| Maurice Candlin |
 Maurice Hall Candlin was born on Friday, 11th November, 1921, in Jarrow, Tyne and Wear. The midfielder signed for Donald Turner's Thistle in May, 1942, having most recently been with Clydebank Juniors. Aged 20, he made his debut appearance on Saturday, 9th May, 1942, in a 1-1 draw away to St Mirren in the Southern League. Maurice scored his first goal for Thistle on Saturday, 26th September, 1942, in a 2-0 win at home to Airdrieonians in the Southern League. He scored the last of his 21 goals on Saturday, 27th March, 1948, in a 3-0 friendly win away to Buckie Thistle. He played his last game for the club on Saturday, 1st January, 1949, in a 1-0 win away to Clyde in the SFL First Division, having clocked up 149 appearances as a Jag. His club-list included Yoker Athletic, Clydebank Juniors, Clyde, Partick Thistle, Portsmouth, Stirling Albion, Northampton Town, Shrewsbury Town and Wellingborough Town. Maurice died on Thursday, 31st December, 1992, in Carlisle, Cumbria, aged 71. |
 Whatever his back-story, this young Jarrow-born lad was based in the Glasgow area as war became the reality. He played with Yoker Athletic then Clydebank Juniors, and also turned out at least once for Clyde in season 1941-42. Described as a sweet moving left half who made the ball do all the work, he signed for Thistle in May 1942 and made a valuable contribution to the club throughout the decade, the undoubted highlight being his contribution to the Summer Cup glory run of 1945. Maurice played in 5 of the 6 games and scored 3. His brace against Hearts won the day in the Quarter Final and "no Hearts forward could hold a candle to Candlin for opportunism, always on the spot". In the final against Hibs, Maurice was again in the thick of it: "Just as we began to feel neither side could score, Thistle took the lead. McGeachy, who had been showing more than a few Caskie touches on the left wing, swung over a high cross and Candlin’s head just skiffed it in passing, landing it at Johnson’s feet. First time, the English guest player left-footed it right across goal into the side net." His gold was a medal well earned. Maurice appeared as a guest for Portsmouth during the war. As his game time at Firhill reduced in his late 20s, Maurice was granted a free transfer in April 1949. A short spell at Stirling Albion hadn't come to much, and so Maurice decided upon a whole new chapter in his life, moving down south to continue his footballing story. He spent 4 seasons with Northampton Town of Division 3 South, where he became club captain. They almost won the title in his first season, finishing second to Notts County only on goal average. A third place finish in 1952-53 rounded off his time with the Cobblers on a high. A couple of seasons with Shrewsbury Town followed before Maurice finished his playing days with non League Wellingborough Town. He went on to become manager there too. Maurice ran an off-licence in Northampton and was the landlord of the Old Swan pub in Earls Barton. He later moved northwards to Carlisle, where he died (in the Carlisle Infirmary) on the last day of the year in 1992. |
| (WS/AFK) |
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