Winter of '63

That always annoys me with Steven Thompson - would he refer to Villa v. Palace or Aston v. Crystal? ...or Ross v. Greenock?...or Glasgow v. Berwick? Someone tell him "We are Thistle"!

I remember Charlie Smith but was too young back then to give much of an assessment of his abilities as a player. He was a regular in the side which was relegated in 1969/70 and the promotion winning side in the following season. He started the 1971/72 in the first team but David McParland converted Ronnie Glavin from a promising centre forward into a midfielder and Charlie Smith never won back his place. As I have posted before on here before, Ronnie is my favourite Thistle player - he could make tackles, pass the ball, dribble and score goals too. We had paid what in those days was big money for the Club when we signed Charlie Smith from Falkirk but no transfer fees were paid for any of the famous 12 who played in the League Cup Final...Alex Rae and Hugh Strachan were experienced pros signed as free transfers and all the others were Thistle products.

I agree with you! I like the current set-up where almost every game has a real competitive edge - only two teams have won the League in the past 30 years and I don't see that changing in the foreseeable - the rest of us are hoping for European Qualification in a good season but other than that staying in the top league is a creditable achievement. A larger League would inevitably reduce that edge...and if we had a poor season and were relegated, we would be facing the likes of Stenhousemuir, Annan and Montrose every week - I wouldn't be that interested in going to watch poor quality part-time players with virtually no supporters. I take the point about repetitive fixtures particularly for those fans who go to all away games but I would rather watch us play Aberdeen or Hearts twice in a season in meaningful matches at Firhill than Raith Rovers or Queen of the South in games where the result doesn't really matter.

In the Anglo-Scottish Cup in the late 70's, we played: Bolton Bristol City Mansfield Friendlies: Man Utd after we transferred Alex Forsyth to them Man City - pre-season game in Sweden, possibly also in a pre-season tournament at Ibrox Newcastle -pre-season friendly at Firhill...I remember seeing Malcolm MacDonald and his aerodynamic sideburns Liverpool XI - pre-season match at Firhill a few years ago Fleetwood - think we played them away in a pre-season game fairly recently Wigan - another fairly recent friendly at Firhill Brighton - winter break game in Spain That's 10...but I'm sure there are quite a few others in long forgotten friendly/challenge games

I was at the Scotland v Brazil game at Hampden too - it was just before the 1966 World Cup. As well as Pele, Jairzinho & Gerson who were two of the stars of the 1970 World Cup winning team, also played in that game. I think Billy Bremner started kicking Pele during the National Anthems and continued hacking him throughout the game...Brazil kept the ball for long spells...and Jim Baxter had the same skill level. All the attention up to the kick-off was on Brazil who were the current World Champions...the newspaper headline the next day was "Nobody noticed Scotland until they scored"...which is the minor Thistle connection to Pele...Steve Chalmers scored in the first minute...he played about 50 times for Thistle at the end of his career but his real connection was with Celtic. Just read TJR's post - didn't remember Peter Cormack was also in the Scotland side

I'm quite pleased the the club are giving Gary Fraser until the end of the season to prove his worth. I was behind the goal at Tynecastle when his 25 yard thunderbolt exploded into the net to ensure that we wouldn't be relegated - it's one of my favourite Thistle goals ever. His performance when we beat Ross County 4-0 at Firhill the following season is probably the best individual display by a Thistle midfielder since we were promoted - a goal and raking defence-splitting passes for the three other goals. However that was over 3 years ago. Since then his form between very lengthy injury absences has been poor although I understand he may have had some personal issues. He owes the club, supporters and in particular Alan Archibald...I hope he takes what will surely be his last chance to repay them. Our midfield has been the major flaw this season - Barton is outstanding in defence but inept in midfield...I struggle to recall Edwards having any meaningful possession or winning tackles in most games and doubt he has had three assists in his time with Thistle....Woods looks a decent journeyman midfielder who has yet to last 90 minutes...McCarthy has promise but lacks experience...Osman's defensive capabilities have been missed but he is a fairly limited footballer...Bannigan is a class act but worryingly is not mentioned on Archie's list of players due back immediately after the winter break. As Gnome on the Bing commented, there is a very limited prospect of signing a midfielder of Fraser's potential ability in the transfer window.

I feared that we might be adrift at the foot of the League at the end of the Year so it's a relief and a very creditable achievement to be off the bottom and within range of five other clubs...particularly with the injuries to key players and the team not actually playing well. Today as with recent home games we weren't great but neither were the opposition and unlike previous seasons we again managed to convert leads into three points. It was a welcome belated Christmas Gift from Andrew Davies (to add to a previous spectacular own goal at Firhill) and a relatively comfortable win. We defended well but County look as if they will need their traditional January influx - we will have four or five decent players coming back which I'm hoping will improve the quality of our play. We should have much-needed options at full-back and midfield though I am concerned that Archie didn't mention Bannigan among those coming back in January. Barton is so much better at the back and the entire defence seemed more composed. Woods has brought some order to midfield - he looks and plays like Sean Welsh - holds the team shape, makes tackles and simple effective passes...also got caught in possession and went off injured. Young McCarthy can make an incisive pass which is something which has been missing from our midfield. I have not been a fan of Sammon but he did well and scored a fine goal. I'm not that keen on the punt-up-the-park-to-the-big-man style of play though and we seem to have picked up the St Johnstone kill the game method of repeatedly forcing throw-ins and general time-wasting. I would like to think we will play better football and have better players in their best positions in the New Year...and that we keep picking up points.

Jags are Frank Coulston, Bobby Lawrie and Jimmy Bone...it's against St Johnstone, presumably the game the week before the League Cup Final...Saints players are Alex Rennie, Kenny Aird, Alex Gordon and Jim Donaldson. This game was almost 50 years ago but I can remember all these players...I would struggle to identify any of the current St Johnstone players...I had family in Perth and went to quite a few games at Muirton...back then the same eleven played virtually every week...their right back was John Lambie. The crowd in the picture is a bit blurred but that guy just to the right of Frank Coulston's shoulder...is that me???

With the insight which has given him a lucrative career in sport journalism,Chick Young reported that it was a tremendous game - it wasn't, unless you enjoy watching an endless succession of throw-ins. There was a difficult swirling gusty wind but it was a poor quality game. Hamilton might just about deserved a draw but they weren't very good and although the flaws remain, we really stuck in and got the reward of 3 points. Lawless personified that - he is never a left wing back but he was admirably tenacious. Barton looked far better as a central defender and Woods, who I suspect is a bog-standard Premier League midfielder, is an upgrade by simply doing the basics of covering & tackling - in contrast, although he made a good pass to put McGinn clear late on, I can hardly remember Ryan Edwards being in possession or winning the ball during the entire game. Particularly if we beat Ross County next week, we will have done remarkably well to keep in the pack despite playing poorly and missing some of our better players - credit due to Archie and the players. Undoubtedly, a fit Osman & Bannigan will considerably strengthen our midfield, Dumbuya, if he ever plays, will add pace - McGinn does ok but is not an attacking threat, and Penrice is an actual left back. Worryingly, Chick predicted that he didn't think Thistle would be in danger of relegation. I'm not sure what the shenanigans between Storey and the guy with the daft beard was about but it added to the afternoon's entertainment. Both lucky not to be red-carded though otherwise it again seemed that Referees find it easier to book Thistle than opposition players. Good to get a win but I will miss the usual contributions from the lynch-mob posters after a bad result calling for Steve Clarke or Tony Pulis to be appointed as our manager.

Maybe there is a Thistle Fan who has been an Assistant to Jose Mourinho at Champions League Level & managed a Team to eighth position in the English Premier League who wasn't in a job and fancied a try with the side he had always supported. If there is, I would thank Alan Archibald for his services and ask when he could start.

Another bad result and a poor performance too apparently. Only fools would make judgements on a game they hadn't seen but I will repeat my comment after the Hibs game - a team with Edwards & Barton in midfield, Storey & Sammon up front and no left back is likely to be relegated. I only saw the Motherwell game on BBC Alba but although we scored three well-taken goals, we looked a poor side - three aimless hoofs in the first 90 seconds set the pattern. I was concerned about our midfield from the latter part of last season after Welsh got injured(again) particularly with the doubts about Bannigan, Fraser & Osman being the force they were before their injuries...we still don't know as they have been out injured. Archie is due criticism for his recruitment and his failure to find a solution to the clear deficiencies in the side. He has been unfortunate with injuries decimating out full backs and midfield but with the exception of Cerny and Spittal (and Barton in Defence) I don't rate any of our starting eleven today as good Premiership standard players. Although we have been a much poorer side than in any of the four previous seasons, astonishingly we are only two points behind the 11th placed club. If we don't win both home games this month against Hamilton & Ross County, I fear that we are doomed even if our injured players return. Disappointing though our performances have been, I am getting a bit tired of the repetitive posts of a few on here who seem to take a gleeful delight in telling us over and over again how rotten we are. They don't seem to go to any games or if they do, they have nothing insightful to add about our players or formation other than sack the manager. That hasn't worked for Ross County or Falkirk despite their new managers having decent track records. Some of the suggestions are ludicrous - Jack Ross is not leaving a team likely to be promoted for a team likely to be relegated. Maybe the Board will come up with an inspired choice but I don't see any obvious candidates - frankly I would prefer to stick with Archie than bring in the likes of Jim McIntyre, Peter Houston or John Hughes who have failed more than once with similar sized clubs to Thistle.

I was standing around the half-way line but remember commenting at the time that it looked like Bobby Houston had ran past the Rangers Defender to head the ball. Possibly even more so in the days before there were TV cameras at every game, you were never surprised when decisions were given in favour of the Old Firm. It was a brilliant game of football - without doubt the most exciting 0-0 draw I have ever seen - several people said it could have finished 5-5...but it should have finished 1-0 to Thistle.

Hibs are fourth in the League, one point behind Rangers & Aberdeen...I'm sure they can play better than they did on Saturday but the first half was very even...they protected their lead competently after getting a fluke goal but hardly made a decent chance in the game...if we had got a.point, it wouldn't have been entirely undeserved. St Johnstone and Hearts are not great sides just now and we have taken points off both of them recently. Despite the glaring deficiencies in our team and not having played well all season, we are within 6 points of four other sides in the League. This suggests that these other sides are not that great either.We won two games against Ross County & Dundee around Christmas last season and moved from bottom to sixth in a week. As with every season since we were promoted, there is very little difference between most of the sides in the League. However, whereas this time last year we were a better team than our position in the League suggested, that's not the case this season.

A listless performance,game & atmosphere - there was no booing or applause at the final whistle - we were all probably bored and resigned by then.It has been clear for some time that a team with Barton & Edwards in midfield, no left back, Storey as the main striker and Sammon as the game-changingsubstitute is likely to be relegated. Barton & Edwards simply don't have the skill-set to be effective Premiership midfielders either defensively or as an attacking threat - neither of them had dreadful games but they don't move the ball quickly enough or run at defenders or make incisive passes. Storey has pace but not much else to offer and both Erskine & Lawless struggled to make any impact. There is very little quick passing and movement and no threat down the left wing. Hibs won without having to be very good or creating a decent chance. I fear the damage may already have been done to the confidence and morale of the team but we are only 6 points with a game in hand behind Hamilton who are in seventh place - if we can get Osman, Bannigan & Booth back before we fall too far behind the rest of the sides, we can still compete in this League.

I think George Niven fractured his wrist in the New Year Derby against Clyde immediately before the Big Freeze but didn't actually miss a game because he had recovered by the time the next game was played at the beginning of March. Sean Welsh and Gary Fraser should have been around then - they would have more time to recover from injury without missing games.

Tom English, who I have a lot of time for, slaughtered the Club Statement on BBC Sportsound on Monday Night - "it was on the club website on Saturday Night that the game was on...their fans are only coming from Glasgow...what's the problem?". He clearly hadn't read the item on the website which stated that Thistle fans couldn't buy a ticket on Sunday. I suspect quite a number of Thistle fans who might have gone to the game either decided not to go because of the uncertainty about it going ahead or didn't go because they couldn't get a ticket. I'm sure the figure for the Thistle support on Sunday was given at about 460 - I don't know if anyone has "official" figures, but I thought we usually took about 800-1000 to Tynecastle and Easter Road. I think the Club had a genuine grievance - as Archie said, we did Hearts a favour by switching the previous game to Firhill and the-game-might-be-on shambles would not have happened if the Old Firm or Hibs had been involved. However, if the Club can not put forward it's case, we end up getting brushed off as a Diddy Club. There were uncomfortable echoes of the Second Vote Fiasco in 2004 when the Stadium Capacity rules were bent so we could be relegated

We haven't played Montrose since Season 1991/92 - by a considerable period, the longest since we have had a competitive game against any team in the SPFL. The only memory I have about playing Montrose is Denis McQuade thundering in a 40 yard screamer against them in 1970. No doubt we will play Queen of the South...which will be a difficult tie.

I wasn't expecting to be hugely entertained today...a blustery wind, the functional St Johnstone as visitors and Sammon up front was not an attractive combination but a win made it bearable. Archie must take credit for setting out a side which is hard to beat despite no defensive midfielders or a left back...but I am looking forward to having our missing players back and a return to the slick quick passing style I've enjoyed watching over the last few seasons. We just have to hang in there for now. I am not a fan of the hump it up to the Big Man style though Sammon was ok in that role. I was just thinking Storey was really poor when out of nowhere he scored a very good goal - still to be convinced by him though. It was only in the last 15 minutes that we made good passes and threatened their goal. Cerny made some fine saves early on and handled crosses immaculately...the three centre backs defended well and McGill had a decent game. I have the fear every time a long high diagonal ball is fired from the opposition left wing to the back post or if there is an attack down their right wing but Lawless again stuck in well...I can't believe we are getting away with playing him there. Edwards does some good things - he ran back 70 yards to make an excellent tackle but he had just given the ball away when in good position outside their box. Barton had a quiet game. I have had a grudging admiration for St Johnstone's ability to achieve high League positions, a cup win and European games without ever looking a better side or having better players than us. They were poor today and will be in the Relegation Mix this season on this performance. They are a negative side and I had a wry smile as they were given a taste of their own medicine with our game management (this used to be called time-wasting) Those of us at the City End had close up views of two incidents which did add to the afternoon's entertainment. Scougall jarred his knee and his momentum took him off the park. It looked a sore one and I could see him holding on to the wall at the front of the Jackie Husband Stand just beside the base of the Floodlights. Play was up at the other end when I saw he had hirpled 10 yards to fall down injured a yard on the pitch...play was stopped for 3 minutes so he could receive treatment. Late on, the ball was hoofed into the Stand...a young lad of about 13 caught the ball, hid it behind his back, ambled slowly down the aisle to hand the ball to Anderson...then threw it 20 yards away from him. My first reaction was he was out of order...but after Scougall's nonsense and remembering last season when the big St Johnstone Keeper let the ball bounce off his chest when the tiny Thistle ballboy threw it to him just to waste another few seconds, I joined in the cheering.

That was a game that reminds you why we go to watch football...the sheer emotion release at the end of the game makes it all worthwhile. It was an open and entertaining match - we could have been 5-0 down at half time but we also made a few decent chances...the big guy Moussa having a hissy fit because he wasn't allowed to take the penalty & Cerny's brilliant save...Devine and Turnbull almost coming to blows...Dolan's sharpness for the equaliser...Cerny's miraculous stop...the increasingly wild tackles...and best of all, the last minute winner. Dundee would have been disappointed with a draw but over the last four seasons there have been numerous times we didn't win games we deserved to. As I posted last week, in previous seasons, I never thought we would be relegated because we were better than several of the other teams in the League...Dundee were better than us today...their system gave us problems with them passing the ball out and their midfield running at our defence...no idea why they switched Leith-Smith and Moussa who had the beating of Turnbull and Keown early on. Our team is held together with sellotape and elastic bands just now...Lawless as wing back? The wee man stuck in well but he shouldn't be playing there. The defence is uncertain, the midfield again failed to give protection and Sammon does exactly what it says on the tin...a big, lumbering striker going through the motions. McCarthy looked a bit tentative and was wearing Balatoni's slippery boots - he also took a knock which slowed him down...in the absence of Osman, Bannigan & Fraser, he will have to learn fast. Erskine started well but ended up falling over his own feet...he was trying very hard though. Spittal looked a footballer but I thought Storey was awful...as with Edwards, redeeming a poor performance with a goal. We simply have to hang in there until our injured full backs and midfielders recover...we should then have a decent squad. No shortage of spirit from the team today and good backing from a more patient than usual support. Very pleased for Archie!

We beat Dundee & Ross County within a week and were sixth at New Year - we were clearly the sixth best side in the League last season. I'm not with the Lynch Mob but the whole set up of the side just isn't right and unlike last year there is a gap opening up.

After about 30 minutes of insipid play from both sides, I was thinking that this was destined to be 0-0 unless there was a dreadful defensive error or somebody blootered one in from 25 yards...it ended up with Kilmarnock given a confidence boost and Thistle(players, management & fans) passive and resigned to defeat. Do our players not know you can't be offside from a throw-in? As with Aberdeen's penalty conceded by Bannigan and a couple of times against Hearts, an opposition player was allowed to run unchallenged into our box...Keown, who is usually a dogged defender, then made a horrible mess of his header and we never looked like getting back in the game. Difficult to say much positive beyond an excellent goal-saving tackle by McCarthy - even Cerny looked unconvincing. Storey has not impressed and Sammon as a potentially game-changing sub is a depressing thought. We are used to our full backs being an attacking threat. McGinn is playing on the wrong side - surely Turnbull at left back was a better option. Kilmarnock realised Nitriansky was not capable of putting in a decent cross and didn't bother to mark him. The main problem was a pedestrian approach and an ineffective midfield which lacked guile going forward and tenacity in defence. I actually thought Barton and Edwards had reasonable games by their standards but Barton's style is not suited to midfield and Edwards runs about a lot but achieves little. We have had a few very poor performances under Archie - a 5-1 trouncing by Motherwell and a awful display against Ross County in particular - but over the last four seasons, I always thought that we were better than several of the other teams in the League and that we wouldn't have deserved to go down...I didn't think that today. Archie still has some credit in the bank but it is running out...but I don't think a new manager would get much more out of the players available. I am getting a bit fed up with the lack of information about our injured players. Sean Welsh & Gary Fraser disappeared into the Twilight Zone for lengthy periods, Dumbuya's absence is shrouded in mystery and despite the Manager's Preview stating that there was a full squad to pick from outwith the long-term injured, Bannigan, Lawless & Nisbet did not make the bench. What is the position with Banzo...he is our best hope for closing the gap which in opening up in the League.

Just some random thoughts. It's impossible to tell from the pictures I've seen whether or not the ball crossed the line for the Hearts goal... the scorer, Callachan, had turned away and was celebrating the goal before Devine got his head to the ball and the referee was 25 yards away...neither of them was in a position to see...it was called by the Linesman who must have phenomenal eyesight to be sure. Barton was exceptional in defence last season but his style isn't suited to midfield. I was surprised at the criticism I read about him being slow and regularly caught in possession in the first few games of the season but on the two occasions I've seen him, this has been an accurate assessment. I don't think we are getting the best out of a very talented player. Bannigan's ability to find space in midfield, keep possession and work the ball forward was shown in the chances we made in the last ten minutes. He is such a good player that I would have liked to see him start even if we only got 60 minutes from him. We really needed his influence on the game as we played deeper as the second half progressed. I hoped we would have brought him on when Elliott was injured, moving Barton back and Turnbull to left back. However, he is too valuable to be risked when he is recovering from such a serious injury. Scully made a good save in the first half, but apart from a decent shot in the second half which went just past the post and other than the goal, Hearts didn't make a single clear chance despite their possession. We defended very well. We have had a difficult run of fixtures and were without five players (plus Banzo) who if fit and in form would be first-choice starters. We have had decisions given against us which would never have been given against Celtic, Rangers and Hearts. Surely everyone realises after 4 seasons in this League that outwith the Big City clubs who have far more resources, there is very little between the other sides. We haven't played any of them so far other than a draw with Ross County away and a win & loss both away against St Johnstone...this forum will be entertaining when we eventually have a bad result.

I suppose a draw was fair enough but as with the Aberdeen game, the final result felt a little disappointing. Hearts had a lot of possession early on but true to Craig Levein's International reputation they looked like a hard-working side totally without guile and our three centre halves coped comfortably. A clever run by Blair Spittal put him clean through...his sclaffed shot nutmegged the big butter-fingered Hearts keeper for the funniest goal at Firhill for years. We seemed in control of the game up to half-time but Hearts stepped up their running in the second half. They didn't really cause too many problems - numerous high balls into the box were fairly easily dealt with by our defence. However, some poor kicks by Scully, some unnecessarily panicky clearances and a lack of presence in midfield had us pushed back too deep...and we have seen this movie before with the concession of a soft goal late in the game. We had five decent chances in the final 10 minutes which made inviting Hearts to come forward for most of the second half all the more galling. I actually thought that Bannigan for Doolan was the right substitution - Dools was looking a bit tired but we were crying out for someone to hold on to the ball and make short simple passes - Banzo is a much better midfielder than Edwards or Barton and would have liked to see him start. Barton was excellent last season in a 3-man central defence and while he had some great touches, he lost possession often and wasn't strong or quick enough in the tackle. Spittal was impessive although he tired, Storey had some good runs but didn't link up too well with his team-mates, McGinn was ok and did well when switched to left back. Keown was tenacious in defence...and although I was a regular critic of Christie Elliott over the years, he has turned into a decent left back - that looked a sore one he took, with a knock on the head and the ankle.

I'm surprised the camera wasn't shaking with laughter...that was the funniest blunder by an opposition keeper since Myles Hogarth's fresh air swipe for Falkirk.

I thought Archie was a real credit to himself in his interview on Radio Scotland - typically calm and honest in his assessment of the game and surely the only manager in Scotland who would accept that a red card for his player was deserved. I assume that the incident where a throw in for Thistle was given to Rangers and led directly to their equaliser was on the far side from the dugout and he may not have seen it. When he was asked if the decision was wrongly given in Rangers' favour his deadpan reply was "It wouldn't surprise me" - I laughed out loud...and he made the point without having to rant. Ian McCall who was one of the radio pundits said if a decision like that had resulted in Rangers losing a goal, there would be a media storm for days...commentator Liam McLeod and Host Jack Webster both described it as a "stonewall" throw-in for Thistle...only fellow pundit and Rangers Fan Gordon Smith remained silent. It was universally agreed - apart from our own Barney Rubble - that we were denied a blatant penalty against Celtic. It's just the way it is...refereeing decisions go in favour of the Old Firm here and for the big clubs throughout the Football World...I don't see it changing soon.