Jump to content

R.I.P. Bertie Auld


thistle4celtic1
 Share

Recommended Posts

RIP Bertie.

His record as Thistle manager over two spells doesn't need any qualification.

He was also a smashing player in his day. Two Scotland caps did not do justice to that wonderful left foot. An omission was marginally compensated by that night in Lisbon.

Panmure Street has just lost its best ever ambassador.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I loved Bertie as Thistle manager. He was a fantastic PR man and always kept us in the news. Aside that, he achieved great things with a part time squad. Was the making of Alan Rough, when he brought in John Arrol. Arrol was magnificent and if he hadn't suffered that dreadful injury at Motherwell, I believe we would have made top 10 that season. RIP Bertie. A Thistle great. 

ETA. Now lost three great managers in my time as a Thistle fan. McParland, Lambie and now Auld.

Edited by Garscube Road End 2
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The PT v Hearts Jim Melrose story for me just showed why Bertie was the perfect fit for Thistle. I grew up with him as Jags manager and I loved just about every minute of it.  The only part time team in the Premier League but you’d never have known.  Cracking manager and cracking guy - will be very sorely missed but will be forever etched in the Thistle fabric 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, michael m said:

The PT v Hearts Jim Melrose story for me just showed why Bertie was the perfect fit for Thistle. I grew up with him as Jags manager and I loved just about every minute of it.  The only part time team in the Premier League but you’d never have known.  Cracking manager and cracking guy - will be very sorely missed but will be forever etched in the Thistle fabric 

That was classic Bertie. Melrose on as a sub. Bertie wasn't happy with him, took him off, but we had used all our subs. We were down to 10 men. And we won 2-0. Hehe.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

Like many, many other people I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Bertie Auld.

To me, who first went to Firhill in 1977 aged 9, he wasn't Bertie Auld, Lisbon Lion. I was too young to appreciate the significance of that. He was simply the cigar smoking manager of my team.

The significance of what he was doing as manager of my team was lost on me too. It's only with the passage of time and the knowledge that comes with age can that be properly put in perspective.

He took a part-time Thistle to the top flight. And kept us there.

He took us to one League Cup Semi-Final.

He took us to two Scottish Cup Semi-Finals. We were cheated in 1979.

He took us to the brink of European football. 

I was gutted when he left. I was just about old enough to appreciate what he had done by then.

I loved it when he came back with Hibs and we won 1-0. "Bertie, Bertie what's the score" sang The Shed underlining how wonderfully fickle we football fans are.

I hated it when his Hamilton side beat us a few years later.

He came back home, just round the corner from his childhood Maryhill home, in 1986 and rescued us from relegation to Scotland's basement league.

He should have stayed beyond that but Ken Bates intervened and the club went into near terminal decline.

It took John Lambie, cut from the same type of cloth as our Bertie, to rescue our club. Imagine had the two worked together at Firhill.

So then farewell Bertie Auld. My first Partick Thistle manager and 44 years on still among the very best.

Partick Thistle Legend. He will never be forgotten.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Although, I knew this moment would come I’ still so sad to hear of Wee Bertie's passing. Like many here he was the manager at Thistle when I first supported Thistle. Indeed, in retrospect his record would stand favourable comparison with any other. Although, I was too naive to know any better:  he took us back to the Premier League, kept us there and if not for ‘that’ game in 1979 we may well have won the Scottish Cup.

Like your two predecessors RIP.

Edited by stillresigned
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...