3rd Jan 1959 Partick Thistle 2 Rangers 0 (SFL First Division - game 20)

matches:1958-59: ← 30game 3132 →

Match Information

58y, 0m, 22d			Davie Meiklejohn		Scot Symon future PT manager
no changes
no changes
George Smith (1-0, 31 mins); George Smith (2-0, 76 mins)
21y, 0m, 2d			John Freebairn		George Niven future Jag
20y, 10m, 10d			Joe Hogan		Bobby Shearer
23y, 1m, 8d			Dougie Baird		Eric Caldow
28y, 0m, 23d			Alex Wright		Ian McColl
25y, 11m, 13d			John Harvey		Willie Telfer
26y, 0m, 18d			Frank Donlevy		Willie Stevenson
23y, 7m, 2d			George Smith		Alex Scott
19y, 1m, 0d			Ian Wilson		Ian McMillan
27y, 6m, 5d			Andy Kerr		Max Murray
23y, 7m, 29d			Davie McParland		Ralph Brand
21y, 8m, 1d			Tommy Ewing		Andy Matthew
23y, 8m, 7d

notes

Cancellation of other Glasgow matches boosted the crowd to dangerous limits. At least 2000 people surged forward and spilled over on to the track . They were permitted to sit there for the match. The press box was taken over by fans, home and away. Several reporters had to write their copy standing up. Five people were injured. Many who left the ground to avoid the crush besieged the turnstiles looking for a refund.

Match Report

TTA report

Unchanged Thistle were worthy winners on the frozen, sanded pitch. Smith smashed home a McParland pass from 18 yards (31) and it was virtually all Thistle in the first half. League leaders Rangers rallied after the break but found Freebairn in inspiring form. Smith, from a Ewing cross, (76) made sure.

Scrapbook

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Glasgow Herald, 5th January, 1959

Who put the ball in the Rangers net?

George featured at #14 in our Top 25 countdown here on The Thistle Archive →

GEORGE SMITH

03.01.1959 Rangers [h] W2-0 (SFL First Division - game 20)
George Smith (1-0, 31 mins); George Smith (2-0, 76 mins)

With the games at Celtic Park and Cathkin Park having been postponed late on the day, Firhill was overwhelmed by some 40,000 paying customers, forcing the gates to be closed 20 minutes after the kick-off. So dense was the gathering inside, that hundreds of supporters spilled out over the 6ft retaining wall onto the turf, some waving white hankies of distress, and most of them being permitted to squat there for the duration of the match. A number of brave dafties climbed onto the roof of the Shed for a view, but were ordered down by the police. Press reporters were indignant at the encroachment of their box by punters, and not a few scribes were ousted from their seats. Scores of supporters gathered outside the main stand at half-time, demanding their money back. I cheekily speculate that their bar scarves were of the red, white & blue variety, and that they were unhappy with the goal-less performance of their team!

In all seriousness, the mind really does boggle at what was an entirely different world back then. The Firhill playing surface was described as completely frozen and heavily sanded. Health and safety? Aye, nae bother. Jannies and sawdust. Sorted!

Any personal discomfort amongst the Firhill faithful might have been forgotten on the half-hour mark. “A tremendous roar echoed across Maryhill” as Firhill erupted in response to a glorious goal from George Smith. Thistle’s goal scoring machine was fed a clever lob from Davie McParland, and he gratefully smashed it first-time from 18 yards, the ball flying knee-high, like a bullet from a gun, straight into the Rangers net.

Geroge’s glory-day was completed 14 minutes from the close when another one of his rocket-shots made all of the day’s hassle worthwhile for those of a Jaggy persuasion and, by all accounts, it was a thoroughly deserved victory.

He was no stranger to such glory days, and is immortalized as the “scourge of the Celts” with a mighty 17 goals for Thistle to his credit. In total, 6 goals were scored against the Gers. Not too shabby Geordie.

Stats Watch

ongoing sequences:

● 6 competitive home games without defeat; 22nd Nov 1958 to date. (Longest run since: 6 games; 13th Aug 1958 to 20th Sep 1958. Club-record: 16 games; 14th Sep 1935 to 11th Apr 1936.)

● 6 home League games without defeat; 22nd Nov 1958 to date. (Longest run since: 9 games; 2nd Mar 1957 to 19th Oct 1957. Club-record: 23 games; 27th Aug 1910 to 14th Oct 1911.)

● 16 consecutive competitive home games in which Thistle have scored; 5th May 1958 to date. (Longest run since: 21 games; 20th Aug 1955 to 25th Apr 1956. Joint club-record: 25 games; 9th Apr 1928 to 24th Apr 1929 & 2nd Oct 1937 to 8th Oct 1938.)

● 59 consecutive competitive appearances for Frank Donlevy, 11th Nov 1957 to date, a new personal best. (Longest run since: Andy Kerr - 67 games, 15th Oct 1955 to 12th Jan 1957. Club-record: Johnny Jackson - 313 games, 28th Aug 1926 to 25th Mar 1933.)

Stats Watch adheres to our stated definitions of League, League Max, Major Competitive, Competitive or All Games. Where there is no written qualification, you should presume that the Stat in question is compiled from the All Games criteria.

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