Winter of '63

The title to this thread reminds me how long I've been watching Thistle - though I was just a nipper in '63 and too young to make a judgement on the merits of that team. There are uncanny similarities between the current side and the wonderful team of '71 - both were full of young players with obvious potential to succeed at a higher level, they scored early goals and had a variety of attacking options. The team which was promoted in '70/71 won the Second Division in style but they were against a lower level of opposition - Stranraer, Stenhousemuir, Berwick etc. However, John Hansen, Alex Forsyth & Ronnie Glavin did not get into the side until the beginning of the next season and Jackie Campbell switched to Centre Half - we then beat Rangers and Celtic(European Cup finalists in 1970) and scored eight against Motherwell before the end of November. The side which was promoted to the 10 team Premier League in 1976 was also a class above the opposition - we had Alan Rough, Alan Hansen, Doug Somner and Joe Craig who was a better player than his son. They might have had been a stronger all-round side than either the League Cup winning side or the current team but they weren't as exciting to watch. I have waited a generation to see a Thistle side rekindling the Spirit of '71...as I have said previously on here I would love to see the present side having at least another season together.

I don't have a ticket...yet. I'm not moaning even though I have been to every Home League game this season - I'm delighted at the level of interest in the club. It vindicates the point I made several pages back on this thread - that there is an untapped pool of support and it is not just restricted to a hardcore of about 3,000. I have no problem with Livingston as the venue - it's a decent stadium and there will be a great atmosphere on the day. The Final should not be at a SPL ground. I have no problem with the way the club sold the tickets. Season Ticket Holders rightly had priority. The remaining tickets were sold on days when we had home matches. I didn't have time on either day to get to Firhill until shortly before Kick Off by which time the tickets had been sold out. I had been told by someone who had spoken to Ian Maxwell that the club did not expect to sell out the full allocation of additional tickets. I have no problem with the supposed glory hunters - anyone who queued up for tickets clearly has a genuine commitment to the club particularly in yesterday's freezing weather. I have been a bit disappointed by the crowds at Firhill this season though. This is the most exciting Thistle side for a generation...I hope there will be a similar turnout for the far more important game against Morton.

I was quite impressed with the way Livvy were passing the ball about so it was good to get three soft goals to finish the game as a contest. They didn't have Scougall who is a good player, they don't have a manager and don't have much of a travelling support which might explain why they lacked a cutting edge. Erskine and Lawless were brilliant, Muirhead & Paton excellent and O'Donnell showed a return to form and although Craigen gave possession away a few times he at least showed an impressive willingness to take responsibility. Doolan did well but Elliott's touch was clumsy in comparison.

Arrived at Firhill at 2.40pm as the Sold Out sign was being put up..at least I kept my 100% Home League attendance record.

Barcelona was hoaching with Jags fans last weekend...though with the planning skills which will no doubt mean that I fail to get tickets for the Ramsdens Cup Final tomorrow, I was flying home as the game was kicking off on Sunday evening. I did have the slightly surreal experience of watching the League Cup Final in an Irish Bar in Barcelona with my Jambo supporting travelling companion...I felt her pain but was rooting for Danny Lennon's St Mirren You can't fail to marvel at Barcelona's football but with the disparity in resources, their games tend to resemble the Harlem Globetrotters against their stooge team rather than a genuinely competitive match. I see Deportivo are in financial difficulties - I'm sure it was their fans who had a banner saying "We don't want to be like the Scottish League"...a League which only two teams can win and who soak up all the media attention and money. I've seen the reports about Dr Fuentes before...hope he spills the beans. The coincidence of Spanish sporting success in various sports against the historical trends has been commented on but I'm sure the likes of the change in Rafael Nadal's physique in his late teens was entirely down to hard work in the gym.

David Irons is an excellent shout - he is possibly my favourite Thistle player of the last 30 years...should have remembered him! Colin McAdam was another great convert, from centre half to striker. I think Park played as a twin striker with Mo Johnston under Peter Cormack for a bit. I remember them destroying Clyde in a cup replay which finished 6-0.

In all the years I have watched Thistle, Paul Paton would, by a distance, be the player who improved most following a change of position - I can only think of Jackie Campbell's move from right back to centre half and Donald Park from winger to striker as remotely comparable...and they were both very good players in their original positions. I always liked Paton's commitment but he was fairly limited as a right back. This year he has been the heartbeat of the team - he made the challenge to start the move for our best team goal of the season by O'Donnell against Dunfermline. His raking crossfield passes have been the trademark of the side this year. I would love to see the current side with just a few additions have a crack at the SPL next season but good luck to any of them who get a better offer.

My father had taken me to Firhill a few times but the first season I started going on my own, trekking across from the Southside on the 18 bus, was in 1969/70...the first ever season the club were relegated. The second game I saw was a League Cup tie against St Johnstone - we were hammered 8-1. Saints were a really good side then - I had seen them several times as my grandparents lived in Perth but had an irrational dislike for them which made the defeat even harder to bear. Maybe that dislike explains why I was never a great fan of John Lambie - he was the Saints right back. Which leads me to a midweek match at Firhill in 1993 against a very ordinary Hibs team who won 3-0 - I think that midget Mickey Weir might have scored with a header. I wanted to see a Thistle side with promising youngsters not a team of journeymen professionals who would never achieve anything more than a relegation escape. I went to very few games over the next 6 or 7 years.

I think that the move may have started with a throw out from Fox to Sinclair, then on to Bannigan. Stuart brought the ball forward and threaded a clever ball to Craigen who played a great pass to set Elliott free - it was another of many excellent goals we have scored this season.

Craig does seem a bit lackadaisical at times - at least twice yesterday I thought he was caught offside unnecessarily, either by failing to anticipate the play or just being a bit lazy in getting back onside.

Considering we were without arguably our two most important players in Paton and Eskine, I thought it was a good enough performance. Dumbarton were a decent side and particularly in the first half they caused some problems through their No.9. We were a bit slack after half time but I can't say they looked like scoring...but at least we kept trying to pass our way through - I don't recall us hoofing the ball too often. The second goal settled the game and the team - great strike by Lawless and we finished very strongly. Some excellent passing for the third goal and good use of the substitutes. Bannigan looks a real talent. Thistle won, Celtic and Rangers lose embarrassingly...that's a great football day

Don't recall Billy Dunlop...but Andy Dunlop was a central defender, previously with St Mirren

If we get a further allocation of tickets, I would hope that the Club will arrange for these to be sold immediately before or after a home game...people were queuing at Firhill in the afternoon for the first batch but many of them didn't hang around to watch the team play that evening whereas some of us turned up for the game by which time the tickets had been sold. It would seem an obvious marketing strategy to increase the attendance for a home game and also to ensure that the regular fans get the first chance to buy tickets.

Just in from a wild night at the Sushi Bar in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam with Firhillfill...it was quite clear from here that it was the right decision to abandon the game.

Firhill's playing surface has never been great...I can remember Gordon Strachan mentioning it as his least favourite away ground because the pitch was so bumpy...this was when he was playing for Aberdeen so that would have been in the early 80's. Playing fewer games during the Winter months or laying an artificial surface would seem the only practical solutions...Saturday's game against Airdrie was a reminder of how a poor playing surface can affect the entertainment value.

I was hoping to see the incident for the free-kick for Morton's first goal particularly as the edit shows a number of other odd refereeing decisions..it was shown on the SFL highlights and the challenge didn't look like a foul. I'm not a fan of Hugh Murray but the highlights confirm what I thought at the time...he was both unfortunate and stupid. Morton's "Stramash" tactics are difficult to deal with - they sling the ball into the box in the hope that it will fall kindly to one of their players...I prefer our own more sophisticated and cultured approach to the Beautiful Game.

Without doubt the least entertaining 90 minutes at Firhill this season...we looked tentative, the pitch was a bit bumpy, Airdrie were dreadful. We lacked a little spark with Lawless and Forbes not quite at their best...but nobody was brilliant or dreadful. Magnificent goal from Erskine...and 3 points will do.

Since I spent the earlier part of the week sniping at you, I'm pleased to agree entirely with you on this

I'll back you up in so far as my automatic choices for worst used to be; Goalkeeper: Doug McNab Right Back: George Mackie Left Back: Danny Kellachan Mind you that was up to the early 80's when we were always in the top League and before the Club entered the Wilderness Years.

Best: Alan Rough, Alan Hansen and Ronnie Glavin Worst: Only saw Lucas Akins once, he looked the least co-ordinated professional footballer I've ever seen. I also took a particular dislike to Leigh Hinds.

Don't think anyone has suggested this. I am delighted we have sold out our initial allocation even though I haven't got a ticket yet. I'm just a bit disappointed at the attitude adopted by someone involved with One Thistle to those outwith a perceived maximum of 3,000 genuine supporters...I'm sure everyone appreciates the work you guys are doing but it doesn't seem a winning marketing strategy to reach the majority of the potential market by labelling them neutrals. Anyway, it's all clearly Hugh Murray's fault

Probably more to do with Iceland's quotas, I would have thought.

What's that got to do with the price of fish? I may or may not get a ticket but I have no particular issues with the way the club has sold their allocation or that Thistle supporters who don't go to many games are making the effort to go to a Cup Final. It simply proves the point that there are far more than 3.000 "genuine " Thistle Supporters - maybe some people like to feel they are part of a select elite group of true believers but I'd rather encourage anyone with the slightest interest or allegiance to come to the games...I thought that's what One Thistle wanted to do.

I thought we played with real intelligence tonight...we were patient and kept passing and probing. However although we totally dominated the game, we didn't make that many clear chances and the penalty came at the right time before we all started to get anxious. We missed Forbes delivery from corners - we had plenty of them - and although Lawless played well, his corners were poor. Craig looked a bit laboured but did well to set up Erskine - some great skills from Chris tonight.

I've been to every home league game this season...got to Firhill a bit earlier tonight to find that tickets were sold out...clearly I'm a neutral and not a genuine fan.