The Thistle Archive

A pupil of Cumbernauld High School, Andy signed an S’ Form for Partick Thistle in 1968, the Jags beating several English clubs as well as Rangers and Celtic to his signature. He progressed from Scotland Schoolboy to youth international and into the Partick Thistle first team after a spell at feeder club Sighthill Amateurs. After appearing in an end-of-season friendly at Ross County in May 1971, the 18-year-old Andy got his first competitive start in a 5-0 victory over Raith Rovers in a league cup section tie in September '71. Several weeks later, that cup was bedecked in the red and yellow ribbons of the PTFC! Andy had a lot of bad luck with injuries at various times in his Thistle career - most notably in his earlier seasons - but really settled down as a mainstay for 8 seasons from 1974-75 onwards, during which time he formed a highly effective central defensive partnership with Jackie Campbell, widely regarded as one of the best in the Scottish game. "Jackie made it look easy" said Andy, somewhat modestly in his Jagscast interview of June 2020! (see 'Video' tab).

Andy's performances for Thistle were especially impressive as almost all of his Thistle career was spent in the top-flight, although winning the First Division title in 1975-76 was one of his career highlights, so there was a positive in having just missed the league reconstruction cut in 1974-75. From 1976-77, Andy spent six seasons as part of a Premier League Partick Thistle side, enjoying many victories over the likes of Rangers, Celtic and Aberdeen. Indeed, it was a one nil victory over Celtic in April 1981 which put the 4th 'Thistle Honour' into Andy's CV, as the Glasgow Cup was won for the sixth time. However, the absence of a Scottish Cup final appearance in the late 70s really got to Andy - as it did with many of us in the fanbase. Speaking of the semi final exits to Aberdeen (1978) and Rangers (1979) Andy spoke to the Jagscast in 2020:

We were robbed a couple of times. The one against Rangers was an absolute disgrace. I don't know how anybody could be offside from a 40-yard crossfield ball, somebody coming running in from 30 yards out to header the ball into the net. The replay Derek Parlane broke my ankle so, had we have won it, I'd have missed the final because of that. We would have beat Hibs in the final that year. Even in the other semi against Aberdeen that other wee ratbag - for want of a better word - Joe Harper done us. I tackled the guy outside the box and he stumbles and trips and falls inside and the referee gives a penalty [shakes head]. There was a picture in the paper the following day, and you can see that it was outside when I tackled him. Things like that play on your mind, and I still think about them now. It cheats you out of the possibility of getting to the final and being like the '71 team remembered forever. Nobody remembers the beaten semi-finalists. That's life, as they say, isn't it?

Despite Andy's first-team career spanning 12 seasons and almost 300 appearances, there was to be no testimonial, a great oversight. In the late springtime of 1982, Peter Cormack had told Andy he was to be freed at the end of season and, as he trudged off after the last game of the season - a 2-1 defeat at home to Dundee United which confirmed relegation - he was heartbroken, knowing that he'd never again appear for the Jags. "Thistle's in my heart ye know? I'm red and yellow through and through." It had been expected that the 28-year-old Andy would move down to New Zealand to take up an offer from Dunedin, but he turned it down in the end and played "for fun" in Germany (where he worked as a labourer) for a short while, as he sought to rediscover his love of the game.

Throughout his time at Firhill, Andy was part-time, his full-time job being as a driver for the Social Work Department in Cumbernauld, helping disabled children. After his jaunt to Germany, he returned to live in his native Cumbernauld, working as a taxi driver. In October 2009, Andy was inducted into the Partick Thistle hall of fame for playing his part in the 1971 League Cup campaign and, in April 2015, was inducted in his own individual right, and quite rightly so!

1971 - LEAGUE CUP

1972 - JULY CUP

1976 - SFL FIRST DIVISION

1981 - GLASGOW CUP