| William McKinney |
 William Small McKinney was born on Wednesday, 5th May, 1875, in Longriggend, North Lanarkshire. The forward signed for Thistle on Friday, 5th June, 1896 (after a trial), having most recently been with Longriggend Wanderers. Aged 21, he made his first known appearance on Saturday, 30th May, 1896, in a 6-2 friendly win at home to Linthouse. There were no known goals for William during his spell with Thistle. He played his last known game for the club on Saturday, 3rd October, 1896, in a 4-1 win at home to Cameronians in the Glasgow Cup, having appeared for the Thistle on at least 4 occasions. His club-list included Longriggend Wanderers and Partick Thistle. We don't know where or when William died. *
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 The son of Peter McKinney (coal miner) and Ann McKinney (née Vausy or Vassey), who were married in Airdrie in May 1873. There's a fair degree of confusion over surnames in William's story. Although his parents were McKinney, his birth register is listed as McKinny. His father seems illiterate and signed off the register with an 'X'. Later life documents have William as a 'McKinnie'. Before any of this was known we had McKinney, so we'll stick with that but it seems like a bit of a lottery. A Lanarkshire lad, William was playing with his local team, Longriggend Wanderers, when he landed at Inchview for a trial in the springtime of 1896. He mainly played as a right winger. Having impressed, he got a start in the first two league games of the 1896-97 season, appearing in a 2-2 draw at Dumbarton then a 2-2 draw at home to Morton. This would be Thistle's last season at Inchview as the Second Division title was won and the club moved to a new ground at Meadowside in time for their arrival as a top-flight club. William played no part in that move, however. His last game was in October 1896, a 4-1 Glasgow Cup win over Cameronians, when he played in the forward line alongside such Thistle greats as John Proudoot and Willie Paul. His movements post-Thistle are unclear, but there's at least one instance of a 'McKennie' at #7 in a Longriggend line-up in 1899. Don't get us started!!! William set off for Canada as a miner, with his wife and two sons on 26 April 1913. He returned to Scotland a year and a half later in November 1914 as he was out of work. He returned to Canada in April 1923 as a labourer with his family once more. His passenger declaration states he was back in Canada looking for work. In the 1931 Canada Census, it looks as though the family may be struggling. Both his sons have married but are still in the home with their partners. William is out of work and his son Archie is also unemployed. |
| (WS/JK) |
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