Favourite Pars Matches

My Favourite Pars Matches

By BD

5. Scottish Cup, mid-50s, in the 2nd Division, at home V 1st Division Partick Thistle, whose team featured right-wing internationalist Johnny McKenzie. Class told first half, Partick 2-0 up at half-time, but goals from Colin .McKinlay and Felix Reilly made it even, and a panicky Partick Thistle conceded two late penalties, both passed into opposite corners of the net by George Duthie, our accomplished full-back, who set a British record by converting 14 penalties in one season. A fantastic win at the time!

4. 1968 Cup Final, a 3-1 victory over Hearts, only fourth in my portfolio because we were favourites, expected to win. And we witnessed the disgraceful scene of the Glasgow Police flooding the tunnel so that Captain Roy Barry could not emerge for a victory lap with the Cup (but he brandished it high above his head!).

3. The Fairs’ Cup win at East End over bankrolled Everton! Stein-inspired and after a tight 1-0 defeat at old Goodison, back at East End George Miller equalised in the first half before, near the end, Willie Cunningham launched a clearance to find Melrose through, beating the offside trap. Harry controlled it, fired home past the keeper, jumped twelve feet in the air several times, and on the terraces …….. Pandemonium!

2. The most exciting game ever seen at East End in its entire history. Well documented, of course, so I need not add any details. But my viewing point was central, in the standing North enclosure, and the atmosphere in that first half was truly incredible! We all jumped with every goal, but there were so many people tightly packed that you never landed back in the space you had just vacated. Brilliant 6-2 win over European giants, but we lost the venue toss, and then the replay.

1. 1961 Scottish Cup victory over Celtic, again fully documented elsewhere. We travelled through to the midweek replay in a Comfort Coach and our vantage point was high on the terracing behind Eddie Connachan’s goal in the second half. It seemed to piss down us, uncovered, the whole night, but we were enthralled, hearts in mouths, as time after time, Celtic broke through to fire shots which Connachan somehow managed, not only to save, but to clutch and hold. Davie Thomson headed home, from his knees, at the far end, and in the gathering gloom, Alex Smith’s lob forward was mis-handled by Haffey, allowing dear old Charlie D to tap it home. Strain over, the Pars had arrived!

For me the remarkable stat was 113,000 at the Saturday game, 87,000 at the Wednesday replay!