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Unique Statistic?


michael m
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I can’t think of any other season in the clubs history where this unusual statistic has come to the fore.  We have mentioned it on commentary but can anyone else remember a season where no defender has scored for the team in an entire season as has just happened.

tough one to be able to research but if anyone can AF Kincaid is the man! 

They did hit the bar on several occasions but no goals!

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13 hours ago, michael m said:

I can’t think of any other season in the clubs history where this unusual statistic has come to the fore.  We have mentioned it on commentary but can anyone else remember a season where no defender has scored for the team in an entire season as has just happened.

tough one to be able to research but if anyone can AF Kincaid is the man

They did hit the bar on several occasions but no goals!

Don't know why you'd think that?!  

Depends on your definition of "defender". For many decades in the 1-11 line-up era players by and large stuck to these positions so it's relatively simple. The introduction of subs muddies the water (where did they play when they came on?) as does the introduction of squad numbers (virtually meaningless in a positional sense).  There are a few seasons where only 1 goal was scored by a defender (in some cases penalties). There are a couple of seasons where no defender in the starting line-up scored but I'm fairly certain the subs that came on and scored were not defenders.  Ignoring friendlies and only going back to when we joined the SFL (1893-94) there are 7 seasons where no goals were scored by a defender:-

  • 1917-18
  • 1934-35
  • 1937-38
  • 1938-39
  • 1969-70
  • 1981-82
  • 2020-21

It would seem that when Stuart Sutherland scored on Boxing Day 1936, no defender scored again until Charles Busby did so on 1 May 1940 - 154 matches later.

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2 hours ago, a f kincaid said:

Don't know why you'd think that?!  

Depends on your definition of "defender". For many decades in the 1-11 line-up era players by and large stuck to these positions so it's relatively simple. The introduction of subs muddies the water (where did they play when they came on?) as does the introduction of squad numbers (virtually meaningless in a positional sense).  There are a few seasons where only 1 goal was scored by a defender (in some cases penalties). There are a couple of seasons where no defender in the starting line-up scored but I'm fairly certain the subs that came on and scored were not defenders.  Ignoring friendlies and only going back to when we joined the SFL (1893-94) there are 7 seasons where no goals were scored by a defender:-

  • 1917-18
  • 1934-35
  • 1937-38
  • 1938-39
  • 1969-70
  • 1981-82
  • 2020-21

It would seem that when Stuart Sutherland scored on Boxing Day 1936, no defender scored again until Charles Busby did so on 1 May 1940 - 154 matches later.

Stunning stuff! I would have guessed it wouldn’t have happened before but there you go.

I doff my cap to you once again - knowledge!

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The concept of the "big defender going up for the corner" was not a tactic deployed in the old 2-3-5 era, as it would have been considered reckless. Defenders defended and attackers attacked in those days!

In modern times, who could ever forget Frans & O'Donnell winning the day by 2-1 at Dingwall a few years back? I recall big Liam Lindsay was in the running for top scorer in one season, although Doolan hit a streak and put paid to any funny ideas in that department. Two defenders in history scored in 5 consecutive season for the Jags; Kenny Watson and Conrad Balatoni.

Special mention for Jered Stirling our all-time highest scoring defender who netted 16 goals in competitive action, although 13 of these came from the spot. Jered has the unique distinction of being the only defender ever to top any of our main end-of-season tally-ups, finishing top League scorer in 1997-98! Incidentally, we've updated our Top Scorer per season page today:
http://www.thethistlearchive.net/top-scorers-per-season

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On a related subject, how about defenders scoring twice (or more) in the same game?

Off the bat, I can think of Alan Hansen scoring twice v Sevco's parent in a 4-3 win in 1976,  Conrad scoring twice v Falkirk in the promotion season, Archie scoring twice v Hearts in 2002. I've a vague memory of Jered Stirling scoring twice in a game, but cannot be certain.

Other instances folks?

Edited by Barney Rubble
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16 minutes ago, Barney Rubble said:

On a related subject, how about defenders scoring twice (or more) in the same game?

Off the bat, I can think of Alan Hansen scoring twice v Sevco's parent in a 4-3 win in 1976,  Conrad scoring twice v Falkirk in the promotion season, Archie scoring twice v Hearts in 2002. I've a vague memory of Jered Stirling scoring twice in a game, but cannot be certain.

Other instances folks?

Archie also scored a brace at Arbroath

ETA- I think he only scored 5 career goals (for Thistle anyway) including two braces

Edited by Duke Gekantawa
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Archie must have at least 8 (perhaps more). As well as the brace of braces against Arbroath and Hearts, I can remember 4 more (without looking at any archives):

1) Save the Jags time-bundled one in from close range v St Mirren at Firhill.

2) The next season-scored in 3-2 loss away at Inverness.

3) One of the promotion seasons (2000-2001) scored with his right foot at Firhill-not sure who against.

4) In his second spell an absolutely cracking goal in a 3-2 win away at Inverness. Brought the ball out of defence. Played one-two with wide player and then strode into midfield. Passed forward to Liam Buchanan who laid it back to him to slot past the keeper.

 

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1 hour ago, Lenziejag said:

I think that was the 1st game of the season, maybe ?

It was the 4th game in, we had drawn 3-3 with St Mirren on the first day,  then beat Raith 2-1, then beat ICT 1-0 then the Arbroath game. That was a cracking day out the Arbroath game, we went up in the city centre bus and went into the wee Pleasureland amusement arcade before the game!

Balatoni scored twice vs Falkirk in the Championship winning season in a 4-1 win, 

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3 hours ago, partickthedog said:

Archie must have at least 8 (perhaps more). As well as the brace of braces against Arbroath and Hearts, I can remember 4 more (without looking at any archives):

1) Save the Jags time-bundled one in from close range v St Mirren at Firhill.

2) The next season-scored in 3-2 loss away at Inverness.

3) One of the promotion seasons (2000-2001) scored with his right foot at Firhill-not sure who against.

4) In his second spell an absolutely cracking goal in a 3-2 win away at Inverness. Brought the ball out of defence. Played one-two with wide player and then strode into midfield. Passed forward to Liam Buchanan who laid it back to him to slot past the keeper.

 

Scored in a 3-2 win up there too (Liam Buchanan got the other two)

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8 hours ago, Barney Rubble said:

On a related subject, how about defenders scoring twice (or more) in the same game?

Off the bat, I can think of Alan Hansen scoring twice v Sevco's parent in a 4-3 win in 1976,  Conrad scoring twice v Falkirk in the promotion season, Archie scoring twice v Hearts in 2002. I've a vague memory of Jered Stirling scoring twice in a game, but cannot be certain.

Other instances folks?

I was at the 4-3 game. It was played in a gale force wind from South to North. The Jags reached HT with a 2-1 lead which at the time I recall thinking wasnt going to be enough. 

In the second half Alan Hansen moved into midfield and gave Rangers a football lesson and scored twice. To cap it all we had Dixie Dean's whom we had just signed from Celtic sitting in the stand. He didn't make much of an impression with us! 

My one unfortunate memory from that game was sometbing that happened after the game had finished.  I was standing on  my spot on the terracing waiting for the crowd to clear the exits. A passing "blue nose" noticed myJags scarf (and probably the huge smile on my face) and proceeded to dish out the verbal abuse. The more I ignored him the more irate he became and the closer he got. I thought this was going to end badly but lucky for me a couple of his pals dragged him away still shouting and swearing at me! One of his pals came over to me and apologised. I suppose that was something! 

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18 hours ago, Barney Rubble said:

On a related subject, how about defenders scoring twice (or more) in the same game?

Off the bat, I can think of Alan Hansen scoring twice v Sevco's parent in a 4-3 win in 1976,  Conrad scoring twice v Falkirk in the promotion season, Archie scoring twice v Hearts in 2002. I've a vague memory of Jered Stirling scoring twice in a game, but cannot be certain.

Other instances folks?

Hansen’s performance that day was the best I’ve ever seen from a Jags player (sorry Roughie, but you were just consistently brilliant and therefore it was accepted).

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5 hours ago, Weebaw1 said:

Hansen’s performance that day was the best I’ve ever seen from a Jags player (sorry Roughie, but you were just consistently brilliant and therefore it was accepted).

Even as a youngster (21) I realized that day that Alan Hansen was destined for bigger and better things. I was as the game, at the city end with my uncle and a couple of his colleagues from the Maryhill (or Kelvinside?) fire station, all Thistle supporters. Happy days.

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Slightly off topic, but I remember attending a game at Firhill when we beat QOTS 5-4 and all 9 goals we scored by different players. I’ve always wondered if this is a record or if there has been a higher scoring game with no player scoring more than one? It would have been around 1999/2000 IIRC. 

Edited by CrimeWriterJag
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7 minutes ago, CrimeWriterJag said:

Slightly off topic, but I remember attending a game at Firhill when we beat QOTS 5-4 and all 9 goals we scored by different players. I’ve always wondered if this is a record or if there has been a higher scoring game with no player scoring more than one? It would have been around 1999/2000 IIRC. 

Quinton Jacobs' birthday and he scored direct from a corner. Pretty sure Derek Lyle scored as well, but for the rest, check the Archive!

Alan "Biscuits" Preston scored a belter for QOTS.

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