The Thistle Archive

matches:1885-86: ← 10game 1112 →

		J. Sutherland
		Jerry Suter

George Somerville (1-1, 1st half); David Allan (1-2, 46 mins); Alec Hamilton (1-3, 47 mins); George Somerville (1-4, 2nd half); ? (1-5, 2nd half)		Andrew Johnston (1-0, 1st half)

	future Jag George Gillespie	Andrew Duff	26y, 6m, 21d
	Walter Arnott	John Hendry
	Andrew Watson	Bobby Brown
	Charles Campbell	H. Eadie
	John Gow	R. Middleton
	John Lambie	Bob Marshall	21y, 0m, 1d
	Alec Hamilton	James Miller
	George Somerville	Bob Robertson	20y, 5m, 9d
	David Allan	John Marshall	35y, 7m, 0d
	William Harrower	J. Sutherland
	Woody Gray	Andrew Johnston	20y, 0m, 19d

			24y, 8m, 22d

Teamlines per GH.
OH lists John Boag and Jerry Suter at the expense of Bob Marshall and J. Sutherland.
QP's no.2 is listed as "Walters", explained as a psuedonym for Walter Arnott by the QP historians.
Our teamlines follow the GH, although we are uneasy about it from the Thistle perspective as EY quotes Boag (which would be his only known game for the first team if true) and Suter in the play. We've checked at least 10 "reports" in the BNA but they are not helpful. The DC is the only one to mention Thistle players, namely Duff, Suter, Miller and Johnston. In favour for the GH, the Queen's Park line-up is fully corroborated by respected publications, HQP and QPC. As a "something or nothing" point of observation, we note the similarity letter-wise of J. Suter to J. Sutherland. One other "issue" in the GH is the naming of a T. Hendry at #2 for Thistle (the paper takes the unusual step of giving all eleven Thistle players at least one first name letter in this match). We don't know of a T. Hendry at this time, with John Hendry and A. Hendrie being the only known candidates from the playing pool. Never having identified A. Hendrie properly, we speculate that the T. Hendry could stand for Tony Hendry, which could be translated as Anthony Hendrie. The other (more likely) solution is that T. Hendry is simply a typo for John Hendry. John is the regular #2, is quoted in the EY report for this game, and played in the Scottish Cup team of last week, all of which give strength to his claim, and we therefore allocate the appearance to him.

3000 (OH)

Queens started strongly but gradually the game evened out and chances were made by both teams. Thistle took the lead through Johnston after a fine run down the left “amidst loud applause” (GH). This only served to spur Queens on and after equalising before h-t they had all the play in the 2nd half.

It was rather remarkable to see an English Cup tie being played at Hampden Park between two Scottish clubs—namely, Queen's Park and Partick Thistle—an event sufficient to rouse the ire of the Scottish Association, whose patience in this connection must by this time have been quite exhausted. Murmurs went round at this encroachment on the jurisdiction of the Scottish body, and the public at home did not approve of this lack of patriotism on the part of clubs who Played under the banner of the Thistle, acknowledging the superior jurisdiction of the Rose, for at this period the Football Association claimed to be the head and front of Association football. At this very time, however, the Football Association was preparing to climb down, and did so in 1886, when the International Board was agreed upon. These murmurings heralded the storm which burst out in the spring of 1887, with the result that Scottish clubs were forbidden to compete for the English, or any other national trophy. An exception was made in the case of the "Dewar" and " Sheriff of London" Charity Shields.

Queen's Park and Partick Thistle met in a first-round tie for the English Cup at Hampden Park, 31st October, 1885. Though previous to this match fault had been found with the Queen's Park players for lack of condition, a vast improvement was observable, and they came out of the contest with flying colours. Partick Thistle drew first blood, and this was their only goal. Scores were equal at half-time—one each. Then the senior team showed its vast superiority, and, scoring goal after goal, won finally by 5-1. There was not a laggard in the Queen's Park team. Arnott was in rare fettle; Watson was not so good. Campbell exhibited no signs of deterioration, and Gow reminded one of old times. "Woody" Gray filled Christie's place, and he and Allan gave a grand display. Somerville (late Rangers) and Harrower, in centre, were a great pair; the ex-Ranger, beside men of his own calibre, played with confidence, and Harrower worked with self-reliance and go. Hamilton was in great form, and Lambie gave him every support. The Thistle kept Gillespie on thorns in the first half, but the prince of goalkeepers was equal to the occasion. The Thistle used their weight with effect, and expended all their energies at the commencement.

Richard Robinson, History of the Queen's Park Football Club, 1920

match hubs

If you can help to answer any of these marked questions, then please do get in touch →

match

The Thistle Archive

Partick Thistle stats and stories 1876 to date