Match Preview
After what has seemed only a very short pre-season programme the competitive action gets underway tomorrow afternoon. Season 2010-2011 kicks off for Thistle with the visit of Clyde for an ALBA Challenge Cup First Round tie.
Clyde have not had their troubles to seek over the course of the last few years and while as recent as just two seasons ago Thistle v Clyde fixtures were a regular feature of the First Division, Clyde currently find themselves in Scotland’s basement division.
Yet despite that there is a feel of optimism down Broadwood way. Manager Stuart Millar has come in and has spent the summer months restructuring his squad. Not one player in the last Clyde side to visit Firhill as recently as March 2009, when they won 1-0, remains at Broadwood today. In contrast there are 8 Thistle players from the Jags’ sixteen that afternoon still on the Firhill payroll.
It’s virtually a brand new side that Clyde will field at Firhill tomorrow hoping to see some encouraging pre-season performances translate into success once the competitive action gets underway. Manager Millar, who recently appointed former Thistle player Adam Strachan as his captain, has dipped into the Junior ranks for some of his new recruits, Goalkeeper John Hutchinson was considered just about the top custodian at Junior level, centre back Ross McMillan, signed from Largs, was attracting attention from other senior sides before joining Clyde and at the age 34 the prolific Bryan Dingwall is sampling senior football for the first time this season.
From our own point of view manager Ian McCall was clearly looking forward to the start of the competitive action when he spoke with www.ptfc.co.uk
“I was really pleased with the players during pre-season. They did absolutely everything that was asked of them. As a result of the hard work they put in their fitness levels are excellent but if they lack one thing then it is the match sharpness that you only truly get through playing competitive fixtures. There is no doubt at all that Clyde will give us a hard competitive game tomorrow.”
“The league is naturally our main priority but that doesn’t mean that we aren’t desperately keen to win not just tomorrow but the cup-tie at Annan the following Saturday as well. Tomorrow’s game and that match at Annan should provide the players with the level of match sharpness that they require and ensure that they are in excellent condition for the start of the league action on August 7th.”
“The Challenge Cup isn’t a competition that we have done particularly well in and the crowds in the early rounds of the tournament tend not to be the biggest but the interest does increase once you get to the semi-final and particularly the final of the competition. There is much football to be played before you can even start to think of the final, not least tomorrow’s fixture, but we are very keen to get to that stage of the competition where I would imagine there would be a big turn out of Thistle fans.”
“Unfortunately we will have a number of players unavailable to us tomorrow. Paul Cairney picked up two yellow cards in last season’s tournament and is suspended but was a doubt through injury in any case. While both continue to make excellent progress Alan Archibald and Jackie McNamara remain on the injury list. Both are important players and pivotal to the system that we want to play this season and we are keen to get them back as quickly as possible. We’ve been lucky, if that’s the right word, in a way that these long term injuries were to players like Alan and Jackie. Both are real fighters and both are perfect professionals. The kind of players that you have little doubt about their ability to come back from injury. Jackie won’t be far short of being fit from the opening league game of the season although as important as he is we won’t be rushing him when he is fit.”
“Elsewhere there are doubts over Chris Erskine, Simon Donnelly and Ian Flannigan. While all three might not make it we hope that a couple might. Ian Flannigan’s availability obviously depends on him being signed in time to play. I’m hopeful that he and Bryn Halliwell will be signed in time even if it means that I have to rush over with the registration forms myself.”
Match Details
Saturday July 24th 2010
ALBA Challenge Cup First Round
Partick Thistle v Clyde
Kick-off; 3:00pm
Prices
Adults £10
Concessions £5
Programme £1.50
Please note that Season Tickers are NOT valid for this fixture
Match Officials
Referee; Steven Nicholls
Assistant Referees: Steven Craven and Stuart MacMillan
Weekend’s Other Fixtures
ALBA Challenge Cup First Round
North East
Dunfermline Athletic v Arbroath
Peterhead v Montrose
Stirling Albion v Falkirk
Elgin City v Ross County
Raith Rovers v Cowdenbeath
Dundee v Alloa Athletic
East Fife v Brechin City
South West
Queen of the South v Albion Rovers
Dumbarton v Morton (Sunday)
Airdrie United v Ayr United
Stranraer v East Stirling
Stenhousemuir v Annan Athletic
Queen’s Park v Livingston
Future Challenge Cup Dates
Second Round: Tuesday 10th August or Wednesday 11th August
Third Round: Sunday 5th September
Semi-Final: Saturday 9th October or Sunday 10th October
Final: Sunday 28th November.
