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Getting slightly off track here I watched my 12 year old grandson play against Raith Rovers. As the team captain and centre half was absent my grandson was captain for the day and dropped back from Central Midfield to Centre Half. The day after the game, which my grandson's team won by a 5 goal margin, the Coach issued his normal post match summary which though i have abbreviated read something like this (i have used first name initials rather than full name): "Although like Raith we were 3 players short today everyone played well to deliver a convincing victory. Due to Js absence we made B captain for the day and moved him from his usual position in Central Midfield back to Central defence. B played very well and gave a solid and commanding performance protecting our keeper who as a result had very little to do in the first half. With a 3 goal lead at HT we moved B forward to Central Midfied where he gave his usual strong tackling performance breaking up attacks high up the pitch, winning possession and starting our attacks". Man of the match was awarded, deservedly, to the centre forward who put in tireless performance and scored a hat trick. Watching this game and my grandson's performance I couldn't help but hope that in 8-10 years time he will be in the Jags midfield because the attributes he displayed in the above game were exactly what we need in both Central defence and midfield. Apologies for the lengthy account.

Statistical pedants are the vital core of our support.

I have not seen Barton”s social media post and I do not want to see it, but would he not have been better raving about Rachel Donaldson’s wonder strike. I suspect that he will not have scored a better goal than that in his rather up and down football career. Back to Ava Easdon. From my excellent vantage point high in the stand, the gap left for the first goal looked obvious. I am sure that it is not so easy on the ground when you realise that your whole defence has abandoned you and there is no option but to come rushing out trying all the time to protect your near post (which Ava managed successfully!). Beyond that I cannot remember any significant mistakes. I do recall a brave save at the feet of a Rangers attacker, as a result of which Ava had to receive treatment. Absolutely no chance with the 2nd and 4th goals. For the 3rd she had the shall I stay or shall I go dilemma when the Rangers forward outpaced the defence and came through centrally one on one. In the end she came and the attacker poked the ball past her. I do not think that staying would have produced any better outcome. After the 4th goal she adopted Gandalf’s “You shall not pass” declaration from the Bridge of Khazad-dum and kept the Rangers Balrog at bay for 40 minutes with some excellent saves, including from a few high net bound efforts. So, taken in the round, a creditable performance on a challenging day, and a cause for praise and encouragement rather than excessive criticism. Ava Easdon, we salute you!

We're delighted to report that this celebration of the great man now has a forever home on The Thistle Archive, with thanks to Kenny and to the good people Nutmeg Magazine! John Lambie: Partick Thistle's Ultimate Character Still Stands Tall →

All true. Also for the integrity of our league there has to be significant advantage given to the team finishing second over the teams in the third and fourth places. Clearly there's not enough prize money in the kitty to do it on a purely monetary basis hence the additional games. Besides coming fourth in a tiny league of ten means that team is often likely to be only marginally above being classed as mid table. It shouldn't then be made any easier for that club to "get lucky". Anyway I'd much prefer it if we had larger normal sized leagues. Two up, two down automatically and play offs to decide if a third club could progress or not.

Does anyone here remember the last time we played at Starks Park on Grand National Day? Scenario.- Season 2004/05. Raith already relegated having previously accumulated only 13pts beat us 1-2, effectively relegating us as well. One person on here (let's call the poster, me) on leaving the ground spots three unselected regular team members sauntering back into Starks having forsaken our match for the lure of Aintree. This poster who lived a relatively short journey from Kirkcaldy and still irate at the result (and no doubt the world in general) too promptly posted observations on the then current Jags forum. Didn't foresee that some web lurcher from the Daily Record would pick up on this. By Monday said paper would deem such an incident worthy of headlining import. Looking forward to tomorrow's game in full knowledge that whatever the result I won't be on anything like the downer I was on 19 year ago.

Wish we could have put the clock forward at 3.45 this afternoon..

So Brian scores against Ayr and grabs a double at Dundee United. He enters the PTFC history books as First double Grand Slammer Highest post-war league goals in a season scorer Highest lower league total goal scorer ever The Archive congratulates Brian on his 12 goals in our successful play off run, but refuses to sanction any further awards. Next season he cannot add to his lower league tally so contents himself with another post war record 25 league goals, including a season record 3 Grand Slams against Celtic, Rangers and Hearts. The manager then releases him as he is sneaking uncomfortably close to 121 competitive goals for Thistle. You read it here first.

Most of your post-Airdrie updates in place, with a packed edition of 'Stats Watch'. Donald Wilson's capture nails it! Partick Thistle 4 Airdrieonians 0 → A MONUMENTAL SEASON FOR GRAHAM ● Amazingly, it's the first half-time stalemate in the league at Firhill in over a year, Queen's Park on 7 April 2023 being the last. Even more amazingly, Thistle won 4 nil that day too. ● Kerr McInroy hits double figures for competitive assists this season, now joint-top with Steven Lawless in that chart. ● Aidan Fitzpatrick hits the 20 mark in terms of goals/assists combined in all competitions this season. ● Brian Graham - the Division's top-scorer - has now scored against every team in the league this season! ● Brian Graham's brace (his 13th for the club) moves him onto 20 league goals for the season and he becomes only the 4th post-War to hit such a figure. The 3 other members of this super-exclusive club are Willie Sharp (22, 1953-54), Frank Coulston (21, 1970-71) & Maurice Johnston (22, 1982-83). See our (fully sortable) Top Scorers per season tables for the preceding 148 years. ● Brian Graham's tally of 24 goals in all competitions this term is the highest of any Thistle player since Maurice Johnston (35) in 1982-83. ● It's an impressive 3 goals in his 288 minutes for Ricco Diack who has scored in both home league matches with Airdrie this season. On both occasions he scored within 7 minutes of personal action! ● Points-per-game king of 2023-24 is undoubtedly Zander MacKenzie with just 2 losses in 22 games in all competitions this term. See our 'Squad Stats 2023-24' table (note: select the 'full' tab) to drill down more. ● For only the second time in the latest two league seasons, there are no bookings. The other instance? Versus Airdrie at the Excelsior back in August. What's going on?! ● In all competitions, Thistle have now registered 10 consecutive home wins versus Airdrieonians (2009 to date), extending the club-record in the H2H. ● Thistle qualify for the Premiership play-offs for the third successive season, where they will play… Airdrieonians! Third time lucky? ● Kris Doolan's Thistle remain unbeaten in 13 games played in the months of April and May. (c/o Matt Greer!) ongoing sequences: ● 6 competitive games without defeat, 16th Mar 2024 to date. (Longest run since: 6 games, 27th Oct 2023 to 2nd Dec 2023. Joint club-record: 16 games, 15th Nov 1975 to 21st Feb 1976 & 30th Sep 2000 to 13th Jan 2001.) ● 28 games in 3rd place (30th Sep 2023 to date), an extension of the club-record for a position outwith outright top or bottom. Overall, it's the longest run since the club-record of 33 games in bottom pace (12th), set between 20th Sep 2003 and 15th May 2004. ● 33 consecutive competitive appearances for Lewis Neilson, 15th Sep 2023 to date, a new personal best. (Longest run since: Steven Lawless - 60 games, 18th Feb 2023 to 6th Apr 2024. Club-record: Johnny Jackson - 313 games, 28th Aug 1926 to 25th Mar 1933.)

Just watching Casualty and one of the doctors asked for a BBG. Is there no limit to the man’s talents

Considering we lost Holt, Docherty, Tiffoney and Turner, I think we're doing pretty well to be closing in on last season's points total.

From Willie Paul (the pioneer) to Willie Sharp (the Old Firm slayer) all the way to Kris Doolan (the milestone man) and Brian Graham (Peter Pan) via (super) Maurice Johnston in-between, this brand new Partickle explores the exceptional Thistle strikers who've dominated particular teams in the same league season by bombarding their goal nets. An astonishing realisation re Brian Graham ensues... The King Of The Slams →

Oh, we can do something about it next week 🤞😂

Good to see James get another 80 minutes and a goal.

What in the wide, wide world o' sports is a goin' on here? https://crescentcitysports.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Slim-Pickens.jpg

Dowds is out because he's on loan from us and therefore is ineligble.

If he is better than before and still has the legs, then perhaps there would be a place for him if we are still in the Championship next year. But if we go up, we need much better than that.

That's quite an interesting list. The name that caught my eye was Kenny Watson. 37 goals playing in defensive positions and in some our poorest teams is some return at a time when we were constantly circling the drain of relegation to the then bottom rung of the league structure. Probably helped save the existence of the club in what was an incredibly bleak period.

Whilst we are on wonderful stats a word for my Jagzone co-comm Christopher Dobie who came out with the wonderful stat that he has shared on air - that since returning to the club Aidan Fitzpatrick has not scored an away goal south of the Tay Bridge! That my friends requires a doffed cap!

If ICT went down I’d be interested in Ridgers, Devine or Samuel’s. Controversial, but all our keepers are out of contract and previously I would have been happy to say goodbye to the lot of them, but starting to think that Mitchell might not be the worst we could do.

Peter Pan of the championship, should be on that plane to Germany as a player , but no he plays for Thistle...

Doolan has certainly fixed that defence. Only 2 goals conceded in 6 games (only one from open play), and he’s certainly signed a player in McBeth. Great to see OReilly back today to give us more defensive options too. Milne deserved his MoTM but great to see us throw bodies on the line to keep a clean sheet. Add to that we destroyed them up front and nice to see Diack get a goal too. All round a great day with the playoffs now secured. Airdrie won’t be looking forward to seeing us again

3 points must be our aim tomorrow

They certainly never spent much of that on pitch anyways. Perhaps splurged it on a new fax machine.

It is indeed quiet in here. So much so Albert's Ghost is talking to himself over on the "PTFC v The Loch Inverness Monster" thread. 😀

I thought when they went down to 10 it was very sporting of Doolan to even it up by bringing on Blair Alston

Not quite sure if this is the best thread for this (not worth opening one specially), but as it relates to the squad, I will put it in here. A friend of mine is an East Fife supporter and when emailing me about something else he added the following: East Fife are doing well just now, with 4 wins & 3 draws in their last 7 matches. I wanted to let you know that we saw the best of James Lyon at last week’s game against Stranraer. He played really well & scored our opening goal in a 2-1 victory. It’s taken him a while to settle into our squad (quite understandably so) but it was very good to see his drive & confidence on the ball finally coming to the fore. Hopefully James will kick on from here.

You’ve done it now. 11 goal swing in Airdrie’s favour this weekend. We’re doomed …. doomed

Glad you enjoyed hospitality. Watching the snooker this morning John Virgo said 'a good ref is one you don't notice' and for me today's ref was like that, not often you can say that about the officials in our games.

This time the hat trick will count. !

I've never really understood why Celtic Rangers games can't just be organised separately. Let them play each other twice in the league and then let them play additionally wherever and whenever they want, as many times as they want. Take it around the world for all I care, in a big angry petty travelling circus. Sky will pay because there's enough grunty people want to watch it. Call it the Two Cheeks Trophy Challenge Tour. You don't get this out-of-the-box thinking from Doncaster

Far too sensible an idea to ever be adopted in Scotland. For me the best set up would be 2 leagues of 16 with 2 up 2 down & a playoff between 3rd top/3rd bottom. Below 'league 2' regionalise the leagues (as they do below the National League in England). It makes no sense to me that Cove travel to Annan or Elgin City travel to Stranraer (and vice verca). There are enough teams in the central belt who can move between leagues if necessary. It's working in England and elsewhere in Europe regional leagues operate below the top divisions. Teams in the top league will complain about losing fixtures but what they really want is the ugly sisters at home twice a season for the extra gate and TV money.

It’s just a pity we managed to lose the 2 games when we had the protection 🙄

So sad to hear that Jags fan Willie Limond has passed away.https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/sport/national/24253546.former-british-commonwealth-boxing-champion-willie-limond-dies/ RIP, Willie

Assuming no further injuries, the pool against Airdrie is minus Adeloye, Bannigan, Lawless, O'Reilly (?), Robinson (??), Sneddon, Williams, and anyone else that I may have forgotten about. McMillan, Muirhead, Fitzpatrick and possibly BBG are all in deep need of decent recovery time. We're not quite running on fumes, but the lack of adequate cover is certainly a feature right now. That said, it has to be all hands to the pumps on Saturday. Whatever the result, I wouldn't be tinkering too much in the remaining games before the play-offs unless absolutely necessary.

That's the most lightweight subs bench I've ever seen I think. We desperately need bodies back from injury.

Jamie Mitchell

Okay I have to bite. What is daft or unfair about our playoff system? It rewards finishing second over 3rd or 4th which seems fair enough to me. It equates to a 15% promotion ratio per league size, which is reasonable. And it equalises the number of league games to be played by the Premier team and the second placed team (if they make it), to 38 games. A 3rd or 4th placed team plays just two more. And when we finish our regular season on 3rd May, the Premier teams will still have four post split (usually competitive) games to play before the playoff final on 23rd. If you finish 3rd or 4th in a league of 10 it should be very difficult to succeed through playoffs. The current 4th placed team has only won one more game than it has lost. I accept that it's difficult for a team in 3rd or 4th. I don't accept that it's unfair

Winning the final game of last season and finishing second would have meant playing two fewer games in this daft and unfair play-off syetem. I am convinced finishing second would have meant promotion. The first signs of fatigue I noticed were in the second half of the home game v Ross County followed by our 'late collapse' at Dingwall. Of course with an impartial referee we could have still made it but Mr Walsh with 3 ridiculous decisions against us saw the end of that. In case people have forgotten I'm talking about the Docherty penalty not given, the lung on Tiffoney which should have been a red card and the hand ball against Graham which wasnt a hand ball andctherefore not a penalty. However even with a referee who was a total homer we would have gained promotion had Dingwall been our 4th and not our 6th play-off game! I don't know why everyone is so focused on finishing 3rd because other than more prize money we will still have 6 play-off games and the result, if we get to the final two games, will be the same - out on our feet by the 70th minute of the 6th game. Under Doolan in the play-off games a good team became a great team! I doubt with the squad we have he will be able to do this again.

I agree and if we're still maintaining "McCall" style contracts the players will also be incentivised on a position ending scale of bonus. A downside to the play offs is there's bound to be different agendas and attitudes towards the final few games of the season. Do we go hell for leather for that £90K risking injury and fitness levels for the play offs? Whether a club finishes 3rd or 4th makes little difference to the chances of promotion. So there has to be a school of thought to rest key players, even if in doing so you're risking a sizable sum of money.

Brian Graham v Dunfermline in February scored a perfectly good hat-trick

Doolan's was the last hat trick. Scored on 21 Jan 2015 Full list here http://www.thethistlearchive.net/every-known-hat-trick

I find myself excellent company, even if few others do...

Don’t worry. I won’t be looking anywhere near this thread until 5 minutes before ko Drat !

I think it’s a mentality thing that seeps through the whole team . When we are level or behind in a game we are looking to go forward and score and ( sometimes ) look a decent team . When we go in front the whole focus changes to not losing a goal . We sit deeper and deeper , do not retain the ball , don’t attempt to build sustained pressure . This is something that needs a change of emphasis / attitude , and that needs to come from the manager .

I'd agree with that but got a funny feeling Doolan may start with The Ghost. At least Ben has more presence and would allow Robinson to support BBG. There will be slim pickings on the bench though. So we need to get at them from the outset. A game we should be winning and I feel we can if we can create and take our chances. I'll go for a hopeful, 2 - 0 win. BBG and Robinson with the goals.

Secret agents Dowds and McGinty doing their work tonight

Joey Barton is a fud https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68663517

Just a sharing a piece i wrote a few years back. They only put it on the website yesterday on the great man's birthday. Hope you like it if you have the time. https://www.nutmegmagazine.co.uk/issue-12/john-lambie-partick-thistle/