The Thistle Archive

lists:goalies: Clean-sheet debuts Appearances & clean-sheets Penalty debuts Milestone clean-sheets

Thistle's milestone clean-sheets

compiled from our League criteria.

1000 DAVID MITCHELL

03.09.2022 Arbroath [a] W2-0 (SPFL Championship - game 6)

2,065 @ Gayfield

David Mitchell did well to win the jersey from the record-making Jamie Sneddon at the start of the season but, with the emphasis on a more attacking style of play, this was the first clean-sheet of the new League campaign. Thistle had been 21 years (9 games) without a win versus Arbroath, but proceeded to beat them twice in 4 days to end the hoodoo. Fitting then, that this typically unpredictable behaviour would result in the landmark clean-sheet, the club's 1000th in the League. For the second time in 4 days it was a late show which earned the win to nil. Goals from Anton Dowds (86) and Cole McKinnon (90) secured 3 valuable points as Thistle maintained second place.

750 ANDY STEWART

01.11.1997 Dundee [a] D0-0 (SFL First Division - game 11)

3,560 @ Dens Park

The first clean-sheet of the season was earned away to the league leaders, big-spending Dundee. Far better teamwork and solid defending was the key, and although Dundee enjoyed a lot of possession, Thistle always looked comfortable. A couple of half chances in the second half might even have produced a win. Andy was a 19-year-old loanee from Dundee United who just happened to be in the right place at the right time, for what proved to be his only clean-sheet in 9 attempts. Thistle fans were indifferent to his returning to Tannadice, and this allowed Kenny Arthur the opportunity to establish himself in the Thistle goal.

500 ALAN ROUGH

13.01.1973 Airdrieonians [h] W2-0 (SFL First Division - game 21)

4,395 @ Firhill

Isolated at the bottom, Airdrie missed several good chances before a hand ball and Ronnie Glavin scored with the pen (28). Just before h-t Airdrie had a goal disallowed (harshly) for off-side. Joe Craig beat two men in midfield and scored after a fine solo run (47) and the game petered out. Thistle were just good enough. Alan Rough remains Thistle's record-holder in many ways; most appearances (631), most clean-sheets (191) and most-caps as a Jag (51). With Thistle he won 2 titles, 1 League Cup, 1 Glasgow Cup. Oh, and the International Gathering of the Clans tournament!

250 JOHNNY JACKSON

02.11.1929 Falkirk [h] W5-0 (SFL First Division - game 13)

3,000 @ Firhill

Alex Lambie and Johnny Ballantyne “excelled in cleverness” (GH) and were outstanding as Thistle scored 5 against Falkirk, whose goalkeeper was injured early on. Willie Miller and Johnny Ballantyne made it 2-0 at h-t. The three Johns - Ballantyne, Simpson and Torbet - killed off a plucky 10-man Falkirk side who had started the second half well. If there was going to be a clean-sheet milestone between 1926 and 1933 then it was always going to belong to Johnny Jackson, for he was an immovable object between the sticks, appearing in 313 consecutive competitive games, 28th Aug 1926 to 25th Mar 1933. A mighty club-record.

100 WILLIAM CAMPBELL

27.03.1915 Airdrieonians [a] D0-0 (SFL First Division - game 33)

3,000 @ Broomfield

The match “lacked interest from start to finish” (GH). Showing four changes, Thistle had the best of the first half but couldn't score and the roles were reversed in the second. Neither keeper had much to do. Thistle remained 6th, Airdrie 7th. “A less interesting game could hardly be imagined” (SC). If only the Scotsman reporter had realised this was Thistle's 100th League clean-sheet, he could fluffed up his piece! William's unwanted claim to fame is that, in 1909, Dumbarton Harp scored the first-ever goal at Firhill when he was in goal. All the same, he was a fine keeper (all-time 8th in terms of most clean-sheets in all games) and had racked up almost 50 clean-sheets by the time of his last game early in 1916. War service denied him the chance of breaking through the personal 50 landmark.

1 PAT SMITH

25.05.1895 Port Glasgow Athletic [h] W5-0 (SFL Second Division - game 18)

3,500 @ Inchview

After 25 minutes John Proudfoot shot Thistle in front and Willie Paul made it 2-0. They led 3-0 at h-t. Proudfoot scored 3 more. Port tried hard but enjoyed no luck in front of goal and the comfortable win put Thistle safe, 1 point above having to apply for re-election. It was very much a different game back then and clean-sheet ratios for the season were very often way less than 10%. In actual fact, this was Thistle's ONLY clean-sheet in their first 3 League seasons and this was the 36th attempt!

compiled from our Top Flight criteria.

500 ALAN ROUGH

09.04.1977 Dundee United [h] D0-0 (SFL Premier Division - game 31)

4,427 @ Firhill

“Thankfully summer is almost here” (GH). Both keepers were virtual onlookers in a poor game with few chances on target. Jim Melrose wasted the best one when he hit the keeper then blasted the rebound over. Bogged down in midfield on a fiery pitch, the game drifted to a boring goalless draw. The 'keeper will take it all the same. Brilliantly, our legendary internationalist had kept the 500th League clean-sheet in 1973, and was the man between the sticks for the same milestone in purely top-flight terms, 4 years later. According to Bertie Auld, Rough was worth 8 or 9 extra points per season (2pts for a win era), and the gaffer wasn't wrong.

250 JOHNNY JACKSON

24.01.1931 East Fife [a] W2-0 (SFL First Division - game 25)

3,500 @ Bayview

Twice East Fife had goals disallowed and twice Thistle scored almost immediately (Alex Elliot with a low, fast shot and William Fraser after h-t). The referee had disallowed the second East Fife “goal” to award a pen, but instead gave a dropped ball after protests by Thistle. It was from the resulting goalmouth scramble that Thistle broke away and scored. Johnny (an ever-present for 7 years!) had secured the 250th League clean-sheet some 14 months earlier, and in this game he claimed the double accolade by doing likewise in top-flight terms. Only 2 keepers have kept more clean-sheets; Kenny Arthur and Alan Rough.

100 JAMES NEIL

15.01.1916 Dumbarton [h] D0-0 (SFL - game 22)

10,000 @ Firhill

Thistle's goals against column was equal-best with Celtic, but poor finishing was costing them points. They dominated for long spells after an even first half, but neither set of forwards made any real impression. Dumbarton held out against constant pressure, as Thistle's efforts at close quarters proved ineffective. James had two spells with Thistle, the first of which, in 1916, seen his notch up 13 clean-sheets in the calendar year. His all-games ratio of 35.1% was impressive.

1 JOHN C. SPENCE

16.10.1897 St Mirren [h] W1-0 (SFL First Division - game 6)

4,000 @ Meadowside

Spence is the only Englishman to make our goalie milestone list and he did so on match day six of Thistle's inaugural top-flight campaign. Thistle were in a new home - Meadowside - and were doing fine in mid-table, this being the third League win of the campaign already. After two close things, Thistle scored through Robert Gray (5). Saints hit back and Spence was a busy keeper. Willie Paul missed an open goal. “The second half was opened in dashing style by Thistle” (GH) but St Mirren battled hard for the equaliser and had Thistle pegged back for most of the 2nd half. A hard-earned two points.

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