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| Gavin Lang |
 Gavin Lang was born on Sunday, 21st March, 1926, in Larkhall, South Lanarkshire. The forward signed for Donald Turner's Thistle on Friday, 17th September, 1943, having most recently been with Burnbank Athletic. Aged 18, he made his debut appearance on Saturday, 3rd June, 1944, in a 3-1 win at home to Third Lanark in the Summer Cup. Gavin scored his first goal for Thistle on Monday, 29th March, 1948, in a 6-2 friendly win away to Caledonian. He scored his second and final goal for the club on Monday, 5th April, 1948, in a 4-1 friendly win away to Dunfermline Athletic. That turned out to be his last game for Thistle, having appeared as a Jag on 10 occasions. His club-list included Burnbank Athletic, Partick Thistle, Arbroath, Hereford United, Bath City, Queen of the South, Spalding United and Chester. Gavin died on Sunday, 19th February, 1989, in Wrexham, aged 62. |
 Thistle signed the Lanarkshire youngster to terms in the later years of the second world war, but his career stalled when our 'big guns' returned, and Gavin saw very little first class action. The left-winger's finest hour as a Jag was undoubtedly helping the team on their way to the excellent Summer Cup win of 1945, appearing in 3 of the matches, including the 1-0 semi-final win over Morton in front of 25,000 @ Hampden Park. Ironically, Gavin's only two goals came in his final two games in the springtime of 1948, and he was off to Arbroath of Division B shortly thereafter. It was there his professional career really got going and his consistency was rewarded with a move down south to Hereford in the close-season of 1950. His father, Tommy, was a high-level footballer in the 20s and 30s, who gave service to Newcastle United (FA Cup winner 1932), Huddersfield Town and Manchester United. |
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