Queen of the South set sights on League One title as Marvin Bartley targets Championship return

• Watch as Queen of the South train at Palmerston ahead of the new campaign

Queen of the South manager Marvin Bartley has got his sights set on a return to the Championship following his side's disappointing League One campaign last season.

Bartley took over in Dumfries from Wullie Gibson with the Doonhamers struggling throughout most of the season. Bartley steadied the ship though and guided Queen of the South to a fifth-placed finish.

Heading into the new campaign, there is just one thing on the minds of Bartley and his players and that is a return to the Championship.

Lewis Gibson featured for the side last season and is clear about the ambitions his side have for this upcoming campaign.

The 17-year-old said: "All we really want to do is to win the league and to go up, that is the main one. We need to go up. We came down last year and did not do well enough so we want to go up this year."

Bartley is delighted with the ambition shown by his squad, although his immediate thinking does not extend past the first game of the season.

He said: "The goal for me is to win the first game of the season. It is very boring because that is what any manager would say to you. It is fantastic if that is what the players believe but it will take a lot of hard work.

"We know what we want to do internally and for me that is to win the first game of the season and then to go from there.

"It was the same as when I came in last season when I was asked what is the aim and it was to win to win the game on Saturday. You do that, get the win and then move on. That is exactly how I have been and will approach things this season."

Midfielder Harry Cochrane explained the targets set by the club for the upcoming season.

He said: "You need to go into the season trying to win the league because if you are not then what is the point. We have spoken to the manager and that is the aim for the season, so hopefully we can do that and put on a show."

Queen of the South will welcome local rivals Annan Athletic to Palmerston this season as the Galabankies get set for their first season in League One.

Bartley believes that derby matches provide an extra element throughout the course of a season and is one his players are eagerly anticipating.

He said: "Derbies are fantastic, I won’t shy away from that. They are brilliant occasions for absolutely everybody involved.

"The players, staff, fans, coaching staff, the board members, for everyone this is what football is about. We are delighted to have that derby in the league this season. There is only three points in those games but the boys will understand what a derby is about if they don’t already.

"I have played in derbies myself, probably slightly different to a normal league match and we will be up and ready for those games there is no doubt about that."

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