George Greig

During the 1950s I was staying just along the Canal from Firhill and although our family were Celtic fans, it just seemed natural to have Thistle as my second team.

A lot of Rangers and Celtic fans from the North of Glasgow who didn’t travel for away games usually ended up at Firhill . In fact because I played most Saturday mornings for the school, until I was 14 the only Senior football I had seen was the Jags at home. In those days wee boys could be lifted over the turnstile, so get in for free, see the game and on a good day pick up a few empty “screwtops”. After the game it was down to the off-sales to get the deposit back from the “empties”, hopefully get enough for a bottle of Irn Bru and a bag of crisps (with the blue salt bag) and wander home – the perfect day.

I must mention the team itself, in those days packed with good and some great players who often stayed with the team for years and drawing big crowds.

I still remember fondly the wonderful Johnnie McKenzie, Jimmy Davidson, Davie Mathers, Tommy Ledgerwood, Andy Kerr and many more.

It was a great joy when my own son was at Glagow Uni many years later and he told me that Thistle were the official Uni Senior football team, one of the very few in Scotland to give a student discount. He went along to lots of games and still has his scarf.

Times are tougher now but it was great to see the 40th anniversary of the League Cup win over Celtic getting a big splash.

Great Club, great memories.