Partick Thistle Football Club

After appearing as trialist throughout Thistle’s pre-season programme last Friday Bryn Halliwell put pen to paper on a contract that will see the player, who initially joined us in January of last season, remain at Firhill until the end of the current season at least.

Securing the services of Bryn for the season ahead was a piece of business that all were delighted to see concluded and was completed in time to allow him to play against Clyde at Firhill on Saturday. www.ptfc.co.uk spoke to Bryn, a man in demand with the media after Saturday’s game, and we started our conversation by taking a look back at a game that we deserved to win but was a tough game all the same. 

“I think first half, if we are being honest, Clyde gave us a bit of a doing. We were making too many mistakes. They didn’t really make too many chances but when we scored it looked as if we should step up a gear and that never really happened. And then the Clyde boy stuck one in the top bin. After that we needed to relax and get back to doing what we needed to do which in the first half we didn’t but in the second half we were a completely different team.”

Bryn will be hoping not to be on the receiving end of too many free kicks as the season progresses like the one that handed Clyde their equaliser on Saturday.

“A goalkeeper’s nightmare is a free kick anywhere round about the middle as you don’t know where to take up position and you can’t really see the ball. The boy has done magnificently well though but if he tried to do it again I can’t see him putting the ball where he put it.”

Bryn, like most of us, was just pleased to see us get through a fixture that we knew would be a tough one.

“Ultimately we were just delighted to progress to the next round. It’s another 90 minutes under our belts. With the game being a cup-tie and a derby match and with Clyde bringing a fantastic support, who were really loud ,the match did have an extra edge to it compared to the pre-season matches  but we are still in pre-season to a certain extent though and we are gearing up for the first league game against Raith Rovers on August 7^th. The Clyde game, however, was a really good test for us and I’m sure Clyde will do really well in the Third Division if they perform as they did against us.”

Bryn had, of course, spent a number of years playing for Clyde but that didn’t stop the supporters of his former club from giving him a bit of stick.

“To be fair I expected that. I spoke to a number of my friends who had played against Clyde since leaving and they all got abuse. At the end of the day I enjoyed my time with Clyde, I had five great years there and really it just helps get fans up for the game and adds to the atmosphere.”

Five great years he may have had with Clyde in the past but now his focus in firmly and squarely on Partick Thistle.

“I’m absolutely delighted to have signed for the season. It’s a big season for myself and being honest I’ve wanted to be here from the moment I joined Thistle last season. It’s gone on a little bit but it’s sorted now and I just want to do my best for Thistle who are a great club.”

Bryn will be working closely with goalkeeping coach Craig Hinchcliffe and the relationship between the two goalies and the two youngsters they also work with, is clearly a very strong one.

“Craig is a fantastic goalkeeping coach but he is still producing in training which will keep me on my toes. We have a great relationship and as well as a coach and team mate he is a good friend. So we are going to push each other and push the two young goalkeepers Ryan Scully and Graeme Shepherd. They are both learning and they are both at different stages of their development. The four of us work together and push each other on and we know that we all have a lot of work to do.”