Balintore jag

Account, Ignored Users. You can add a new ignoree there. Thank you. I have done it and my head is better already.

I took a plane to Brussels which connected with a wee plane on to Luxembourg. There I met two German thistle fans from the Bobby Barnes Supporters club. We took the train to Metz and there we met the other Bobby Barnes German jags fans. One of them had brought a supply of irn brew which he got in Germany and handed it round. Well received! They had all been at University in Glasgow. What a hot night it was. We nearly got a draw when Derek McWilliams hit the post but it would have been a bit of a steal. Great night mingling with the Metz fans after the game. I got a very late train back to Luxembourg where I stayed for a day. On the local TV next night they had a big report on the game including highlights. Near the end of their report the two panellists talked about the fans and showed a clip of the jags fans. They seemed to be saying "fantastic support" . They then had a discussion on how to pronounce our name. "Parteek heessell" said one . "No" said the other pundit it is "Parteek seezel" . Even in Luxembourg city before I left next day I saw several Thistle fans.

The SPFL statement almost sounds gleeful, but they do say they have sympathy for us. Gee thanks.! I suggest we do not enter the challenge cup as this has cost us very dearly.

I read each of the club's cut and paste statements. So Dundee United, Raith Rovers and Cove want to ensure the "sporting integrity of the SPFL". They had two chances to uphold ssome sporting integrity and failed to do so. Their votes to effectively relegate PTFC , who had a game in hand as they had to play in a SPFL competition, was a million miles away from upholding sporting integrity.

It's a fix, it's a fix, it's a fix! Seriously, well done Caroline. Very much deserved.

Alas, yes it does look doomed to fail and so we will be demoted/ relegated. Extremely harsh on Hearts, Partick Thistle and, Stranraer. But it's great news for Brechin. They will not be relegated!

The games were one after the other. I was at the two games on the first day. City and Southampton played out a "friendly type" draw and it went to penalties. After 11-11 on penalties it was going to be too much of a delayed kick of for Jags and Rangers so they tossed a coin. Jags then lost 2-0. It was a long night of football and we were late home. I didn't go to the third place play off and final the next day.

I was a ball boy when big John Freebairn made his debut for the Jags. He commanded the penalty area really well. He could jump so high catching the ball in his chest but with a leg high out in front him. This intimidated opposition attackers. At first when he kicked the ball up the park it went high and well into the opposition half - not common at that time. I remember the crowd always giving his kick out clearances a big roar. He became a regular in the team which seemed to be the same every week - Freebairn, Hogan, Baird, Wright Harvey, Donlevy, etc. As ball boys we got free tickets for the Glasgow cup final and John had a great game that day in our 2-0 win over Celtic. It was common during my time there for ball boys to take in autograph books to the dressing room. The first time I dit it, I forgot a pen. John kindly gave me his good fountain pen for all the players to sign. Great memories for a wee ten year old at that time. Condolences to big John's family.

As a boy I went to Cathkin a few times, mostly to watch the jags when they were playing there. Our school, Hyndland , reached a cup final which was played there in about 1964. The stand was quite new. It was a good ground with a great playing surface. Thirds had some great players around that time. How sad that they folded.

Yes indeed. I waited till the end of sportscene. Fairly lengthy highlights for three games and for the other game, EF v PTFC, we got a short match report. Pathetic BBC. Interesting passback decision in the game by the referee!

Well, someone who has watched the jags as long as me! I agree 100%. Thanks for the memories, Chris. I hope you create chances and bang in a few goals for Livi

I was a ballboy at that 10-2 game. We were 5-0 down to Hibs at half time. In the dressing room at half time I heard the manager Willie Thornton shout at the players. He was raging and demanded a big fightback. Sure enough we came back to 5-2 in no time and I thought we could do it but alas the Hibs forward line that day was absolutely devastating. It was not a happy dressing room at the end of the game.

Boy do I appreciate this thread. Can I also add that four games within easy distance of Balintore is something to look forward to.

At the end of the game that was also the thought running through my mind. The foul on Nicky Henderson was much more clear cut than the one not given tonight. Although it was probably a foul Simon Murray did dive again. His fist dive in the match was absolutely shameful. I have sympathy with tonight's referee but still no sympathy for Mottram.

Great performance by jags. Not a failure in the team. Edwards perhaps not at his best but he did put in a shift. We controlled the game in the first half and they rarely threatened. The highlight was probably the ball hitting the steward on the napper. In the second half we completely dominated. A great corner from Welsh met superbly by Liam. About six yards out on the wing we won a tackle and Booth crossed to Doolan who picked his spot with a good header. Erskine, who was back to his best, bamboozled their defenders and fired in the third. There was a“Devine” intervention and a great stop from Czerny. Late on they got their consolation goal but, seriously, it was one way traffic. All credit to the Jagsfans who came up from Glasgow and made much more noise than County fans. The singing was fantastic especially that catchy little number to the tune of the 12 days of Christmas. Merry Christmas to all Jags fans.

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.

Scully was too far off his line for the last two goals and had no time to get down to save the shots. Cerny would have stopped both I feel. Freddie first goal was from a corner not taken by Welsh. Freddie made an a*** of his second, but he ws very unfortunate. Welsh was ok generally but he will be glad the free-kick he took is not shown on highlights.

Derek, sorry I should say Ross. King was a really good midfielder when he played for VD.

In the meantime, here's another pic. Eerie floodlights on the main stand, and a dim view of part of the city end terracing. I've got this labelled as "Goal vs. Killie," so some research required for details... A tricky one, as I can't make out the top left autograph. All the others played in 2-3 defeat to Killie on 24th December, 1960. Our scorers were Alex Wright and Tommy Ewing. Here it looks like Tommy Ewing has just scored. I think that's George Muir coming in to join the celebration. Thanks Jaggernaut for this posting. In the huddle are Neil Duffy, Tommy Ewing, Joe McBride and Dougie Baird. George Smith and Frank Donlevy are coming to join them. Scotland centre half Willie Toner is waking away is blaming the full back . And the ballboy is...........me. After the photo appeared in the newspaper my dad went to their office in town and got the photo. In the 90s I took it to one of these events where lots of former players were present and I got many autographs. I sent a scanned copy of the photo to the programme editor for use if he ever wanted it. So it must have eventually reached where Jaggernaut found it.I must dig out t original and find out who all signed it.

What a different performance from last week. Excellent concentration from every individual player in the red and yellow. Inverness threatened about .. once... early on, but when Stevo slotted in his first goal the jags (the real jags) just took over. We played some excellent breaking football in the first half and it looked only a matter of time before we would get a second. When Stevo put away his second superbly, the confidence in the team became even better. We expected a strong fight back from ICT after half time but Stevo’s perfect cross to Fraser for the third early in the second half put an end to any hope of an ICT recovery. And shortly after that we scored from a corner. Honestly we did score from a corner! Conrad, near the back post, headed in fairly easily. For the next half hour we continued to ‘out pass’ ICT and play out the game in a completely controlled manner. Two good saves from Brill prevented a fifth but –hey- four will do fine. Gallacher had to pick the ball out of the net twice. One was offside and the second was a ‘goal’ by a drunken Caley fan who ran on to the park at a goal kick. He slotted it in quite superbly. I think Hughes will sign him as no one in their team looked likely to score. For those who don’t like Ryan Stevenson at centre forward, well today he was the right choice for the team. Well done jags and well done Archie for getting the game plan spot on. Well done each individual player for a truly focussed performance in sticking to the plan. It’s going to be a good weekend.

Great pic. Looks like Spartak Brno the opposition. Now called FC Zbrovjovka Brno. My neighbour's son - jags fan of course- worked in Brno for a year. He never met anyone who remember their European match against Partick Thistle. Maybe just as well

I was a ballboy at that time- at Firhill not at Parkhead of course- so the players are obvious to me. The photo shows Sandy Brown with Neil Duffy in close attendance. George Smith is the player further away. I agree that this was the best strip ever. Around that time I remember a 3-1 win at home as well as 2-0 win against Celic. We also won 4-2 at Parkhead but that as a midweek game. I must look up the archive.

Only once before the Hibs game has a premier side been relegated through a play-off, and there was a very late goal in that game. I still have nightmares over it. Hibs fans will not forget that moment for a long time. In that respect only I have a tiny bit of sympathy for them.

I was a ballboy for that game. 5-0 at half-time. I heard the half-time talk by Willie Thornton. He was raging and demanded a huge fightback. Within a few minutes we had pulled two goals back and I thought we might do it. Alas Hibs got another five. To me it wasn't as bad as the Ayr United game and Billy MacDonald's short pass. In all my time up till then we had never been down to the third level. I was leaving the ground that day when a student phoned me on my mobile to ask what was coming up in his exams. He was given quite a few expletives, said he didn't understand, so he got them again.

" a team who haven't lost a game yet in the league either," apart from their game away at St Johnstone