Thistle’s next two league fixtures have been announced, this coming Saturday 6th April we are away at St Roch’s and the following Saturday 13th April the Jags are at home to Shettleston.
Month: March 2013
Port Glasgow v Thistle – Game off
Today’s league match with Port Glasgow at Parklea has been postponed due to the weather, next scheduled game is home to Bellshill on Saturday.
Match preview – Benburb v Larkhall Thistle
Larkhall Thistle travel to Govan today to take on Benburb in the league. The Jags are aiming to continue their recent run since the defeat at Carluke and extend their winning streak to three league games in a row for the first time this season.
A win or draw would see Thistle move up a place to third in the league if Lanark lose today at Bellshill, a Lanark draw would also do the Jags if we can win today.
Benburb themselves are probably sitting in a false position at fourth bottom as they have a lot of games in hand and could move up with a couple of wins. There is the problem though of having to cram a load of games in at the end of the season so it is a bit of an unknown quantity.
Good luck to Thistle today, here’s hoping for three points.
Neilston v Larkhall Thistle – Match preview
Neilston were a bit of a mixed bag last season. In our first game with them at the Brig O’ Lea Thistle ran out comfortable 3-1 winners with the home team’s goal only coming late in the game as a consolation. However after parting company with ex-Thistle boss Bobby Crilly the Renfrewshire team’s fortunes had a remarkable turnaround and they finished the season as one of the strongest teams in the league.
The tables were turned in a big way in the corresponding fixture at Larkhall, with Thistle going town to a 4-0 home defeat in one of the worst performances of the season.
Neilston are one of a clutch of teams – including ourselves – who will fancy that they might go one better this season given how tight the league turned out to be last time round and the teams current league standings.
Another hard game in prospect then and hopefully a repeat of Thistle’s result last season.
Neilston Facts and Figures
Nickname The Farmers Boys
Founded 1945
Ground Brig O’ Lea stadium, Main Street,
Neilston.
Manager Robert Fox
Home colours – Red shirts, white shorts
Awat colours – Black shirts, white shorts
Honours:
Western League Champions 1947
Western League Cup Winners 1947
Renfrewshire Junior Cup Winners – 6 times
Renfrewshire & Dunbartonshire Cup Winners – 1953
Central League ‘C’ Champions – 1971
West Super League Division One winners – 2006
West Premier League Runners-Up – 2003
Sectional League Cup Winners – 1999, 2006
Although Neilston have never won the Scottish Junior Cup, they went very close to winning the Super League Premier division in 2002-2003, only losing to winners Pollok on goal difference.
Neilston’s most famous ex-player was Dixie Deans, who left the club to join Motherwell before playing for Celtic, Luton, Partick Thistle and Scotland. Other notable ex-players include Walter Reid, Jim McAllister, Willie Bell, Tommy McMillan and Peter Weir.
Neilston Playing Squad:
Goalkeeper
James Digney
Gareth Fulton
Defenders
Kieran McDade
Kevin Fraser
Robert Campbell
James Lennox
Craig Murphy
Tam Murdoch
Midfielders
Martin Hughes
Andy Gibson
James Canning
Steven Docherty
Andy Essler
Darren Christie
Forwards
David Adams
Robert Cameron
Derek Kennedy
Ex-Jags winger Andy Essler is on the books of Neilston and is still a handful at this level.