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All Time Thistle Xi


jagscast
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Hello.

 

Over at the Jagscast HQ, we've been thinking long and hard about who would make our all time Thistle XI.

 

All of our regular contributors have been asked to suggest their team, the main rule being that you must have seen them play. None of this historical player nonsense.

 

You can see Manly J. Panda's team here .

 

Macky and Craig Walker's teams have been submitted, and will be published in the next wee while. VBL, Cowie and Donald Marc Corcoran Balatoni's teams will also follow...as soon as they've done them.

 

Let's hear your thoughts folks!

 

VBL

x

Edited by jagscast
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I'd feel a little odd offering opinions on players I never saw play, so here is mine...

 

Lindau

Charnley Harkins Lyons

Rowson Lennon

Archibald Craigan Paterson Lilley

Tuffey

 

Ideally I'd spend longer thinking about it and find another centre back so I could move Paterson forward replacing Rowson.

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Since 1988

 

....................Walker

 

Law....Craigan..........Paterson......Archibald

 

 

 

Craig.....Rowson......Charnley......Harkins

 

 

.........Roberts......Britton

 

Subs:

 

Nelson, Duffy, S McCulloch, Lennon, A Taylor, McLean, Lindau

 

Always difficult to compare players over eras and divisions, but I think the Hoor merits his spot despite never playing for us in the top level, he was a close to a one-man team as I've ever seen a Jags side.

 

Also, right back has been a horrible position for us over the years whereas we've had a series of cult-hero left backs (glossing over Des McKeown for a minute) with either thunderbolt shots (Boab, Pittman, Archie) or mazy runs (Twaddle, Sinclair, even Kenny bloody Milne).

 

Finally, I'll have forgotten someone totally obvious. It always happens.

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Alan Rough

 

Dave MacKinnon Jackie Campbell Steve Craigan Alex Forsyth

 

Donald Park Ronnie Glavin Chic Charnley Denis McQuade

 

Doug Somner Joe Craig

 

 

Admittedly I have only vague recollections of Forsyth who went to Man U but he must have been our best left back in the last 40 years or so. I was 50-50 between Craig and Bone. This is only the guys I can remember - shows I'm getting on a bit ... one can only guess (or ask the really old guys) what players like Johnny MacKenzie were like - Puskas thought he was pretty good.

 

I see someone put in Mo Johnstone: forgot about him but I probably wouldn't have put him in anyway as he was still developing most of the time he was with us and just becoming a very good player when he left us.

Edited by Mr Bunny
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Nicky Walker

 

Alan Dinnie Willie Jamieson Stevie Craigan Steve Pitman

 

 

Derek McWilliams Albert Craig Chic Charnley Ian Cameron

 

 

Mark Roberts James Grady

 

Subs: Andy Murdoch, Alan Archibald, Gerry Britton, Alex Taylor, Roddy Grant.

 

 

Solid keeper and defence, got the tenacity and goal scoring threat of McWilliams and Craig in midfield, mixed with the class and creativity of Cammy and Chico. Marko up front, like someone further up the thread said, he might only have been with us in 1st and 2nd div, but he was so good for us and for what it's worth, I think he would have done us a turn in the SPL anyway! Grady was only with us for one season, but I thought he was unbelievable that year. Plenty of options on the bench to change things around.

 

Edited to add Roddee on the bench instead of toastie.

Edited by chunky jag
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First game late '61

 

Rough

 

J Hansen

Campbell

McKinnon(Donnie)

Whittaker

 

Glavin

Charnley

McParland(capt)

 

McQuade

 

McBride

Johnston

 

No nonsense centre backs, creative full backs, midfielders that would never be pushed off the ball and an unorthodox unreadable player in a free role behind two goal machines (one of whom probably has the highest goals to games ratio in Scottish football).

 

Most notable omissions perhaps are...

1/Alan Hansen. Great player as he went on to become I didn't see him having too many great games for us as a centre back. Nothing to do with where I was in Spain '82, honest.

2/Alex Forsyth. Despite Alex having such a powerful shot Whittaker just shades it for me on all round ability.

3/Tommy Ewing (2nd period). I know he'd be a lot more consistent than Big Denis but :unsure: very close call. I wouldn't drop McParland (see below)

4/Kenny Watson. McParland's versatility alone is enough to put him ahead of Kenny. Two great leaders but a captain that also can play in so many positions would be invaluable.

Edited by lady-isobel-barnett
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Alan Rough

 

Dave MacKinnon Jackie Campbell Steve Craigan Alex Forsyth

 

Donald Park Ronnie Glavin Chic Charnley Denis McQuade

 

Doug Somner Joe Craig

 

 

Admittedly I have only vague recollections of Forsyth who went to Man U but he must have been our best left back in the last 40 years or so. I was 50-50 between Craig and Bone. This is only the guys I can remember - shows I'm getting on a bit ... one can only guess (or ask the really old guys) what players like Johnny MacKenzie were like - Puskas thought he was pretty good.

 

I see someone put in Mo Johnstone: forgot about him but I probably wouldn't have put him in anyway as he was still developing most of the time he was with us and just becoming a very good player when he left us.

 

It all depends on how far back you weant to go. Although I could go to 1948, I've chosen 1955 as a cut-off date. In my time i would choose the following 11 players as the best in their respective positions i have seen. Being an old timer I still think in terms of the old 2-3-5 formation. Sorry!

Many fine players have had to be omitted - among them Willie Sharp, John Hansen, Mo Johnston, Nicky Walker,Arthur Duncan and Tommy Gibb. I'd love to compare my selection with that of,say, Robert Reid!

 

Alan Rough

Jack Campbell Sandy Brown; Alan Hansen, Jimmy Davidson, Kenny Watson;

Johnny MacKenzie, George Smith, Doug Somner, Neil Duffy, Tommy Ewing.

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It all depends on how far back you weant to go. Although I could go to 1948, I've chosen 1955 as a cut-off date. In my time i would choose the following 11 players as the best in their respective positions i have seen. Being an old timer I still think in terms of the old 2-3-5 formation. Sorry!

Many fine players have had to be omitted - among them Willie Sharp, John Hansen, Mo Johnston, Nicky Walker,Arthur Duncan and Tommy Gibb. I'd love to compare my selection with that of,say, Robert Reid!

 

Alan Rough

Jack Campbell Sandy Brown; Alan Hansen, Jimmy Davidson, Kenny Watson;

Johnny MacKenzie, George Smith, Doug Somner, Neil Duffy, Tommy Ewing.

A Bunny-Pedant writes:

 

If you only go back to 1948 then you're wrong to line them up 2-3-5. I know that's how programs and newspapers showed teams but that was a historical accident hangover (and lazy journalism). 2-3-5 went out in the thirties when Arsenal developed the W-M formation (which was widely copied by British teams) and before then a lot of teams were dropping the centre half back to mark the centre forward (and moving the FBs out to mark the wingers) after the off-side rule change of the twenties.

 

So your team should be:

Alan Rough

 

Jack Campbell Jimmy Davidson, Sandy Brown; (FB/CB/FB)

 

Alan Hansen, Kenny Watson; (RH/LH)

 

George Smith, Neil Duffy, (IR/IL)

 

Johnny MacKenzie, Doug Somner, Tommy Ewing. (RW/CF/LW)

 

The half-backs (RH/LH) would have defensive duties but like modern full backs push forward when team was attacking. Inside forwards were, depending on the type of players you had playmakers or auxilliary forwards. Or a bit of both. You can see how with some players being more the playmaker type and others more goal scoring type (and some half backs more defensive) this could develop into the later formations such as 4-2-4, 4-3-3, etc.

Edited by Mr Bunny
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A Bunny-Pedant writes:

 

If you only go back to 1948 then you're wrong to line them up 2-3-5. I know that's how programs and newspapers showed teams but that was a historical accident hangover (and lazy journalism). 2-3-5 went out in the thirties when Arsenal developed the W-M formation (which was widely copied by British teams) and before then a lot of teams were dropping the centre half back to mark the centre forward (and moving the FBs out to mark the wingers) after the off-side rule change of the twenties.

 

So your team should be:

Alan Rough

 

Jack Campbell Jimmy Davidson, Sandy Brown; (FB/CB/FB)

 

Alan Hansen, Kenny Watson; (RH/LH)

 

George Smith, Neil Duffy, (IR/IL)

 

Johnny MacKenzie, Doug Somner, Tommy Ewing. (RW/CF/LW)

 

The half-backs (RH/LH) would have defensive duties but like modern full backs push forward when team was attacking. Inside forwards were, depending on the type of players you had playmakers or auxilliary forwards. Or a bit of both. You can see how with some players being more the playmaker type and others more goal scoring type (and some half backs more defensive) this could develop into the later formations such as 4-2-4, 4-3-3, etc.

 

I was well aware of that - but the centre-half was what he was always called, and his number was always 5. In the 50s an Austrian journalist called I think Meisl got very worked up about this and other anachronisms in the game in England (and Scotland too) Meisl I believe was a member of the Austrian 'Wunderteam' of the 30s. I don't know if he was a member of the team that thrashed Scotland 5 - 0 in Vienna He did take delight however in the Hungarian 6 - 3 and 7 - 1 demolitions of England in 1953 and 1954.!

We did a wee bit better against them- 2 -4 at Hampden ( the match in which Johnny MacKenzie played out of his skin) and 1 - 3 in Budapest ( where Scotland actually led at half-time.)

My team looks even stronger the way you set it out, don't you think?

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I was well aware of that - but the centre-half was what he was always called, and his number was always 5. In the 50s an Austrian journalist called I think Meisl got very worked up about this and other anachronisms in the game in England (and Scotland too) Meisl I believe was a member of the Austrian 'Wunderteam' of the 30s. I don't know if he was a member of the team that thrashed Scotland 5 - 0 in Vienna He did take delight however in the Hungarian 6 - 3 and 7 - 1 demolitions of England in 1953 and 1954.!

We did a wee bit better against them- 2 -4 at Hampden ( the match in which Johnny MacKenzie played out of his skin) and 1 - 3 in Budapest ( where Scotland actually led at half-time.)

My team looks even stronger the way you set it out, don't you think?

 

Oddly enough the Austrians and some other continental teams of the Thirties still played 2-3-5 though a slightly amended version. The centre half sat deeper (though not right in the back line) and was more defensive and the Austrians had a centre forward who didn't play like a normal British centre forward, more a playmaker, and the forward line switched about - in a way a kind of precursor to the way the Hungarians later played.

 

Yes I do think your team looks stronger they way I set it out, but that's because the players you picked seem to fit into the system very well - for instance the half backs need to be able to defend and also when they can push forward to help the attack. Alan Hansen and Kenny Watson fit the bill perfectly. Doug Somner although capable of playing a modern game had the build and bustle of an old fashioned centre forward and of course you've included two classic old time wingers. It all fits the system perfectly.

Edited by Mr Bunny
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