partickthedog

https://ptfc.co.uk/ptfc-news/emma-lawton-signs-for-24-25/ This is great signing news. In SWPFL team of the year, coming to the attention of other clubs, in Scotland under 23 squad, and yet sees Thistle as the best option for future development.

I think what you are saying here, with one eye on the opening poster, is that this may come back to haunt us.

Concerned on 2 counts: This thread has been started too early. The thread title is too conventional. I hope we can take advantage of the fact that Ayr will not be well enDowd in attack. Apologies!

Random useless fact. The surname of one of the players in our squad, Blair Alston, is the highest market town in England.

I will defer to your superior knowledge as regards Airdrie. It does seem surprising as it is very much part of the central Lowlands. You come off the M8 and there are no particularly steep climbs. The stadium itself lies down in a dip. I suppose it demonstrates just how low lying all our stadiums are. Just wondering about St Johnstone. There are a few hills in the motorway north of Stirling. But then again, you would have a fairly level drive from there to the Tay estuary! Maybe if we moved Firhill north across the Nolly to the top of the hill in Ruchill Park we could get into the Guinness Book of Records.

Would Annan be high? Feels quite Southern Uplandish?

So Brian scores against Ayr and grabs a double at Dundee United. He enters the PTFC history books as First double Grand Slammer Highest post-war league goals in a season scorer Highest lower league total goal scorer ever The Archive congratulates Brian on his 12 goals in our successful play off run, but refuses to sanction any further awards. Next season he cannot add to his lower league tally so contents himself with another post war record 25 league goals, including a season record 3 Grand Slams against Celtic, Rangers and Hearts. The manager then releases him as he is sneaking uncomfortably close to 121 competitive goals for Thistle. You read it here first.

That is a reasonable point. I will have to defer to the Thistle Archive as the ultimate arbiter of justice. On a related but different subject, I am wondering if Brian is getting anywhere near being our most prolific “lower league” (ie not the top league flight available at the time) goal scorer. Kris Doolan is over 40 ahead in total goals, but must have scored at least that number in the Premier League which would not count for this particular award (no idea how Cup and other goals compare). Most of our other top scorers will have operated at a time when we were in the old First Division or equivalent top league.

Brilliant research as always. If I am reading this right, 2 goals in the last 2 league games would make Brian our equal leading post-war league goals in a season scorer (and 3 would put him out on his own). I presume that I would be correct in saying that any goals in the play-offs would not count towards this particular total, as this would be regarded as a separate competition (although it does have a direct bearing on league promotion/relegation). I am sure that we had this debate over Mark Roberts, when I presented my case for a Doublet for his play off feat against Stranraer, but you ruled me out of order!

Fair point. When I saw that I had been credited with 14 points, I thought that Hearts must have won today and Celtic had been disqualified for fielding an ineligible player yesterday. Bit disappointed to find out that neither scenario was true.

Having to call a VAR review on myself here. My brain was clearly scrambled when making my predictions and I began on the basis that A is for Aberdeen! Having got that wrong I went for the opposite result H in the 2nd game, on the basis that overdog v underdog has to be the opposite of underdog v overdog. Therefore I cannot in all good conscience hold on to 14 points gained by fraud, error or whatever. Sporting integrity demands that these be forfeited. Apologies for causing you extra work. However, similar to the scenario playing out at the foot of the English premiership I cannot let my fellow contestants go into the last round of fixtures not knowing where they stand. I think that I can still avoid relegation even without these extra points.

O’Reilly came across well in the JagZone interview as a positive bright character, which can only be a good thing in terms of squad dynamics. Great now to have more options as regards personnel and formations.

Fair comment, and Zander does give the team better balance if he plays wide. Both Robinson and McInroy are better central, McInroy for his accurate shooting from distance, and Robinson just being generally busy, winning balls in the air against taller defenders and being nimble and quick to react in the box. Starting to argue against myself now, so happy to leave the call to the manager!

Absolutely agree that it would be harsh, but a fit and firing Robinson is one of our best players who could be vital in such an important game. I suppose that Zander would have to make way, but he should get some significant game time later, as both Robinson and McInroy tend to fade after an hour.

If Robinson is fully fit, I can see him starting. I would expect that O’Reilly and Bannigan will be on the bench with the hope that they can come on later.

I do agree with the sentence I have underlined. Nevertheless, however morally and competitively bankrupt it might be, there is at least a stateable case for "agreeing a draw" tomorrow, so that both teams are securely in the play offs, and then both teams are free to go at it if they so wish in the 2 subsequent league fixtures with a view to securing third place. I do not personally agree with this suggestion, but I can understand why some might regard that as a reasonable course of action (or inaction!).

Sad news indeed and thoughts go out to his family. Am I right in recalling that Willie was given a lap of honour (or at least an extended round of applause) at Firhill after winning something (perhaps most likely the Commonwealth Championship)? I have an even more vague recollection that there was a proposal to stage one of his boxing contests at Firhill, but I do not think that it ever came to anything.

Assuming that we regard Stanway, Mackenzie and Diack as regular members of the first team squad, I suppose that you also have some of the other younger players (Loney, Horn etc) who have filled out the bench for our recent games. It is, however, difficult to imagine such inexperienced players being pitched in for any substantial part of a game that is in any way meaningful in terms of league position and prize money. There might also potentially be a slight question mark, even if a game is totally meaningless for us. Just say that come the last day of the season, we are either 4 points ahead of, or 4 points behind, Airdrie (ie the final result cannot affect our league position) and we are playing Dundee United, who have had a slight stumble and are only 2 points ahead of Raith Rovers. Is there any issue over competitive integrity, and could we be sanctioned for turning out a severely weakened team and handing Dundee United the automatic promotion place?

It was encouraging to see Fitzpatrick just about back to his best yesterday. Very unlucky with the deflected shot which hit the crossbar and he pulled a good save out of their keeper in the second half. Several other runs and crosses, and one of the cynical fouls on him when in full flight would certainly have attracted a blue card and consequent sinbinning if that idea had seen the light of day!

Only fair to Zander that I should update my halftime post. He became much more involved in the second half and turned in an excellent performance. Stanway was also impressive throughout.

Very strange pitch and the wind does not make it any easier. Raith look more confident in how to pass the ball, but we have put together some decent moves too. Unlucky with the one that hit the bar, but they have had some chances as well. Level about right. Mitchell very sound. Difficult to comment on other players as the game so lacking in continuity. Stanway showing up well and Zander perhaps finding it hard to work his way into the game, which is fully understandable.

Apologies. Got my lefts and rights mixed up. I meant to put Aero on the right, especially as he has some experience of being right back and might even get the chance to do some long throws. I had not realised that all 3 of my centre backs are right-footed. I appreciate that could make the back line somewhat unbalanced.

I think that technically he was the second player involved. The third was Andy Dowie who was judged rather less harshly as he was younger and less experienced at the time.

I would quite like a combination of your personnel with Laukat's formation, ie Mitchell McBeth Neilson Muirhead McMillan McInroy Stanway Milne Robinson Fitzpatrick Graham Only drawback is absence of Neilson may leave centre midfield a little lightweight.

To be fair, it would be somewhat difficult not to spot Stevie Fulton. The third member of the trio redeemed himself with the promotion clinching goal at Falkirk in 2013 (Chris Erskine's memorable sequel was merely the icing on the cake).