Zatafact? 141 Seasons Of The Indomitable P T F C

[The Jukebox Rebel]

^ Lenziejag, it’s not at all like that, just trying to get things right on the Thistle story, that’s all. I was maybe getting a bit too carried away on the “lawyerspeak” there but it’s hard not to when you’re dealing with “article this” and “sub-section” that.

 

Speaking of getting things right, I was delighted to be proved wrong on the distribution of Thistle players caps. Yesterday, I got a very welcome heads-up via PM which indicated that Kenny Campbell signed for Thistle earlier than was thought. His signing from Liverpool in April 1920 was one of those borderline cases that has been variously reported down the years as just before / just after the England game on the 10^th.

 

From the British Newspaper Archive I was able to ascertain that the deal was done on the 8^th April, a date with which respected historian John Litster concurs.

 

The on/off transfer was a bit of a press saga:

 

"Scottish League clubs have been keen on securing the transfer of Kenneth Campbell the Liverpool and Scottish International goalkeeper, who was placed on the transfer list at his own request. It is understood that last night negotiations were completed for him to go to Partick Thistle" ~ Derby Daily Telegraph, Thursday 1st April 1920

 

"Counting Kenneth Campbell as an Anglo-Scot - he has not yet played for Partick Thistle since he was transferred from Liverpool - no fewer than six of the team are English League players." ~ Yorkshire Evening Post, Thursday 1st April 1920

 

"As anticipated, Kenneth Campbell, the Scottish goalkeeper, has been transferred from Liverpool to Partick Thistle at a fee which is stated to touch £3,000" ~ Dundee Courier, Thursday 1st April 1920

 

"The statement that Kenneth Campbell has signed for Partick Thistle is premature" ~ Dundee Courier, Friday 2nd April 1920

 

"Kenneth Campbell will sign for Partick Thistle this week" ~ The Sunday Post, 4th April 1920

 

"The transfer of the Scottish International goalkeeper, Kenneth Campbell from Liverpool to Partick Thistle, has now been ratified, negotiations having been concluded yesterday. The fee is not stated, but is believed to be about £3,000" ~ Yorkshire Evening Post, Friday 9th April 1920

 

"Permission was given to allow percentage of transfer fee to K. Campbell, late of Liverpool and now with Partick Thistle." ~ Dundee Courier, Saturday 10th April 1920

 

^ These are just some of the snips but the story is re-enforced elsewhere. Despite this, one or two of the Saturday line ups still wrongly reported: Kenneth Campbell (Liverpool) but they were in the vast minority and were clearly behind the times.

 

So, that’s one cap struck off the Liverpool total and one cap added to the Jaggy tally.

 

Some might say I f*cked up, but I prefer to call it my “data maturity process”, thank you very much.

 

In any case, post #513 #514 duly amended and I’ve also e-mailed my contact at the rsssf to let them know.

 

Now, Tom, how’s the investigation into that Quinton Jacobs contract coming along?

[Lenziejag]

I wonder how much 3,000 is in today's money. I imagine it is a fairly hefty sum ?

[a f kincaid]

I wonder how much 3,000 is in today's money. I imagine it is a fairly hefty sum ?

 

Bank of England inflation calculator suggests (averaged at 4%) £3000 = around £119,000.

[thisal]

Bank of England inflation calculator suggests (averaged at 4%) £3000 = around £119,000.

 

Football inflation calculator suggests. World record transfer 1922 £5000. Present record £85 000 000

£3000 = 60% of £5000

60% of 85 000 000 =£51 000 000

 

As Falkirk were the record holder at the time we might not be comparing like with like

[The Jukebox Rebel]

If a story never gets told then it never gets retold. Within a generation, it can die.

 

Such is the case, I think, for Thistle's 2 English internationalists. Much has been written about these fellers – but their time at Thistle seems to have been lost in the dusty residue of Second World wartime.

 

So, in international week, here are a couple of pen pics in an attempt to keep them alive in Jaggy history…

 

REGGIE SMITH

Reggie @ Hitchin Town, 1934-35.

 

England caps:

09.11.1938 - Reggie Smith (Millwall) 1 of 2 - ENGLAND 4-0 NORWAY (Friendly @ St James' Park, Newcastle, Att: 39,887)

16.11.1938 - Reggie Smith (Millwall) 2 of 2 - ENGLAND 7-0 NORTHERN IRELAND (British Home Championship @ Old Trafford, Manchester, Att: 40,386)

 

From the beginning to the end Reggie Smith was a man for making firsts. The Battersea lad was born James Christopher Reginald Schmidt in 1912, to a South African father and an English mother. Although his family later anglicized their name (in line with the British Royals) the fact remains that he was the only born Schmidt to ever play for England!

 

He had a trade behind him as an electrician, but it would be the fitba’ that would prove to be his vocation.

 

The left-winger made his name with Millwall and was rewarded with his first cap in November 1938. It was a dream debut as he scored twice against Norway in a 4-0 win – but he failed to score the next week when England scored 7 against Northern Ireland. Clearly, this great unpredictable was destined to be a Jag.

 

Further appearances were made for his country but these are struck from the official lists, as was the case for all wartime internationals involving European countries.

 

It came to pass in January 1943 that Reggie was stationed for a spell in our district and, following recent successes with Les McDowall (Manchester City) and Austin Collier (York City), Donald Turner was on a high state of alert for seizing the opportunity to make good quality additions to his team. When the chance came to get an English internationalist on-board, Mr Turner wasted no time in coaxing Reggie along to Firhill. In the era when two extra bananas a week and a chocolate bar every second Saturday were enough to clinch deals, this probably wasn’t as difficult a task as it might be today!

 

History was made on the 30th January 1943 when Reggie turned out in his favoured outside-left position vs. Hibernian at Firhill in a Southern League encounter, thus becoming the first ever English internationalist to play for the Jags. His debut, however, was rather anti-climactic “Smith of Millwall wasn’t any improvement on recent Thistle left-wingers” opined the Post. Thistle lost 5-1.

 

Better was to follow though; the very next week a fine strike from Reggie gave Thistle the lead at Fir Park in a game which finished one each. With this goal, Reggie gained the further accolade of becoming the only man in history to have scored for both Partick Thistle and England.

 

The following week, Reggie again opened the scoring with an early goal, this time at Cliftonhill in a match which marked the historical shifting of Willie Sharp to the centre-forward role. Reggie played as Willie’s inside-left and was “chock-full of cleverness and craft” as he assisted our new centre forward in grabbing his goals [one, two or three of them depending on which press report you believe] on his “debut”. Thistle won 5-1.

 

Before season's end, Reggie went on to score a further two goals for Thistle, with Section B demolitions of both Airdrie (3-0) and Motherwell (5-1) in the Southern League Cup, the latter being a stunning volley from 30 yards.

 

Regularly, his press reports had become exceedingly favourable: “aggressive and enterprising… playing with tremendous zest... rarely wasted a ball... varied his distribution with telling effect... packed dynamite in his drives”.

 

With the first team having no game on 25th April, Reggie proved he was no prima-donna as he turned out for the Second XI, netting in a Scottish Cup win at Love Street. I would be willing to bet he has the further accolade of being the only English internationalist to have played for Thistle’s reserves!

 

Reggie was unable to rejoin Thistle for season 1943-44 but his short stint was eventful, successful and history making.

 

Unusually for an English player, Reggie stayed in Scotland after the war was over. He had joined Dundee when stationed at Leuchars in 1944, and they became his full-time team of choice when peacetime football resumed. He won a promotion medal with the Dark Blues in 1947. After a stint as player-manager at Corby Town, he returned north to coach at Dundee and then to manage Dundee United (1954-57), Falkirk (1957-59), Millwall (1959-61) and Bedford Town (1961-63 and 1971-73). In between, he had spells with various South African clubs in the 60s. A great motivator and skilled communicator, his man management was the key to his success – he was in-demand as a gaffer.

 

His start at Brockville was nothing short of sensational. When he took over in January 1957 they were stranded at the foot of the table – not only did he stave off the threat of relegation he took them to Hampden, winning them their second Scottish Cup. He was dubbed “The Miracle Man” by the Scottish press. To this day, Reggie stands as the only English manager ever to have won the Scottish Cup.

 

A wonderful insight into the personality of the man can be drawn from his antics whilst manager at Bedford. Seemingly, he was somewhat reflective and had a taste for homespun philosophical insights. A critical journalist’s comments were once answered with a whole page of prose; not an uncommon occurrence in his programme notes. Another time, he deliberately purchased a playing kit with the numbers on the front of the players’ shorts rather than the backs of their shirts; “the opposition won’t be able to tell whether we’re coming or going” was his response to those who criticised his unusual move!

 

Falkirk fans last saw Reggie at the 1997 cup final, when he was part of the reunion group of 1957 heroes. To this day, they still talk of him as “The Miracle Man”.

 

He died in 2004, just short of his 92nd birthday, and, according to the obituary written in the Times, was the oldest surviving England international player at the time of his death.

 

Somewhat fittingly, he was making history right 'til the end. Good ol' Reggie!

[The Jukebox Rebel]

JACK HOWE

Jack Howe @ Derby County, 1938

 

England caps:

16.05.1948 - Jack Howe (Derby County) 1 of 3 - ITALY 0-4 ENGLAND (Friendly @ Stadio Comunale di Torino, Turin, Att: 58,000)

09.10.1948 - Jack Howe (Derby County) 2 of 3 - NORTHERN IRELAND 2-6 ENGLAND (British Home Championship @ Windsor Park, Belfast, Att: 53,629)

09.04.1949 - Jack Howe (Derby County) 3 of 3 - ENGLAND 1-3 SCOTLAND (British Home Championship @ Wembley Stadium, London, Att: 98,188)

 

Donald Turner’s astute wartime forays into the casual labour market continued in season 1943-44 as the services of Bill Shankly (Preston North End) and Jack Howe (Derby County) were procured as soon as chance arose.

 

John Robert Howe, Jack to his mates, was considered as one of the best two-footed backs in Britain at the time, and was a regular in the Derby side which was the match of any in England in the late 1930s and into the 1940s. By all accounts he was a tough nut and tigerish in the tackle; much akin to our very own Jimmy McGowan.

 

A 6-foot laddie, Jack served with the Cameron Highlanders and his stationing’s north of the border led to wartime appearances not only at Firhill, but at Tynecastle, Brockville, Pittodrie and Love Street.

 

Jack turned out for the Jags on seven occasions between September and November 1943. In 3 of those games he played alongside Bill Shankly – there were 20 goals in those 3 games, 10 for and 10 against!

 

The undoubted highlight of his Firhill stint was the 5-4 Southern League victory at Parkhead on 9th October 1943. The press were impressed enough with Howe and Shankly – but not with the Thistle forward line. Whit! Should have been ten? “Shankly played as hard and as well as any international. Howe filled his new position at left half with distinction. He and McDonald served their forwards with the perfection of a pre-war waiter, but with poor response.”

 

Derby County, with Jack at left-back, were the first winners of the post-war FA Cup in April 1946 [yet another for the "ex-Jag wins the FA Cup" club], but it wasn’t until a couple of years later, when he was pushing 33, that he was bestowed with what was thought to be the long overdue honour of being capped for his country. And what a stunning debut it was – a clean-sheet for Jack as England romped to a 4-0 win in Turin.

 

He was over 40 before he finally ended his career with Wisbech Town - a longevity which, again, I can't help comparing with Tiger McGowan.

 

Jack died in his hometown of Hartlepool in 1987, aged 71.

Edited October 15, 2015 by The Jukebox Rebel

[Jaggernaut]

Two interesting reads, thank you!