 |
Your Archive Needs YOU! Page upload volunteers are urgently required; free time is precious for everyone but if you can spare some then please do get in touch → and play your part in helping to build an Archive for all of Jagskind to use and enjoy! Read more → |
| Peter J. Curran |
 Peter Joseph Curran was born on Sunday, 3rd March, in 1940, in Kilwinning, North Ayrshire. The 5' 11 (12st 1lbs) goalkeeper signed for Willie Thornton's Thistle on Monday, 9th November, 1959, having most recently been with Largs Thistle. Aged 19, he made his debut appearance on Saturday, 20th February, 1960, in a 1-0 win at home to Raith Rovers in the SFL First Division. In doing so, Peter joined the goalies' clean-sheet debutant's club. He kept his second and last clean-sheet on Saturday, 5th March, 1960, in a 2-0 win at home to Dunfermline Athletic in the SFL First Division. He played his last game for the club on Saturday, 19th March, 1960, in a 3-0 defeat away to Dundee in the SFL First Division, having appeared as a Jag on 7 occasions. His club-list included Troon, Largs Thistle and Partick Thistle. Peter died in 2001, in Saltcoats, North Ayrshire, aged 81. *
|
 Young Peter, the son of Peter Curran, followed in his father's footsteps from the Ayrshire juniors to Firhill. He played in a Firhill trial game against Kilmarnock Reserves early in October 1959 and, having done enough to impress, was signed to terms, with a flexible arrangement that still allowed him to turn out for Largs here and there for a while. Before that first season was out, the youngster made the breakthrough to the first team and did well to keep a clean-sheet on his February 1960 debut, a 1-0 league win at home to Raith Rovers - especially given the conditions. The “black, forbidding pitch dotted with little pools of water” passed a late inspection, but it was a farcical surface and fans enjoyed snowball fights at half-time. Rovers hit the woodwork twice and there were spills, thrills and fine saves aplenty, before the away custodian spilled a late corner into his own net. Peter never kicked on from there though, and was back in the reserves for 1960-61. The writing was on the wall for the young 'keeper when he got injured during that season and defender Donnie McKinnon deputised in goals in his absence. When Peter was fit again to play, Donnie retained his place in goals! Not long later, on St Patrick's Day 1961, Peter was handed a free transfer. |
| (WS/AFK) |
click on image to enlarge (magnifiable if deemed necessary by your browser)