| Duncan MacLean |
 Duncan MacLean was born on Friday, 30th January, 1874, in Govan, Glasgow. The 5' 7 forward guested for Thistle in May, 1895, whilst a Moorepark player. Aged 21, he made his first-known appearance on Thursday, 6th May, 1895, in a 2-0 friendly win at home to St Bernard's. There were no known goals for Duncan during his spell with Thistle. He played his last second and last-known game for the club on Saturday, 8th May, 1897, in a 2-1 friendly win away to Dundee. His club-list included Summerton Athletic, Elderpark Rangers, Linthouse, Moorepark, Partick Thistle, Cowes, Southampton, Derby County, Bitterne Guild and Union Castle Lines. Duncan died on Sunday, 31st January, 1965, in Newport, Isle of Wight, aged 91. |
 This inside forward from Moorepark guested for Thistle on a couple of occasions at the end of season 1896-97. His debut was a bit of a momentous occasion given that it was the last-ever game at Inchview, home to Thistle since 1885. St Bernard's were the visitors on the Thursday evening of 6th May. A goal by James Lamb (15) gave Thistle a half-time lead. After the break St Bernard's missed a penalty, but Thistle had more to offer and a second goal, a William Lawson header from a corner, sealed the win. Duncan was in the party which travelled to Dundee two days later, and he turned out at inside right. It was a fine win against Dundee who had finished 5th in the First Division. John Ferguson gave Thistle the lead, but Dundee levelled (through their Ferguson) but their keeper "bungling a soft shot from (Thistle's) Ferguson" made it 2-1. Dundee had Thistle hemmed in for most of the second half, but the Jags held on. With these two wins under his belt, Duncan may well have signed for Thistle, but he knew that his future lay down south. He was a shipyard engineer in Glasgow, but his job took him to the Cowes shipyards just a month or so after playing with Thistle. He signed for Cowes in the Hampshire League in July 1897, and while he was there he caught the eye of George Thomas, a Southampton director. Signing with the Saints for season 1898-99, he could not initially get a place in the side that was bidding for their third consecutive Southern League title. When he eventually made it for the last eight games, he played in four positions and obliged with three goals, including one in the last-day win at Bristol City, as Southampton came from behind to snatch the title from their hosts. Not resting on their laurels, the Saints brought in new forwards in the summer of 1900 and allowed Duncan to leave for the Football League, with First Division Derby. Failing to get a first-team game, he returned to the Glasgow shipyards. But he was soon back in Cowes for a longer stint, during which he was in the side that won the Hants Senior Cup in 1906. After that, he remained on the Isle of Wight, working for the Union-Castle Line and turning out, for a while, for their Southampton-based works-team. In 1947 he was back on the mainland and living in Woolston and still working as he approached his 74th year and taking in matches at The Dell. In 1952 his son wrote to the Sports Editor of the Echo asking if he could organise for Duncan to attend the forthcoming Dundee United Floodlight match and two tickets were duly provided. He later moved to the Isle of Wight to live with his son. |
| (WS/AFK/SAIP) |
