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We sponsored Dools boots in memory of Robert in what turned out to be his last season at Thistle as a player. They are currently in the house, but in the spring/summer months we have them at Robert's grave.

Hopefully it will be enjoyable sake you will be consuming and celebrating with and none of the f***’s sake which is also widely available over here.

For context, it’s 1.88 points per game. Queen’s Park have 1.74 points per game this season. Dundee have 1.77 points per game. Ayr have 1.58 points per game. McCall won 1.43 points per game. In almost all seasons in the second tier since the creation of a 12 team top flight, 1.88 points per game has been sufficient either to win the league or to finish 2nd. Is it sensational? No. Is it very impressive for someone with no prior management experience, thrown in the deep end with someone else’s team? Absolutely.

I still maintain he’s one of our key players. I remember years of wasted corners & free kicks, Turner makes a difference.

The objective of the game is to score more goals than the opposition. How do you score goals? By being prepared to test the goalkeeper. I watched Italy on Thursday night dominate England around their box but being feart to shoot. They lost. I watched Thistle last night dominate Fake Thistle - especially after Welsh's harsh red card - without ever shooting at goal (Brian Graham's first half effort apart). We lost. I was at Hampden this afternoon to watch a frankly insipid Scotland performance which featured lots of possession and mainly poor crosses but no shots on goal (one decent effort from Stuart Armstrong other then the three goals). That we didn't lose was that Cyprus had no intentions of winning the game in the first place. Last night and this afternoon were exercises in low-risk football which seems to be the pervasive feature of the modern game. Which makes the game difficult to watch nowadays.

Another flop, another disappointment, especially as we could have gone just 4 points behind QP. I've stated this several times during this largely boring season, but I'll do it again, given that several other folk have commented on it in this thread: Far too much completely useless tippy-tappy sideways and backwards passing, especially when there is absolutely no need for it. Five or six of those passes, and we are not one inch further forward, while the entire opposition team can comfortably sit back and wait until somebody finally tries a forward pass or, God forbid, even tries to run forward (fat chance), or until the almost inevitable fruitless punt. Almost the entire team is guilty of this kind of garbage, but Bannigan is the specialist: a 5-yard sideways pass (often after a cursory attempt to move forward but then of course checking back), then runs over to the guy he just passed to and gets the ball back from him, and repeats. Checking back is what most of our players do best when (if they manage to) receive a pass. The aim seems to be to get rid of the ball, and the easiest way out is to pass it back. Our team has been guilty of this non-football since the time of McNamara, who at least had some exciting players who could eventually show some speed and flair. The team is too old: in several players not only the legs but the coordination have gone, and too many of the others are nothing but colourless journeymen, always will be. Wherever we end up, a huge clear-out is needed. I don't go along with the notion that we have a good squad; we have a bang average or lower than average squad in terms of ability. In fact I'd even say that maybe they deserve some credit in that they are punching above their weight, and little more can realistically be expected of such a collection of odds and sods. Oh and please spare me the notion that Turner is some kind of wonderful dead ball specialist..... dreadful corners and free kicks, with absolutely no sign of any kind of threat from them. Time after time after time. And offers little else to compensate.

If anybody is interested, I have a Youtube channel with a couple of hundred short video clips of humdrum, everyday life and things in Japan. The videos are short, around 1 to 3 minutes, and as a bonus there is neither narration nor any sign of me.... I just whip out my iPhone and take videos fairly randomly. So these are not at all "tourist" or "Hey, look at me in Japan!" videos. They're just brief records of things I see in Kyoto and other places in Japan on a daily basis as a "gaijin" (GuyJim, geddit?) who's been living and working in Japan for most of the past 20 years. Here's the most recent vid, from earlier today. From there it's easy to find others. Enjoy! (Or, grit your teeth!)

Finishing 2nd and winning the playoffs by beating Dundee United with a last minute goal almost sounds better than finishing first.

It was a cracking day on Sunday every player gave 110% they certainly wanted the victory and didn't let there heads go down even when down two goals . Its a pity more fans don't turn up to see the girls in action , living in Uist we dont get to as many games as we would like.. Grandsons were mascots and also did ball boy duties where they did their best to get quick balls to players whilst we were two goals down . Reece even got involved at the disputed 3rd goal telling the referee it never crossed the line whilst he was in conference with the linesman . A cracking day out made even better by spending halftime chatting with Kris Doolan who was at game supporting the girls along with his daughter . Fingers crossed they can get a result against Dundee United next week

What really impressed me today, apart from the score line, was the sheer commitment of the players. Everyone put in a terrific shift, doubling up and helping out their nearest teammate and never giving Raith a moment until some tired legs late in the game. A team that was undefeated in their last 14 games. Credit to IMC (that will be unpopular with some) but he signed that starting eleven today, and it helps when your best players are fit. Maybe it’s the new manager bounce, but the belief, strength and organisation on display today suggests Doolan may be taking this team up a gear. On todays performance they look as good as anyone in the league. He must be putting something in their tea. I guess the test will come after a defeat, how well they react in order to measure their resolve. But Dools has already picked them up from where they were, and if we can maintain this level of form, organisation and discipline (and our key middle to front stay fit) this could be an extremely interesting run in and that game against QP could be huge.

Listening to KD in his most recent Jagzone interview, it is his genuine love of the Jags' which brings a smile to my face. His appointment as manager is, to me, so very reminiscent of 1970 when Davie mcparland first sat behind the managerial desk. Approximately the same age (Davie mcp was a year younger at 35), like Kris, he had achieved legendary status as a player and his love of Thistle was a life-long affair despite his unfortunate departure after a disagreement with the directors. As well as providing our greatest ever triumph, Davie assembled a wondrously attacking team which was a joy to watch. I have a feeling in these 73-year-old bones that under young master Kris, I am going to be smiling a lot in the years to come... But, hey, whatever the future holds for KD and his beloved Thistle, isn't it great to be a Jag...?

I’d think that it must be better to have certainty for trying to re-sign or even sign new players. Not knowing would make it difficult for them to commit without the certainty.

Zander today reminded me of the way a young Stephen O’Donnell was deployed when he first broke into the Thistle first team as a strong running wide midfield player, before settling back into an attacking fullback/wingback type role.

Well I believe this is proof positive that I am indeed not Cammy Smith

He's laying low with SigeSige01

I thought ICT defended really well and sometimes shit happens in this league. Brilliant save by their goalie in first half. From that point on pretty much knew it wasn't going to be our night. At least the manager tried to change things even if it didn't work out. Way too soon to be passing judgement.

Absolutely. Number of times we tap the ball around, pass back to Stuart "The Best Player in the Division" Bannigan to just balloon the ball up in the air to nobody. But as I have said since the time of the Barton/Osman pairing, our insistence on two completely defensively minded CMs means that we create so little through the middle of the park.

So if we win a few points it’s the new manager bounce and a reinvigorated squad, but if we play p”sh then it’s the former manager’s squad. Plain truth is that it’s neither.

We aren’t aggressive enough it’s so weak.. tippy tappy pish

Quarter Finals standings Fawlty Towers above the pack.

In my opinion Reese was correct - the ball didn't cross the line. When you look at the highlights you will see that our keeper catches the ball cleanly but steps back over the goal line as she does so. She, however keeps her arms stretched towards the field of play and if you use the near post which is behind the ball as a point of reference you will see that most of the ball is level with the post and therefore not over the line. The Assastant Ref wasn't Jordan (something). The guy who was responsible for ruling out Doolan"s ghost goal against Morton and whom I believe awarded a throw-in against the Jags following an opponent's cross which overshot everybody and went out of play on the opposite wing!!.

Just back from Crappielow , please don’t ever give me Dougie Imrie as a manager Morton are what drives supporters away from football. They are totally anti football, with no desire to play , relying on 2nd balls and a physicality that needs a strong ref which there wasn’t today. Proud of our team today for sticking at it and getting a point which I don’t they would have got earlier in the season.

Every chance, but need to keep winning - even a draw today would just about rule us out I think. A convincing win would do wonders for us - and have others starting to fear playing us.

Not buying an advance ticket either. It's only because of our recent turnaround in form that I'm likely to make the trip. As I'm not under 5 feet tall the DVT Stand is out. Besides you're lucky if you can see two thirds of the pitch from in there. So it''ll be standing out in the open for me, tho' you can sit down occasionally if you bring enough paper towels. Being charged £22/£16 for that privilege. Sometimes wonder if part of the gate money is going to Scottish Heritage. A short while ago I'd be keen to see us play three at the back at Cappielow. Indeed if Holt returns it'll be hard on the centreback who makes way for him. However all five of our starting midfielders are on form and the 4-2-3-1 set up has worked well recently. If we're winning I can see Dools bringing on a third CB and tightening things as he did at Ayr.

Bit of a special day at Petershill today. Off the pitch it was free admission for all. The result? A crowd three times bigger than our last home gate. Really good atmosphere with flags and drums. On the pitch, we battered Aberdeen for the vast majority of that. Baffling that they got 2-0 up and you did wonder if it wasn't going to be our day. But, and just as a watching Kris Doolan correctly predicted, once the first came the rest would follow. And so they did. Will be watching the 3rd Aberdeen goal back very carefully. Three points away to Dundee United and a top six place will be ours. This less than 10 years after the team's formation. Exciting times.

Excellent win today. 2-0 down early in the second half then they get a player sent off and we score from the resultant free kick before going on to get 4-2 up with a couple of minutes left before they get a goal which I will need to see on the highlights but it looked like our keeper cleanly caught a free kick but the assistant said she took it behind the line. We now need to beat Dundee United away next weekend to guarantee being in the top 6 after the split. A draw might do it depending on how Spartans and Motherwell get on but I think Motherwell will win their game (against Aberdeen) so we need to win ours.

All the post-match updates in place via the home page → ROVERS RUN ENDED AT FIRHILL ● Kyle Turner's excellent assist is his 19th in competitive action in less than 2 seasons. ● Brian Graham is on the ascent in all goals charts, and today moves outright into our All Time Top 40 League scorers chart with 37 goals to his name. ● Kris Doolan's Jags retire at half-time with a one nil lead for the third time in his four games. They've yet to concede a first half goal. ● Harry Milne registers his 5th assist of the season to go with his 5 goals, giving him a fine double figures return in competitive action. ● Scott Tiffoney nets his second brace as a Jag, following on from his League double away to Airdrie in March 2021. ● Aidan Fitzpatrick hits a new personal best of 13 consecutive appearances in competitive action. ● Referee Greg Aitken awards what can only be described as an embarrassing penalty award to Raith Rovers, mis-reading a situation directly in front of him. In his last 13 Thistle games he's awarded six penalties against Thistle and only one in favour. ● David Mitchell faces a Raith Rovers penalty for the second time this season, the first being the final nail in a 3-0 League defeat at Stark's Park in October. ● David Mitchell is the first Thistle goalie to save a penalty which preserved a winning clean-sheet in the League since Kenny Arthur did so at Pittodrie in February 2003. ● Stuart Bannigan, Jagzone man of the match, has yet to be booked in his testimonial year! ● Raith Rovers 14 game unbeaten run (reportedly their best in 30 years) comes to an end at Firhill. ● Kris Doolan, confirmed as permanent new manager the day before, is the 4th Partick Thistle gaffer to remain unbeaten in his first 4 competitive matches. Only Murdo MacLeod (5) and Alan Archibald (10) have been on longer runs. ongoing sequences: ● 37 consecutive competitive appearances for Jack McMillan, 9th Jul 2022 to date, a new personal best. (Longest run since: Jamie Sneddon - 41 games, 28th Aug 2021 to 9th Jul 2022. Club-record: Johnny Jackson - 313 games, 28th Aug 1926 to 25th Mar 1933.)

For sure. There's token "assists" and genuine "assists". Lawless's lead up play and pass was 100% the latter.

Agreed, plus quick distribution.

Kris Doolan has my utmost respect. A great footballer and a humble person. We share a love of Partick Thistle. Is he a good manager? Time will tell. I'm struggling to understand why the Board felt they needed to act so promptly in appointing Kris as manager. His first three professional games have gone reasonably well. No doubt he will have been helped by the playing squad focusing their efforts following the surprise sacking of McCall. He has, until now, been working under reduced pressure as an interim. Now he is the manager and first team coach of Partick Thistle and pressure will mount along with responsibility. We can't even afford to pay off the previous management team and yet have quickly appointed an untried replacement. It's very early days in his new career. Unless there are reasons, unknown to us, for this decision, I feel it would have been prudent to allow Kris more time to grow into the role. I wish him well. Most managerial appointments, ultimately, turn sour. For all our sakes, I hope that day is a long way away.

Very happy with Kris as the new manager and I wish him the greatest of success. Have dug out my Kr1s Doolan celebration scarf for today's game.

Mixed feelings. Love Kris Doolan, encouraged by recent results, and confident that he can be a good manager for Thistle. Obviously wish him all the very best. But I don't think a healthy club does this.

Good luck dools but have to ask why the rush??? Have seen this backfire before - interim mangers gets appointed on the basis of a few good results and then it goes wrong. Partly due to financial reasons I reckon

So Squidy's prediction to me just before Xmas was correct, but I bet he never thought it would be so quick! He also said he needs to do some more coaching badges and he's enjoying his job as a fireman. I've a feeling he'll be at Firhill in some capacity. all the very best to Dools and Paul McDonald

Dools is due a huge thanks for getting us winning again, plus being such a good ambassador for the Club in his interviews. I know it’s early days, but he’s doing things with a positive outlook.

Camallain's put together a couple of minutes of the Dundee game for the Archive: 18-Mar-2023 Thistle 0 Dundee 0 → Somehow, we've still managed to get some sort of publicly available video on each and every game this season. 2022-23 →

New manager bounce over. Should have waited before making him permanent

Mostly about the Women's Team but second part more about the Men's Team. Interesting podcast with Brian Graham https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0f9x1n5

My view of Dowds is roughly along the lines that he's more or less similar in every department to Graham but just not as good in every department as Graham. A tiring Graham after 60-70 mins is possibly no better or worse than a fresh Dowds. One aspect of the Dowds for Graham substitution is we don't require to change tactics/formation mid way thru the 2nd half. I don't think that's usually that beneficial as I sense Dools is going to be more prone to change and less inclined to like for like subbing.

And then wait 25 minutes in the queue for the only catering facility to be told "We've only got cheeseburgers and Capri Sun. We've got nae pies or hot water".

In December we played Cove away which we were lucky to draw and the performance was by all accounts terrible. We then beat an Ayr team that had a makeshift defence and an ICT team that was struggling to get a team together. In January we play Queens and largely our defensive frailties are exposed again. We then beat Morton at home through a penalty and an own goal. We struggled in both games to score from open play. Then we get to Hamilton and Cove. Hamilton we play well in the first 45 but cant score, Hamilton change tact at halftime and hit us with a breakaway goal. Cove we were terrible in the first 45, got hit on the break and when Graham got himself sent off we were done. Don't think there was any shift between December and January. In reality we weren't playing well, we just got some wins because we played some teams who were in a worse state. As soon as we played teams reasonably well organised who we couldn't score or outscore, we struggled and more often than not our defensive weaknesses got exposed.

Have to say really enjoyed yesterday despite the ref doing everything in his power to give Raith every decision. Thought I may have been biased until I rewatched the highlights on YouTube and its quite poor from the ref, first Tiffoney is fouled in the box no pen, second the Raith player miscues his kick after being kicked about 5 yards out the box and falls over and the ref gives a pen Despite that, thought McAvoy, Bannigan, Lawless and Tiffoney were all outstanding, the rest all playing well too, with a special mention to Mitchell for a solid performance as well as a much deserved clean sheet. Took my niece along for her first Thistle experience and she was delighted and asked to go back.

QP games were so expensive. Just share the points equally in these three games and we're top of the league. Need to beat them next time

That one mustard passed me by? 🤪

Well done Brian, keep banging them in!

I was one who argued for a new manager that did not have a Thistle background nor was one of the second tier Scottish managers doing the circuit. Doolan may have proved me wrong. I hope so.