| Edward Suter |
 Edward Suter was born in 1856 in Bangor, County Down. * The midfielder was an occasional player from 1882, having most recently been with Darwen. Aged 25 or 26, he made his first known appearance on Saturday, 11th February, 1882, in a 10-0 friendly win at home to King's Park. There were no known goals for Edward during his spell with Thistle. He played his fourth (and last known) game for the club on Saturday, 30th August, 1884, in a 4-1 friendly defeat away to Dumbarton. His club-list included Partick, Darwen and Partick Thistle. Edward died in 1920, in Fylde, Lancashire, aged 63 or 64. *
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 The son of Daniel Suter and Catherine Suter (née Cooke). Edward was the elder brother of Fergus Suter (Partick, Darwen, Turton, Blackburn Rovers) and Jerry Suter (Partick, Partick Thistle, Rangers). By 1871, the 15-year-old was an apprentice joiner and lived in the family home at 17 Merkland Street in Partick. Edward became a ship joiner to trade and was a member of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners. For fun, he kept goal for Partick throughout the latter half of 1870s and we can see him in place for the second eleven as early as 21st August 1876 versus Caledonian. The famous Jimmy Love was playing at centre forward for the second eleven that day. Although Edward was primarily known as a goalkeeper, he played outfield on occasions, and this he did at all three of his known clubs. No doubt at the behest of his brother Fergus (who had been there since the autumn of 1878) Edward joined Darwen in November 1879, initially as a forward before reverting to goalkeeper. For a year, the Suter brothers featured in the Darwen team together. Edward moved back to Scotland at the end of 1880 and, by 1881, the family was living at 10 Russell Street. At that time, he was living with his mother, brother Jerry and sister, Jessie. In the same close was Andrew Duff and just a few doors along was Hugh McColl, both Partick Thistle men of some importance. Both Edward and his younger brother, Jerry, seem to have been introduced to the Partick Thistle ranks at Jordanvale, early in 1882. As a footballer, Edward had proved his versatility at Partick as an outfield player and a goalkeeper, and continued this trait at Partick Thistle, playing a few times in the half-back line and once as a goalkeeper, certainly in terms of known first-team appearances. In mid-February 1882, both Edward and Jerry got their first opportunities in the same match - but on opposing teams! Both Thistle and King's Park were short of regular men on the day which enabled a debut for Edward in the half-back line. Thistle fringe men Andy Leckie and Jerry Suter obliged the visitors from Stirling, at left back and on the left wing respectively. Edward got the bragging rights on the day - 10 nil to Thistle! A couple of months later - in April 1882 - Edward and Jerry made a little bit of Partick Thistle history in a 5-2 defeat away to St Bernard's. A holiday Thursday game, it was remarkable in that it was Thistle's first-ever joust with St Bernard's, their first-ever game in Edinburgh, the first visit to "the Gymmie" (before there was even a ground there) and the first-known instance of brothers - Edward & Jerry Suter - turning out in the same game for Thistle. Edward was back in action two days later, again as a half-back, in a 3-0 win at home to Clarkston. Teamlines were few and far between at that time, so we can't be sure how many more (if any) appearances there were for Edward at that time. In any case, it wasn't long before the lure of Lancashire pulled him away again for, in January 1883, he married Mary Jane Reilly at St George’s Presbyterian Church, Blackburn. |
| (WS/JK) |