, Burns played in two spells for Queen of the South punctuated with a season at Dunfermline Athletic. His most prominent moment was scoring for Queens in their 4-3 Scottish Cup semi final victory over Aberdeen in 2008.[1] He left the professional ranks in 2015 at the age of 31 to take a career outside football. He spent the final six years of his career with Scottish Junior Football side Cumnock Juniors, his home-town club.

Early life

Born in the local maternity hospital in Irvine, North Ayrshire, but brought up in Cumnock,[1] he is the grandson of the late Mick Morran, who served Ayrshire Junior side Glenafton Athletic as physiotherapist for thirty-five years.

Burns played for a number of youth teams, including the same Ayr Valspar Boys Club side as Scottish international defender Kirk Broadfoot. It was whilst playing with them that he was spotted by Queen of the South and signed up as a sixteen-year-old.

Career

Queen of the South

Having signed for Queen of the South youth team in 2000, he was promoted to the senior side on 17 June 2002.[2] Burns made his first team debut in a league match against Arbroath on 18 March 2003, three years after joining the Dumfries side. He came on as an 84-minute substitute for Eric Paton.[1][3] His first goal came verses Ross County in a 3–0 League Cup victory on 23 September 2003.[1][4] He became a popular player amongst the fans due to his committed performances and his hard, crowd pleasing tackles.

Early in his spell in Dumfries, Burns was a member of the starting eleven that topped the Scottish First Division, the first time Queens had done so in fifty years, thanks to a 3–2 win over Inverness in October 2003. Burns made his 100th start in a league defeat to Hamilton Academical on 18 August 2007 and was rewarded with a presentation at Palmerston Park before Queens' league match against Livingston a week later.

Burns scored the second goal for Queens in the thrilling 4–3 victory over Aberdeen in the semi-final of the 2008 Scottish Cup. This goal along with others from Steve Tosh, Sean O'Connor and John Stewart ensured Queen of the South played in their first Scottish Cup final on 24 May 2008 at Hampden Park.[1][5] Burns played in the final as Queens went down 3–2 to Rangers despite a battling second half performance. Queens finished 2007–08 in fourth place in Scottish football's second flight.[1]

In 2008–09 Burns played in both of Queen of the South's UEFA Cup second round qualification games.[1] In the top of table clash at home against Livingston on 4 October, Burns hit the Queens sixth goal of the day. The 6–1 victory saw Queens go top in the First Division for the first time in five years.

Burns signed a contract extension, which will see him at Queens until 31 May 2011, accumulating a total of 11 years spent at Queen of the South. He made his 200th appearance for the side in a Challenge Cup match Dunfermline Athletic on 18 August 2009[6] with his 200th start coming in the same season against Airdrie United on 12 April 2010. On 4 September 2010 in the 5–0 challenge Cup tie win at Palmerston Park against East Fife Burns scored his first ever hat trick.[1][7] His 250th appearance came during a 0–0 draw away to Stirling Albion on 25 September 2010.[1] He ended the 2010/11 season with a double in the 3–0 home win against Dundee in the last game of the season in what proved to be his final appearance for Queen of the South. He made a total of 273 appearances (239 starts) for the club scoring 34 goals in the process.[8]

Dunfermline Athletic

On 31 May 2011 it was announced that Burns had left Queen of the South and joined Dunfermline Athletic on a Bosman free transfer, signing a two-year contract.[9] He made his debut for the club in a Scottish Premier League match against St Mirren on 25 July 2011.[10] Burns scored his first goal for the club against Dundee United on 20 August 2011 in which the Pars won 1–0.[11]

Return to Queens

Burns returned to Queen of the South after negotiating his release from Dunfermline Athletic on 31 August 2012, signing a one-year deal with the option of another year. Burns was the final player left at the club who featured in the 2008 Scottish Cup Final.

On 13 July 2015 the Queens website announced that Burns would be leaving the club to take up a career outwith the game. Burns farewell appearance for the club was the following evening in a pre-season friendly at home to Kilmarnock.[12] Burns joined the game as a second-half substitute in a 2–2 draw and was given the captain's armband as well as a guard of honour by his teammates when leaving the field after the final whistle.[13] Burns left Queens and senior football at the age of 31.

Cumnock Juniors

After leaving Queens, Burns signed for his home town club Cumnock Juniors on 24 July 2015. This was announced on their official website on the same day. In December 2018, Paul took over as manager of Cumnock Juniors.[14] Burns spent six season with Cumnock before deciding to retire at the end of the 2020–21 season.[15]

Career statistics

As of 14 June 2021
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup League Cup Other[16] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Queen of the South 2002–03 Scottish First Division4000000040
2003–04 290203100341
2004–05 231201020281
2005–06 334200011365
2006–07 180202020240
2007–08 285620000347
2008–09 293100050353
2009–10 356103130427
2010–11 2761030543610
Total 2262517212218527334
Dunfermline Athletic 2011–12 Scottish Premier League252102000282
2012–13 Scottish First Division1000000010
Total 262102000292
Queen of the South 2012–13 Scottish Second Division252201000282
2013–14 Scottish Championship251202020311
2014–15 Scottish Championship5020000070
Total 553603020663
Career total 3073024217220536839

Personal life

In the summer of 2009, Burns became the first footballer in the United Kingdom to contract swine flu. That same summer a second Queens player, Bob Harris, contracted the virus while on holiday in Ibiza.[17]

Honours

Queen of the South

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Burnsy" Queen of the South FC
  2. ↑ Scottish Football League (October 2004). The Bell's Scottish Football Review 2004/05. CRE8. ISBN 0-9548556-0-4.
  3. ↑ Queen of Sth 3–0 Arbroath Soccerbase, 18 March 2003
  4. ↑ "Ross County 0–3 Queen of Sth" Soccerbase, 23 September 2003
  5. ↑ "Club History" www.qosfc.com
  6. ↑ "Dunfermline 1–2 Queen of South" BBC Sport. 18 August 2009.
  7. ↑ "Queen of South 5–0 East Fife" BBC Sport. 4 September 2010.
  8. ↑ ""Queen of the South 3 – 0 Dundee" www.qosfc.com 8 May 2011". Archived from the original on 13 June 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
  9. ↑ "Paul Burns signs a two-year deal with Dunfermline". BBC Sport. 31 May 2011.
  10. ↑ "Dunfermline 0–0 St Mirren". BBC Sport. 25 July 2011.
  11. ↑ "Dundee Utd 0–1 Dunfermline". BBC Sport. 20 August 2011.
  12. ↑ "Paul Burns To Leave The Club". qosfc.com. 13 July 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  13. ↑ "QoS : Report – Kilmarnock 14.7.15". qosfc.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2015.
  14. ↑ "Cumnock Juniors". Archived from the original on 26 July 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  15. ↑ "We would like to thank @Burnsyp7 for his services to the Club. Paul has decided to hang up his boots after an illustrious career which saw a Senior Scottish Cup appearance v Rangers. Paul is now Head of Pathway within @CJCEnterprise. 155 appearances for the Club, 48 goals". Cumnock Juniors FC. 4 June 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2021 – via Twitter.
  16. ↑ Includes UEFA Cup and Scottish Challenge Cup matches.
  17. ↑ "Footballer struck with swine flu". BBC News. 2 July 2009.
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