Patterson was playing for Luncarty in his native Perthshire, with his performances catching the attentions of onlooking scouts.
An ex-Queens player, Jackie Oakes, was at City at the time and made arrangements for Patterson's accommodation in anticipation of his extended stay.
At the time, Queens had been in the top division of Scottish football since 1933, a club that already had McKinnell as manager and Roy Henderson, Dougie Sharpe and Billy Houliston at Palmerston Park as players.
The early and mid-1950s saw the club's most successful spell to date, achieving consistent mid table finishes in the Scottish A Division, as the top flight was then called.
The following year, the former Scotland and long-time Blackpool FA Cup winning goalkeeper George Farm signed for Queens.
Farm was made player-manager in 1961 and with Jim Patterson still playing the club were promoted back to the top division in 1962.
[2] Patterson's scoring exploits were honoured with one game for Scotland, when he led the Scottish attack versus The Army in 1953 at Hampden Park.