The Thistle Archive

Bobby updated! He had 3 junior clubs before Thistle. Managed and played as late as 54 at Whitletts. Unreal. Another great Jaggy Factoid - Neil Scally once played under Bobby at Whitletts! http://www.thethistlearchive.net/bobby-lawrie

For the first time, image galleries have been added to match hubs on the Archive (thanks to Stuart Deans for the cracking new photies from Parkhead) with the Motherwell & Rangers games from '21 being the first to receive this treatment. It would be good to see more of this sort of thing on the Archive, so anyone in a position to get involved with that would be encouraged to do so. 05.03.1921 Motherwell 2 Partick Thistle 2 (Scottish Cup Quarter Final) → 16.04.1921 Partick Thistle 1 Rangers 0 (Scottish Cup Final) →

Noted for future reference.

^ Blair / Lawrie, great factoid!

Hmm. Tricky. Who'd be a designer? Not I anyway!

Nice concept! Crichton mind. A 2-3-5 layout might look the part?

Ran out of likes, a never ending sketch on here. As is the updating of club connections, but that's the Vics sorted for now at least: http://www.thethistlearchive.net/connections-saltcoats-victoria

On the 16th April, 1921, eleven men took to the field and defeated the Rangers by one to nil, thus securing the Scottish Cup for Partick Thistle. Campbell, Crichton & Bulloch; Harris, Wilson & Borthwick; Blair, Kinloch, Johnstone, McMenemy & Salisbury. "Now, what I think should happen is that people who support Thistle memorize these names, because these are people who are outstandingly important, and it should be part of the curriculum in Maryhill primary schools." (Robert Reid, April, 2021) You should listen to that man, he's very wise, used to be a head teacher you know. We're a' Robert Reid's bairns! Of course, there was more to it than those eleven could physically have managed, for the Thistle took an astonishing eleven matches to eventually secure the trophy, creating all sorts of unique records along the way. In total, 18 squad members contributed to the herculean struggle, almost wholly fought in the mud, wind and rain. These men are profiled in the stories herein, as well the two group leaders, George Easton (manager) and Sandy Lister (trainer). The pen pics in the story were written for The Day The Scottish Cup Came Up To Maryhill → and are slightly tweaked here to accommodate the single piece approach. They are listed in the order in which they appeared in that original story. Right then, pens and paper at the ready, children of Maryhill. Are we sitting comfortably? Good. Then we shall begin… The Class Of '21 →

Best part of a 3 hour read, so thank you all good people for investing your precious time and following along, it's much appreciated. Getting to know the finer details of the players and the story was la raison d'être for the piece (for writer and reader!)

And so, to the last installment in our Scottish Cup story, capturing all the drama of Scottish Cup Final day in words and pictures. From beginning to end, tremendous energy and stamina were displayed by both sides; Thistle were trademark resolute and Rangers were frustrated. Meet the last two squad members; stand-in Watty Borthwick and goalscorer John Blair... eternal Partick Thistle legend! The Day The Scottish Cup Came Up To Maryhill part 17 →

On this day 100 years ago there was bad news for all Thistle fans, as it was pretty much confirmed in all the papers that Rangers were going to win the Scottish Cup tomorrow. Are they, aye? The Day The Scottish Cup Came Up To Maryhill part 16 →

Yes, the street name is quite something. Not sure if there are any other such streets, but was quite impressed by the Bert Haugh building!

Indeed AJ. Thanks for reading the update, it had to be done. "Plus ça change" as they say. And so, one hundred years ago tonight, it was surely time to settle this Semi Final tie, once and for all. Demonstrating “stamina of exceptional order”, Thistle were becoming the first team in history to play ten (legitimate) matches before the final. Take a bow Sandy Lister. Building up the record-breaking credentials, six clean-sheets had been registered in the campaign so far, Thistle “hanging on with bulldog tenacity when the fight was uphill”. It had taken three games against Hibs and three games against Motherwell. Now would be a very good time to complete the set by eliminating Hearts at the third time of asking! In part 15, we've got all the action from Ibrox, the post-match stories which developed, and we'll meet two giants of Partick Thistle history in Willie Bulloch and Jimmy McMullan. Enjoy! The Day The Scottish Cup Came Up To Maryhill part 15 →

Ahead of Monday's installment, a bit of a rewrite for part 14 was required as some important developments had been overlooked, sorry about that! The 'deep link' below takes you straight to the updated section... http://www.thethistlearchive.net/the-day-the-scottish-cup-came-up-to-maryhill-14#30-Mar-1921

An April '21 special! Let's hope they're inspired to raise their game this month...

Part 14 has all the Semi Final replay action, and our profiled players tonight are Tom Crichton & Matt Wilson. Giving the working man a slightly better chance of making the game, this was the only one of our Cup matches with an evening kick-off, proceedings getting underway at 5.15pm. In a micro-statistic which typified Thistle's year so far, Thistle had played Hearts three times in 1921, and had failed to find the net on each occasion. On the other hand, our defence had been breached only once, and from the penalty spot at that. The rain poured down at Ibrox as our Thistle grandfathers packed out the 'Bovril Shed' for the 4th time in 16 days, 90 mins away from a Scottish Cup final... The Day The Scottish Cup Came Up To Maryhill part 14 →

And so, 100 years ago today, it was time for the biggest game in Thistle's 46-year-old history so far. In the last four of the Scottish Cup, it's Partick Thistle, first-time semi-finalists, versus Heart of Midlothian, 4-times winners in 1891, 1896, 1901 and 1906. Read the story of the game, played in a hurricane at Ibrox, and meet the legend that is Kenny Campbell: “I have never yet met a player whose heart did not yearn for the position of being able to say that he was one of the team which won the highest honour in the land.” The Day The Scottish Cup Came Up To Maryhill part 13 →

Sounds like you've all enjoyed reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together. The family were similarly delighted, so we're well chuffed all in all.

When relatives get in touch, it's truly amazing what tales lie behind some of our Jagsmen, and the story of Bert Haugh certainly falls into that category. An international man of some mystery, Bert was very much a man of the people who fearlessly walked a rockier path for a greater good, in spite of the F.B.I. His legacy prevails. Don't miss Bert Haugh - The Red Jag →

To Ibrox then, 100 years ago today, where Thistle were attempting to reach the Scottish Cup semi-finals for the first time. The conclusion of our 4½ hour Quarter Final tussle with Motherwell is at the centre of pt.12, where we'll meet Alex Lauder and David Johnstone, and discover that Jimmy McMenemy wasn't the only Jag holding a previous Scottish Cup winners medal... The Day The Scottish Cup Came Up To Maryhill part 12 →

Following yesterday's stalemate with Well, Jags were one of five in the hat for the semi-finals draw, held on this night 100 years ago. Rangers, Hearts or Albion Rovers? Who would it be? We have the draw and the reaction in part 11 of the odyssey... The Day The Scottish Cup Came Up To Maryhill part 11 →

It's time for part 10 of our Scottish Cup story where you'll meet Rab Bernard and John Bowie and take in the Quarter Final replay... Partick Thistle v Motherwell. Having recently organised a switch to Ibrox for the forthcoming home League fixture with Celtic, the directors had not anticipated any more huge crowds at Firhill this season, and a massive £30,000 ground improvements programme was underway, so this unplanned midweek replay was a matter of some inconvenience. Likewise, many of the fans wishing to attend, once again, had to rely on the goodwill of workmates who might be willing to swap afternoon shifts. Despite these hindrances, a huge crowd of some 30,000 gathered at the Fortress, the big majority willing Thistle on to their first-ever Scottish Cup semi-final. With the fourth and final place in tomorrow night's draw on the line, the stakes were massive... The Day The Scottish Cup Came Up To Maryhill part 10 →

On this Grand National day 100 years ago, the Shaun Spadah of the Scottish Cup found the going tough at muddy Fir Park, but stubbornly refused to fall. In part 9 of our story, read about a day of Cup surprises and meet Willie Salisbury... The Day The Scottish Cup Came Up To Maryhill part 9 →

Just off the Ouija board to Andy there, he says you've all to wind your neck in.

Andy Swann's turning in his grave!