Tom Gibb

[jagfaelivi]

What a star he was in the period from 1963 for five years until he moved to Newcastle United to become a Toon Army legend.

 

He was a stalwart in their last trophy win, the Fairs Cup/ UEFA Cup in 1969 and still holds records there for consecutive matches played. Legend status at St James' Park!

 

He came to us from West Lothian where he still resides and I see him regularly. What a modest guy, likeable and he would have run through a brick wall for us.

 

What are you older guys memories of him?

[JeanieD]

As an "older guy" I can just about remember him playing in the side - not a judge of a player at that age, but I can remember my late father and some of his friends who I went to the games with and who had a decent knowledge of the game, were hugely disappointed, although not surprised, when he moved on to bigger and better things.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

Much like above. I can mind there was a groundswell of opinion that when Tommy left it marked the beginning of our decline that lead to relegation. Can't say I exactly shared that opinion but there's little doubt that Tommy was a huge loss.

 

From what I heard he was held in high regard at Newcastle and given the strength of their side at the time that's no small feat. I do know for a fact that he was highly rated by Jackie Sinclair and again that's impressive.

[Lindau]

I was still pretty young when Tommy was playing at Firhill but was gutted when he went to Newcastle, as was my dad and his mates. Excellent player

[Winter of '63]

I'm not sure if I ever actually saw Tommy Gibb play for Thistle...and if I did, I was too young to judge how good a player he was. Stuthejag recently posted on the other thread the newspaper report for our pre-season friendly against Newcastle in around 1972 and I realised I had seen Tommy play and score against Thistle.

 

I took an interest in Newcastle after Tommy joined them and they won the European Fair Cities Cup in 1969 after beating the original Rangers in the semi-final whose fans disgraced themselves by invading the pitch and causing a riot - just as well the new Rangers are so different. There is very good quiz question about players who have played for Thistle and appeared in European Club Finals - I can think of 6 but there may be more.

 

On one of the previous Thistle Forums, there was a very good poster Tommy Gibb's Mince Recipe. I always wondered about the name and if he still posted under a different name...maybe he is The Cup?

[jaggy]

Alan Hansen, Colin Jackson, Stevie Chalmers, David Harvey(?) can't think of others just now

[Barney Rubble]

There is very good quiz question about players who have played for Thistle and appeared in European Club Finals - I can think of 6 but there may be more.

 

Tommy Gibb (obviously)

Alan Hansen

Stevie Chalmers

Dougie Bell

Derek Johnstone

Jaggy Mac

Colin Jackson (?)

Jorge Cadete (?)

 

Edited to add that following a google trawl DB, JC and CJ did not participate in European finals. The other five are kosher.

 

Edited again to add - how the f*ck could I have ever forgotten Billy Thomson!!!!!!!!

Edited July 11, 2016 by Barney Rubble

[Winter of '63]

There's 8...at least.

 

I'd forgotten that David Harvey played for us - he played in the European Cup Winners Cup Final for Leeds in 1972 apparently.

 

I'd also blanked out York City's Managerial Guru, Mr McNamara - he was at Seville watched by 1.5 million Celtic Fans

 

Doug Bell wasn't in Aberdeen's Final Squad and Colin Jackson was not in Barcelona where the old Rangers fans disgraced themselves, etc

 

There are two others that I know of...both goalkeepers.

 

I'm up to 9 now...Alan Hansen, Tommy Gibb, Derek Johnstone, Steve Chalmers, Jackie McNamara, David Harvey & 3 others.

Edited July 11, 2016 by Winter of '63

[Barney Rubble]

OK, I'll tidy up. Here's the eight so far identified:

 

Billy Ritchie

Stevie Chalmers

Tommy Gibb

Derek Johnstone

David Harvey

Alan Hansen

Billy Thomson

Jaggy Mac

[Barney Rubble]

OK, I'll tidy up. Here's the eight so far identified:

 

Billy Ritchie

Stevie Chalmers

Tommy Gibb

Derek Johnstone

David Harvey

Alan Hansen

Billy Thomson

Jaggy Mac

 

And, of course, Murdo Mcleod. And that was without googling.

[Winter of '63]

And, of course, Murdo Mcleod. And that was without googling.

Don't think that Murdo McLeod played in a European Final.

 

You are right about Billy Ritchie and the ninth name I've got played in the same Final...the first leg was at Ibrox where despite a 2-0 defeat to Fiorentina the Old Rangers fans did not as far as I know invade the pitch but showed the sporting behaviour they are famous for by burning an Italian Flag, throwing bottles and over-turning an Ice Cream Van.

[Barney Rubble]

Don't think that Murdo McLeod played in a European Final.

 

You are right about Billy Ritchie and the ninth name I've got played in the same Final...the first leg was at Ibrox where despite a 2-0 defeat to Fiorentina the Old Rangers fans did not as far as I know invade the pitch but showed the sporting behaviour they are famous for by burning an Italian Flag, throwing bottles and over-turning an Ice Cream Van.

 

You are correct. I mixed him up with Paul Lambert who did play in a European final for Borussia but did not play for the Jags.

 

Was the ninth man Harold Davis?

[Winter of '63]

You are correct. I mixed him up with Paul Lambert who did play in a European final for Borussia but did not play for the Jags.

 

Was the ninth man Harold Davis?

That's the ninth - don't think there are any others. Someone posted this question in the Close Season Quiz Thread a couple of years ago.

 

Three did very well after leaving Thistle but the other six were pretty undistinguished players for us, joining way past their best days.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

Peter Cormack for Liverpool

[Barney Rubble]

That's the ninth - don't think there are any others. Someone posted this question in the Close Season Quiz Thread a couple of years ago.

 

Three did very well after leaving Thistle but the other six were pretty undistinguished players for us, joining way past their best days.

 

Cheers for that.

 

You are right about the six, although I would cut Jaggy Mac some slack. Although past his best, he was decent as a player for us before being catapulted into the managerial role by whatever happened to Ian McCall. At least his tenure laid the foundations for Archie to take us where we thankfully are today.

 

But I accept that is not likely to be a popular view hereabouts.............

[Barney Rubble]

Peter Cormack for Liverpool

Great shout - well done!!

[Winter of '63]

Peter Cormack for Liverpool

Spot on! Didn't think about him - he made one appearance for us during his spell as manager.

 

He played in the Eufa Cup Final for Liverpool in Season 72/73 - if only we had got past Honved in the First Round that year, we could have reached the final...

[Jaggernaut]

Tommy Gibb was a class act at Firhill, always destined for something bigger. He strode around midfield like he owned it, was hard-tackling, and could get forward with considerable speed. His departure was one of the first of my thousand cuts as a Thistle supporter.

[a f kincaid]

A work colleague and Newcastle fan once told me that Tommy fell from grace rather quickly. Having played 100+ games for Newcastle and become a favourite, he was, shall we say, playing poorly one day and gestured to the crowd who were on his back. I was told that no-one ever did that playing for Newcastle and he was transferred to Sunderland at lightning speed (over that weekend if I remember correctly).

[jagfaelivi]

100+ ? Well if you look it up he started 250 games for them and played 264 times. And held the record of 171 consecutively. No' a bad career even if he left in haste!

 

Isn't it amazing how modest was the life thereafter for footballers of that era compared with the pampered millionaires at that level today?

 

Don't think the Rooneys of this world know they are living. Sky has a lot to answer for.

[a f kincaid]

100+ ? Well if you look it up he started 250 games for them and played 264 times. And held the record of 171 consecutively. No' a bad career even if he left in haste! Isn't it amazing how modest was the life thereafter for footballers of that era compared with the pampered millionaires at that level today? Don't think the Rooneys of this world know they are living. Sky has a lot to answer for.

 

200+ it is. My typo.

[mgow]

Slightly embarrassed but as a kid there was an old guy called Tom who lived in our street. My dad knew him to talk to and he mentioned to Tom that we were Thistle fans (for long and complex reasons, mostly girls & specifically my mum, my dad didn't attend games in the 60s).

 

Tom said he used to play for Thistle but in those pre-Internet and official history days, I had never heard of him. Shame on me!

 

It was a Thistle hot bed round our way as Joe Craig briefly lived over the road too. I mention it to his son Steven once at Firhill and he looked at me blankly. Then unreleased to my horror it was before Steven was even born. Felt old.

[Balintore jag]

Thistle were at home to Killie in the cup around 1968. Unfortunately we drew. But many jags fans headed down to Rugby park for the replay. I passed my driving test about two weeks before but my mum and dad allowed me to take the car and drive with friends to the game. It was a foul night and near the ground I bashed into the car in front. We still went to the game of course. Thistle used the wind in the first half and with our powerful half back Tommy Gibb dominating we went two up by half time. I think he scored our second. The gale helped Killie in the second half but they only pulled one goal back. Tommy Gibb was man of the match and Jags progressed to the next round. When I got home I told my dad that we won 2-1 - to put him in a good mood - and "by the way I have bashed the car". We would have won the cup that year but for bad luck and an amazing display by Bent Martin in the Dunfermlne goal in the quarter final. Dunfermllne won the cup that year.

[Jaggernaut]

Thistle were at home to Killie in the cup around 1968. Unfortunately we drew. But many jags fans headed down to Rugby park for the replay. I passed my driving test about two weeks before but my mum and dad allowed me to take the car and drive with friends to the game. It was a foul night and near the ground I bashed into the car in front. We still went to the game of course. Thistle used the wind in the first half and with our powerful half back Tommy Gibb dominating we went two up by half time. I think he scored our second. The gale helped Killie in the second half but they only pulled one goal back. Tommy Gibb was man of the match and Jags progressed to the next round. When I got home I told my dad that we won 2-1 - to put him in a good mood - and "by the way I have bashed the car". We would have won the cup that year but for bad luck and an amazing display by Bent Martin in the Dunfermlne goal in the quarter final. Dunfermllne won the cup that year.

 

Good story!

[Blackpool Jags]

I remember watching Tommy Gibb as a left half (?) at Firhill, and hitting regular top form pretty soon after claiming a first team place. I was around 10/11years old in those days and, naively, would wonder why we tended to let our best players go (Arthur Duncan, Johnny Flanagan and Tommy Gibb) while retaining our less valuable players.

 

Watching the reserves on a Friday night (only the main stand open) gave you a perspective on the value of our better players as we put out some pretty grim reserve sides. Aaaaaahhhh. I loved those Thistle days.