All The Best To Thistle And Thistleweir

[billko]

My son was one of the casualties from the U15's squad who were released tonight and won't be part of things as they jump to U17's next season.

He is one of the youngest in the team and the physical side of the game with the jump to U17's was always going to be tough on someone who won't turn 15 until the end of the year and who is still to develop alot physically.

 

He has played in all but 1 game in 3 seasons and we have put iin goodness knows how many miles as we travelled all over Scotland to Elgin, Inverness to Annan and it's been a really enjoyable experience to have been a part of it and see the team develop each year.

The Thistle Academy has come on leaps and bounds since my son came in a U13's and it WILL produce great talent for Thistle in the future.

The match reports etc started to try and show Jags fans that they have a youth set up to be proud of and it's been really enjoyable doing it.

Another year and i might even had a season ticket for Firhill

 

We are both fine about it although it might not really have sunk in yet with him, but he will develop elsewhere and maybe sometimes change is good but where we end up is anyones guess.just now.

It was also disappointing to lose the last game 3-0 today against Clyde but the squad was decimated with injuries and not a real reflection on where these two sides are just now in terms of the standard of players each team have.

 

Some will be angry at being released and Gerry has a tough job getting it right on who to let go and who to keep, but we have no problems with anyone at Thistle and we will always see it as a positive experience.

We will want to prove them wrong though but will use it as a positive motivation rather than having any ill feelings.

A well earned rest and the difficult part is how to fill those 5 days in the week that was taken up by Thistle duties.

 

Good luck to all the boys released at the different age groups who will be looking for new clubs and many will go on to good things in the game if they are dedicated to it.

This is Pro Youth football and it's a ruthless enviroment that boys need to be mentally tough to survive in.

 

Also good luck to all the boys who were kept on and hope you all continue to do well and get to run out at Firhill someday as first team players.

It's been a great season again for Thistle and i iwish the club all the best for the future and hope you ALL get behind what they are trying to achieve.

 

All the best

[yoda-jag]

genuinely sorry to read that jaggyko.

 

but a very reasoned and classy post from you in light of the news others would take and react differently to. like all your posts on thistle, reasoned, measured and often they have been a joy to read.

 

i honestly wish you and your boy well, why don't you keep us updated from time to time on how he is doing elsewhere, as well as your views on how thistle are doing?

 

after all, no reason why you can't get a season ticket for firhill next season, apart from the victims in the east end, firhills only place in glasgow you'll see premiership football. and you like the jags, quite a lot secretly, so what say you hmmmm?

[Lindau]

Hopefully your boy will get picked up by another club. One thing I would hate to do is tell a young boy that he is being freed. Must be very difficult. All the best for the future Billko and I for one will miss your youth reports ( see my comment in the poster of the year thread)

[ThickAsThieves]

That's football - but fair play on taking it with such class. Not the easiest thing for him to hear but hope he bounces back.

 

Cheers for this season mate, hope you stick around and take in a few Thistle games.

[King Kenny]

A very reasoned and classy post there Billko, your son is in good hands!

 

I hope he gets something lined up, not every player gets to the top having only played for one team (Stuart Bannigan being a prime example).

 

Thanks for all your updates as well over the last few years, they have been a great insight in to the academy.

[robphil]

Many a legend suffered the same harsh fate at an early age. Hope to hear a lot more of your lad in the future...

[policemans whistle]

I'm sure you know this Bilko but it is only one persons opinion on his ability. Best of luck

[Rid Skwerr]

Agree with all the posters above that you will be a loss to this board.

Your updates on the younger players have been very valuable and much appreciated.

 

The very best of luck to your lad in his career.

With you guiding him, I'm sure he'll achieve his full potential in a sensible, feet on the ground, kind of way.

 

Thanks for all the effort you put in following and supporting the youngsters and you'll be welcome back any time.

[Peaty FC]

If your son has shoulders as broad as you Billko then he will do just fine.

 

Hope you won't be stranger here as I guess you & your family have supported the wider Thistle cause as much as anyone here in the last few years as we anticipate the fruits of the academy as well as taking a bit of stick (thinks thats the right spelling) along the way.

 

All the best from the Isles

[angry gaz]

Good luck to yourself and your son Bilko. A setback for the boy no doubt ,but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger .

Hope you stick around the Forum.

[jaggy]

Good luck to yourself and your son Bilko. A setback for the boy no doubt ,but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger .

Hope you stick around the Forum.

^^^^^^^

Echo what he said and all others above. All the best to both of you

[allyo]

All the best to both of you. Hope things progress from here and this is just a setback. Tough business.

 

Thanks for all your youth team updates, and for providing a voice of reason on Thistle matters, while others were losing their heads.

 

And good luck in the play-o.... Nah, sorry. I just can't do it. :-)

[lady-isobel-barnett]

^^^^^^^

Echo what he said and all others above. All the best to both of you

 

A big ditto from me as well, billko. Sincerely hope your laddie makes it. Sometimes what seems bad at the time can be looked on in years to come as a positive turning point. Perhaps this will help harden his resolve to succeed?

 

Thanks for all the comprehensive youth reports. They'll be sadly missed. I trust tho' that you won't be a stranger to this forum and also in time you can let us know how your laddie is getting on.

 

Oh! and FTOF

Edited May 4, 2015 by lady-isobel-barnett

[billko]

Really overwhelming to get these responses and didn't think you lot could be so nice

Some great reples on here and some that made me laugh and just what i would expect with wee digs at a certain team from Govan

We are all gutted for him and we have felt part of a great club over the last few seasons but everything moves on in football.

I said before in a previous post that i would be a proud parent if he ever reached first team and walked out at Firhill one day and with football being football you still could never rule that out.

Once he has got his head around the shock of all this as Thistle have been a big part of his young footballing life, he will hopefully have the motivation to take the challenge on elsewhere and we will back him on whatever he wants to do.

My only worry is that it's Clyde or Morton and i will scared to tell all of you

I'm not lying when i tell you that it's been a great experience for both of us over the last 3 yrs and you do get to have a good feeling towards the club so you couldn't rule out a few visits to Firhill in the future

I have run out of "likes" but can honestly say all of those messages we have received on this thread are greatly appreciated and will be a great help to him when he reads them.

Cheers

[soulful_jag]

Good luck to your boy billko hope he gets another team, even if it is Clyde it won't be all bad! Also thanks for your updates on the youth teams, they've been an enjoyable part of the forum.

[flashman]

What about Queens Park? Great record for developing youngsters and close by for Thistle to keep an eye on.

 

On the down side, your boy could end up at Dundee United...

 

Anyway, you will be sadly missed on the forum Billko. Hope someone can do half as good a job keeping us up to date with the youngsters.

[allyo]

There are worse clubs than Clyde and Morton. ;-)

[billko]

What about Queens Park? Great record for developing youngsters and close by for Thistle to keep an eye on.

 

On the down side, your boy could end up at Dundee United...

 

Anyway, you will be sadly missed on the forum Billko. Hope someone can do half as good a job keeping us up to date with the youngsters.

 

QP are close by and would be ideal for his development.

 

There are worse clubs than Clyde and Morton. ;-)

Whoever could you mean?

 

 

Also Thanks Soulful Jag and everyone else for the positive messages.you have all given us.

 

I wasn't looking for folk feeling sorry for him and only started the thread because i didn't want to disappear without giving the real reason for doing so (just incase you all blamed my absence on a certain team not gettting promotion and i couldn't handle the huge amount of stick that would be coming my way)

[Third Lanark]

My son was one of the casualties from the U15's squad who were released tonight and won't be part of things as they jump to U17's next season.

He is one of the youngest in the team and the physical side of the game with the jump to U17's was always going to be tough on someone who won't turn 15 until the end of the year and who is still to develop alot physically.

 

He has played in all but 1 game in 3 seasons and we have put iin goodness knows how many miles as we travelled all over Scotland to Elgin, Inverness to Annan and it's been a really enjoyable experience to have been a part of it and see the team develop each year.

The Thistle Academy has come on leaps and bounds since my son came in a U13's and it WILL produce great talent for Thistle in the future.

The match reports etc started to try and show Jags fans that they have a youth set up to be proud of and it's been really enjoyable doing it.

Another year and i might even had a season ticket for Firhill

 

We are both fine about it although it might not really have sunk in yet with him, but he will develop elsewhere and maybe sometimes change is good but where we end up is anyones guess.just now.

It was also disappointing to lose the last game 3-0 today against Clyde but the squad was decimated with injuries and not a real reflection on where these two sides are just now in terms of the standard of players each team have.

 

Some will be angry at being released and Gerry has a tough job getting it right on who to let go and who to keep, but we have no problems with anyone at Thistle and we will always see it as a positive experience.

We will want to prove them wrong though but will use it as a positive motivation rather than having any ill feelings.

A well earned rest and the difficult part is how to fill those 5 days in the week that was taken up by Thistle duties.

 

Good luck to all the boys released at the different age groups who will be looking for new clubs and many will go on to good things in the game if they are dedicated to it.

This is Pro Youth football and it's a ruthless enviroment that boys need to be mentally tough to survive in.

 

Also good luck to all the boys who were kept on and hope you all continue to do well and get to run out at Firhill someday as first team players.

It's been a great season again for Thistle and i iwish the club all the best for the future and hope you ALL get behind what they are trying to achieve.

 

All the best

Bilko,

Im very sorry to hear of this. I hope it is not the end of football for your son nor of you posting on these forums.

As has been said by others I hope your son gets an offer from another team and please keep us posted about how he gets on, and also please do not be a stranger to these forums

[Winter of '63]

I'm genuinely disappointed to hear that your boy won't be staying with Thistle. As mentioned, Stuart Bannigan is a good example of someone released as a youngster by Celtic who has gone on to make the grade...and from a different era, perhaps Thistle's most talented ever player, Alan Hansen, was a big money transfer to Liverpool who had turned him down as a youngster a few years before. So keep the dream alive...good luck to the lad.

 

I will miss your updates on the Youth Teams - it is good to see the development of youngsters finally being encouraged...shamefully neglected by the Club for about 30 years.

 

Your contributions towards the performances of Thistle have always been astute and more sensible than many Jags fans on here and the Forum will be poorer for your absence.

 

You did post a lot of mince about the Govan Tax Avoiders though

 

Don't be a stranger on here or at Firhill

[yoda-jag]

Really overwhelming to get these responses and didn't think you lot could be so nice

Some great reples on here and some that made me laugh and just what i would expect with wee digs at a certain team from Govan

We are all gutted for him and we have felt part of a great club over the last few seasons but everything moves on in football.

I said before in a previous post that i would be a proud parent if he ever reached first team and walked out at Firhill one day and with football being football you still could never rule that out.

Once he has got his head around the shock of all this as Thistle have been a big part of his young footballing life, he will hopefully have the motivation to take the challenge on elsewhere and we will back him on whatever he wants to do.

My only worry is that it's Clyde or Morton and i will scared to tell all of you

I'm not lying when i tell you that it's been a great experience for both of us over the last 3 yrs and you do get to have a good feeling towards the club so you couldn't rule out a few visits to Firhill in the future

 

I have run out of "likes" but can honestly say all of those messages we have received on this thread are greatly appreciated and will be a great help to him when he reads them.

Cheers

 

for the four emboldened points above .....

 

of course, we're nice, it's in our dna as thistle fans, all west end luvvies who don't know how to be nasty.

 

very true, it's a funny old game (hope greavsie pulls through as an aside), so you never know. even if its for an opposing team!

 

knew it! you're just a glory hunter!

 

i too would have joined the masses and given your op a like too, but out of them myself. me being nice to you though jaggyko, should be sufficient if not worth more than a pint i have bought you.

[digger]

Best of luck Billko and Billko Jnr both on and off the park.

[Lambies Lost Doo]

Best of luck to your son and to yourself. You come across as a true gentleman and have handled the news with dignity and realism. As you have said it's part of football so onwards and upwards for the boy in his football and personal development.

[Willjag]

Sounds like ideally we would have an U16's team to bridge that gap that kids of your lads age could do with. Is there just no U16 level in Scotland or is it just that Thistle haven't got a team for this level if you don't mind me asking Billko?

 

Anyway, good luck to your lad for next season and hopefully Thistle keep tabs on him and we see you both back this time next year when he has got a bit more physicality about him.

 

As others have said, your reports and updates on the Youth sides have been brilliant and kept us all informed. Hopefully someone at the Club will have taken note of them and we can have something official from them in the future.

 

Don't be a stranger!

[billko]

Sounds like ideally we would have an U16's team to bridge that gap that kids of your lads age could do with. Is there just no U16 level in Scotland or is it just that Thistle haven't got a team for this level if you don't mind me asking Billko?

 

Anyway, good luck to your lad for next season and hopefully Thistle keep tabs on him and we see you both back this time next year when he has got a bit more physicality about him.

 

As others have said, your reports and updates on the Youth sides have been brilliant and kept us all informed. Hopefully someone at the Club will have taken note of them and we can have something official from them in the future.

 

Don't be a stranger!

Hi Will

The majority of clubs voted against an U16 league a few months back but rumour is that some teams including Thistle will play U16 games every few weeks with a team being made up of boys being played up from 15's and boys eligible from the 17's playing

 

All boys will still play at their own age groups at weekends so these 16's games will be arranged midweek (evenings) probably.

We go from U11's 12's 13's 14's 15's to the dual age group 16/17's to some teams having an U18 development sides and then it's U20's.

It's a big jump in the later years of youth development and some boys can be at clubs for 6yrs then go out the system altogether which seems a waste but it's the system in place whether you agree with it or not.

 

 

It would be great if someone gave reports on the youths and done it in an official capacity and hopefully someone can do this.

 

I won't be a stranger either Will