Foreign Players

[Jaggernaut]

It might already have happened, given the increasing number of non-Scottish players in Thistle squads in the last few years, but with Stuckmann, Devine, Barton, Elliott, Edwards, Osman and Azeez all starting last night, Thistle had only 4 Scots in the starting line-up.

 

We clearly ain't a great team, so it's worth raising the old question: is it a case of the belief that "if he's a foreigner he must be better than a home-grown player"?

[Sivad]

Fellow citizens of the United Kingdom should not be classed as foreigners.

[Jaggernaut]

Fellow citizens of the United Kingdom should not be classed as foreigners.

 

If it stops you from greetin', change the question to "is it a case of the belief that "if he's a non-Scot he must be better than a Scottish player"?

[Vaila Street]

It might already have happened, given the increasing number of non-Scottish players in Thistle squads in the last few years, but with Stuckmann, Devine, Barton, Elliott, Edwards, Osman and Azeez all starting last night, Thistle had only 4 Scots in the starting line-up.

 

We clearly ain't a great team, so it's worth raising the old question: is it a case of the belief that "if he's a foreigner he must be better than a home-grown player"?

Which home grown player on the books would replace any of those above? The game ( and the world ) has moved on - it's not 1950 anymore.

[1 John Lambie]

It's clear you get better players (for the most part) & better value from the lower leagues in England than you do in Scotland. Any half decent player in Scotland is outwith our budget usually as everyone knows about him. A good scouting network/group of contacts in England is likely to be more fruitful; see Osman, Barton, Amoo, Dumbuya, Edwards, Azeez. All players we had never heard of & I'm sure a good percentage of other Scottish managers were also not aware of. It has also been a ploy that has worked for other teams up here, Inverness kind of leading the way in the lower English leagues approach.

 

Would also add that there is less of a reliance in the game to bring in overpaid crap foreigners, Hearts seem to be the exception who still look to bring in a fair number of foreigners but across the league I wouldn't be surprised if the number of UK based players in the Premiership squads was as high as it's ever been.

Edited November 5, 2016 by 1 John Lambie

[Lindau]

I really don't give a monkey where our players come from as long as they do the business in the red and yellow. Let's face it even if we had the Scottish equivalent of Aguero, Silva, Costa etc at Firhill, they still wouldn't get anywhere near a Scotland squad over the likes of Scott Brown or Lee Wallace

Edited November 5, 2016 by Lindau

[angry gaz]

The worring thing is that Scotland , as a footballing nation, can't produce enough players good enough for our own SPL one of the pishiests leauges in europe.

[Weebaw1]

I suspect the original question hinted at a longing for the days when Thistle produced some Scotland players or at least potential Scotland players.

 

My one criticism of Lambie was that he rarely bought through any young players as Livi, Hamilton, Hibs, Falkirk and some others have done. Although he always got the best out of journeymen like Albert, Tommy Turner and Roddy Grant.

 

How proud would we be if we could produce a player of the calibre of Snodgrass or McArthur?

 

Not blaming Archie for team selection or signings as his job is to keep us in the PL and most of the 1st team non Scots perform admirably. But I have great hope for half a dozen of the kids if the development squad to progress sooner rather than later. I don't want to sound like Nigel Farage but I would like to see Thistle with a majority of homegrown Scots in the1st team.

 

 

[lady-isobel-barnett]

Sorry for a hijack but not worthy a thread on its own. Can anyone mind a taller starting XI than our starting team of last two games? Stuckmann, Abdul, Azeez, Barton, Liam make Christie and Devine look short in comparison and they're around the 6ft mark. Welsh, Doolan, Booth and Edwards look about average height. I certainly can't mind a starting XI so tall on average.

[Jaggernaut]

Sorry for a hijack but not worthy a thread on its own. Can anyone mind a taller starting XI than our starting team of last two games? Stuckmann, Abdul, Azeez, Barton, Liam make Christie and Devine look short in comparison and they're around the 6ft mark. Welsh, Doolan, Booth and Edwards look about average height. I certainly can't mind a starting XI so tall on average.

 

For decades I used to ask myself "Why is our team so small?" Good to see that we no longer look like midgets compared to the opposition.

[BowenBoys]

For decades I used to ask myself "Why is our team so small?" Good to see that we no longer look like midgets compared to the opposition.

 

Agent: "I've got this boy I think you should have a look at"

 

Archie: "How tall is he?"

 

Edited November 6, 2016 by BowenBoys

[twinny]

Welsh, Doolan, Booth and Edwards look about average height. I certainly can't mind a starting XI so tall on average.

 

Well, they are average height. I always used to find it funny that Doolan was considered tall at bang on the UK average height for men. It was a symptom of our lack of height over many years. Thankfully we now have a team that look like athletes.

[Jaggernaut]

Agent: "I've got this boy I think you should have a look at"

 

Archie: "How tall is he?"

 

 

That's a better question than "What school does he go to?"

[Jaggernaut]

Well, they are average height. I always used to find it funny that Doolan was considered tall at bang on the UK average height for men. It was a symptom of our lack of height over many years. Thankfully we now have a team that look like athletes.

 

Here are the heights of our team that won the Cup in 1921.... Not a single six-footer!:

 

Goalkeepers: 5'11" and 5'9"

 

Fullbacks: 5"11 and 5'8"

 

Right Half: 5'10" and 5' 8"

 

Centre Half: 5'10" and 5'9"

 

Left Half: 5'8" and 5'5"

 

Outside Right: 5'8 1/2"

 

Inside Right: 5'8" and 5'7 1/2"

 

Centre Forwards: 5'8" and 5'7 1/2"

 

Inside Lefts: 5'7 1/2", 5'7" and 5'6"

 

Outside Lefts: 5'7" and 5'6"

 

 

The above is from an old thread on players' heights:

 

http://www.wearethistle.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/9361-thistle-players-heights/

[Norgethistle]

 

 

Here are the heights of our team that won the Cup in 1921.... Not a single six-footer!:

 

Goalkeepers: 5'11" and 5'9"

 

Fullbacks: 5"11 and 5'8"

 

Right Half: 5'10" and 5' 8"

 

Centre Half: 5'10" and 5'9"

 

Left Half: 5'8" and 5'5"

 

Outside Right: 5'8 1/2"

 

Inside Right: 5'8" and 5'7 1/2"

 

Centre Forwards: 5'8" and 5'7 1/2"

 

Inside Lefts: 5'7 1/2", 5'7" and 5'6"

 

Outside Lefts: 5'7" and 5'6"

 

 

The above is from an old thread on players' heights:

 

http://www.wearethistle.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/9361-thistle-players-heights/

 

100 years ago these men would have been giants in Glasgow

[Jaggernaut]

100 years ago these men would have been giants in Glasgow

 

Quite possibly.

 

Of course they are indeed giants for Jags fans.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

That's a better question than "What school does he go to?"

 

Well in the context of height the answer would surely be "The High School".

 

Sorry, carry on!.

[Dick Dastardly]

I thought we left the days of apart-height alongtime ago.

[BowenBoys]

Not a tall, it seems.

[Metz]

 

Which home grown player on the books would replace any of those above? The game ( and the world ) has moved on - it's not 1950 anymore.

Bannigan, Lawless, Scully, Erskine and Gordon all have and would.

[Weebaw1]

A great team has a mix of big , strong athletes and wee skilful guys.

 

When Muzzy and Banzo return and Stevie regains form/fitness we shall fall int this category.

[douglas clark]

I think your header should have been 'relying on Foreign Players' Yes / No?

 

Frankly. if we can develop our own players through the incredible youth system we have then, maybe we will not have to rely so much on foreign players, though describing most of those you did as foreign assumes a different result in the independence referendum than sadly happened. ( Ooh! Politics!)

 

I am not completely convinced that foreign players are an issue. I seem to remember seeing Peter Lindau as a bit of a hero for us. And, despite his almost complete incompetence, I had a soft spot for Quinton Jacobs.

 

Sure, the more local talent we can produce the better, but do not be too shocked if the child's name seems foreign to you.

 

I recall:

 

Elena Baltacha who played tennis under the auspices of the UK and was pretty damn good. Her husband, obviously played for St Johnstone.

 

It seems to me that we are a nation of immigrants, and we should enjoy that. Who knows! Perhaps the son or daughter of Abdul Osman will play for Scotland?

[douglas clark]

See you fixed the first issue 'replying' - v - 'relying'.

 

Well done.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

You could turn the OP on its head. I'd like to see a future Jags XI consisting mostly of players who've come thru our youth system (not of course necessarily all Scots born). Selected on merit not necessity. Till that day I find it refreshing that we can attract a relatively decent standard of non Scots born players. That says a lot for PTFC and most likely a good bit for the city of Glasgow as well.

 

My point really being that we don't rely any longer on scraps from our competitors' table. Exception to the rule like Booth and Lawless were under appreciated at their respective Scottish clubs and inspired signings. Doolan and Erskine of course coming from outside of the Scottish league set up. So perhaps for now at least having a team that relies little on rival clubs rejects, who by nature are more likely to be Scots born, should be viewed as a positive.

[Mr Bunny]

I recall: Elena Baltacha who played tennis under the auspices of the UK and was pretty damn good. Her husband, obviously played for St Johnstone. It seems to me that we are a nation of immigrants, and we should enjoy that. Who knows! Perhaps the son or daughter of Abdul Osman will play for Scotland?

 

It was her dad that played for St Johnstone. Her brother btw played for St Mirren. She and her brother arrived in Scotland as kids when their dad moved from Ipswich to Perth and lived here for some years so can be considered "naturalised Scots".