John Inglis
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John Inglis
John Inglis
● John Inglis, 1883 (OH)

probably born in Scotland

John Inglis was probably born in Scotland, although his place and date of birth remain unknown to us. *

The forward may have joined Thistle in 1876 or 1877.

He made his first known appearance on Saturday, 19th May, 1877, in a 4-0 friendly win away to Partick Ramblers.

That day, John became a member of our scoring debutant's club.

He scored the last of his 14 known goals on Thursday, 6th April, 1882, in a 5-2 friendly defeat away to St Bernard's.

He played his last known game for the club on Saturday, 9th September, 1882, in a 4-2 win away to Battlefield in the Scottish Cup, having appeared for the Thistle on at least 25 occasions.

His known club-list included only Partick Thistle.

We don't know where or when John died. *

* If you can help us to improve any of these marked points on The Thistle Archive, then please do get in touch →

Bio Extra

With his appearance and goal in a 4-0 win away to Partick Ramblers on 19th May 1877, this player made history! Alongside two others - Jack Beattie and T. Brown - he jointly became the first to be quoted as a Partick Thistle player, not to mention being the joint-first to be quoted as a goalscorer (no sequence was clarified). You would have to put John down on the short-list as a potential founder-member too. He was captain of the team in 1877-78 and was a quoted member of the first-known committee in September 1877. John played in a number of forward positions and was a man of many firsts for the Thistle over several years.

In January 1878, he played in the first-ever competitive game - a home tie versus Cowlairs in the West of Scotland Cup: “Played at Overnewton Park and after a very fast and exciting game resulted in favour of the Thistle by four goals to one. The play on both sides was splendid with the exception of the Thistle backs who played rather loose” (NBDM). There's just no pleasing some folk. The Thistle partisans who were at First Hampden Park on Saturday, 5th April, 1879, 3.30pm, were about to witness John and the club make history as the first-ever trophy was won, the holders being defeated by a single goal, as reported in the North British Daily Mail:

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WEST OF SCOTLAND ASSOCIATION CUP – PARTICK THISTLE v MARCHTON. The final tie for the above cup, for which a number of junior clubs, who have no ground of their own, have competed in the various stages, took place on Hampden Park, kindly put at the disposal of the combatants by the Queen’s Park. The clubs left in the last tie were Marchton (present holders) and Partick Thistle, both promising teams. About 400 spectators, including a large number of partisans of both clubs, attended, and watched the progress of the game with considerable excitement. The Partick club, if anything, had the advantage in weight, and showed better combined play than their opponents, but both at times were erratic in judgement, a defect however, which experience will go a long way to rectify. The Marchton had the wind in their favour during the first half of the game, and near the outset looked like scoring, but the defensive tactics pursued by Thistle in front of goal were excellent, and while the younger club, Partick Thistle, renewed their energy, that of the Marchton began to relax, and their can only be opinion about the fact that the winners earned an honest victory. Although both goals were repeatedly endangered, no scoring occurred until the second half, when the Thistle, with the breeze at their backs, earned a clever goal – the ball being brought up by Brown, Meldrum and Bowie, and was sent through by Brash, about 20 minutes before time was called. Shortly before the close the Marchton had a couple of plucky efforts to retrieve themselves, but did not succeed, the Thistle being hailed the winners of the cup by one goal to none.

Echoing the pioneering adventures of Partick, their burgh rivals, on Saturday the 26th November 1881, Partick Thistle played their first ever game against non-Scottish opposition – their first ever game on “foreign” soil. John was in place at #8 for the occasion. Blackburn Olympic, who were to win the FA Cup in 1883, were the opponents. Kicking off at 3.10pm before 500 hardy but keen souls, the game was played in the howling wind and rain, and the home side were 4-0 up at half-time. Thistle, playing with the conditions, staged an amazing second half comeback and came away with a highly credible 4-4 draw, the equaliser coming in a scrimmage at the very death. Let's imagine our John was right there in the thick of it! This exciting adventure raised the club's profile greatly, and the memorably romantic name of Partick Thistle became more widely known on a British scale.

We know that John played at least once in the Yoker Cup so there's every chance he collected another medal or two as Thistle won it in 1881, 1882 & 1883. There's very little to go on in terms of developing his identity further, but if Inglis done nothing else in the game after Thistle, then he done plenty enough.
(WS/AFK)



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