Based at Hetland Hill stables overlooking the Solway firth, ex jockey Len Lungo is probably best known for breaking Ken Oliver’s Scottish record for the most wins in a National Hunt season with 63 winners in 2002/03. Apart from the horses, among Len’s other passions is an interest in Queen of the South.

Len told us, “I was born just outside Motherwell. When I was a youngster I used to go with my relations and watch Motherwell and my early recollections of football would have been watching the Motherwell team [managed by Dumfries born ex Scotland left back Bobby Ancell] as a youngster with Ian St John, Willie Hunter [future QoS manager], and Pat Quinn and all them boys playing, John Martis, Andy Weir. Later on when I was a bit older and a young jockey I used to train in the Summer at Motherwell, at Fir Park, to keep fit. So they were my first club.”

“I always look to see how the Queens have done every single week and Motherwell also. In the years to come as I’m not so busy with horses any more I hope to take in a lot more of the games.”

“I’ve been here [in the South West] 33 years and I like to support local. I don’t get to go to that many games because Saturday is a very bad day for me, it’s been difficult to get to go to the football. I do like to go when I can. I remember Dundee United, cup game a good number of years ago, Jim McLean was in charge of Dundee United. I didn’t manage to get to last season’s cup games but I was glued to the telly. The game against Aberdeen is one of those most unbelievable games of football, edge of the seat stuff. I know quite well some of the old players like Ian McChesney was a neighbour when I first came to Dumfries and lived at Georgetown. I used to play a little bit of golf with Iain McChesney and I know Billy Collings and Allan Ball quite well. One of my best friends is the ex chairman Norman Blount, and so we talk about Queen of the South often with the likes of Norman, I’m very friendly with Norman.”

In recent years, the name Queen of the South has been making headlines in more ways than one...

“I trained a horse called Queen of the South for Gerry Fraser, a local man. From memory it was placed a few times and showed a bit of promise, placed a few times. It was a mare and was retired to the paddocks to breed. I’ve got one at the moment called Southerness. It was close up third yesterday [Friday 28th Nov].”