The Thistle Archive

Arthur was a speedy outside left who joined Thistle from Falkirk High School in 1965. He was just turned 18 years old when he made his debut in late December 1965, a league encounter against Dundee at Firhill. Thistle won 2-0 with Joe Hogan getting both goals (his last for the club). Arthur was so quick that when he went to Hibs the fans nicknamed him “Nijinsky”, their fans at that time constantly explaining that it was after the racehorse, not the ballet dancer! The Hibs players called him “Flyer” and he competed in the New Year’s Day Powderhall Sprint, a handicapped sprint for professional athletes.

The player’s years from 1965-66 to 1969-70 were not startlingly successful for a Thistle team during a period of change, and they generally ended up in the lower half of the SFL 1st Division, shockingly being relegated in the 1969-70 season, for the first time in nearly 70 years. Arthur had got out by then, having left for Hibs in January 1970. He was regularly in the Thistle side from his maiden senior match until the season he departed Firhill for Easter Road. In 1967-68 the Jags won through to the Quarter Final of the Scottish Cup, but a 1-0 defeat against bogey team Dunfermline at East End Park ended that campaign. Seasons 1968-69 and 1969-70 saw players who would later star in the 1971 League Cup Final victory start to appear in the team. Arthur scored the 2nd goal in a 2-2 draw at Ibrox on 15 April 1969 in the Glasgow Cup Final, heading home a Flanagan free kick. Thistle lost the replay 3-2 at Firhill in front of a 15,000 crowd. In 1968-69 Arthur played in every competitive match in every competition contested that season. A clear example of his consistency.

In a question-and-answer session with a Hibs publication Arthur was asked who his favourite “other team” were. “Partick Thistle” he replied. His most memorable match was his first Thistle SFL encounter with Celtic at Firhill on 21 March 1966 when the Jags got a 2-2 draw. Arthur scored that day, excellent stuff for the 18-year-old. A newspaper report started “Celtic, odds-on favourites at Firhill Park, were somewhat lucky to with a point after a thrilling game in which Partick Thistle astonished friend and foe with an exhilarating game…” A crowd of over 25,000 watched this contest. Over the seasons he was at Firhill Arthur was a regular contributor to the scoring charts, not to mention his assists. He left for Hibs in January 1970, with the Jags receiving a £35,000 transfer fee. His final match for Thistle was a 3-1 defeat away to Rangers, and the player clocked up more than 160 first team appearances, with more than 40 goals.

Arthur became a firm Easter Road favourite, and between 1969-70 to 1983-84 he made a (at that time) record 446 league appearances. In the summer of '71, Eddie Turnbull became the club’s manager, and built a very competitive side, doing the double of Dryburgh Cup & League Cup in 1972, and again winning the Dryburgh Cup in 1973. Hibs’ fans remember well his 2 goals in their New Year’s Day 1973 7-0 league victory against Hearts at Tynecastle. Adding to his medals, 6 caps in 5 months was the wham-bam international story for Arthur in 1975, with 3 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat on his record, spoiled only by THAT game at Wembley in May 1975. We fancied we could win the Home Championship that day too, but didn't factor in an abysmal performance from Stewart Kennedy of Rangers in 'ceding 5; Wembley was the graveyard of his international career.

Arthur's last involvement as a full internationalist came in the qualification campaign for the Yugoslavia Euros '76. Scotland were always on the back foot after losing the opener at home to Spain, but made a fist of it. Arthur appeared in the 1-1 draw away to Romania in June '75, and also in the crucial 1-0 win away to Denmark in September '75, when Joe Harper's goal kept the dream alive. Incidentally, this was the game that was marred by an incident afterwards where five players got involved in a Copenhagen nightclub fracas, but our Arthur had the good sense to steer well clear. Despite this, it still proved to be his last game in the dark blue, although he did go on to win representative honours as a Scottish League player in 1976-77.

Arthur left Hibs in 1984, and joined Meadowbank Thistle for 3 seasons. His footballing career ended when he broke his collarbone in an East of Scotland Shield match. Arthur had qualified as a chiropodist early in his football career, and when the injury called time on his playing career, he became the Meadowbank physiotherapist. He also had a private practice as a chiropodist. In 2009 Arthur and his wife left for New Zealand to join their son and his family, who had emigrated there earlier.

Arthur is included in our feature piece, The Definitive Who's Who Of The Partick Thistle Internationalists →

1966 - GLASGOW CUP

1969 - GLASGOW CUP