| J. McKay [i] |
 J. McKay (forename unknown) was probably born in Scotland, although his place and date of birth remain unknown to us. * The forward probably joined Thistle in 1879 or 1880. He made his only-known appearance on Saturday, 23rd October, 1880, in a 3-0 defeat away to Rangers in the Scottish Cup. There were no goals for McKay in his only known appearance for Thistle. His known club-list included only Partick Thistle. We don't know where or when McKay died. *
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 Information is sparse on J. McKay, whose only-known game as a Jag was a huge affair at the time. Season 1880-81 was an important one for Partick Thistle FC. In the summer of 1880, having secured their own private grounds at Jordanvale, the club applied to the Scottish Football Association for membership which was duly granted, and participation in the Scottish Cup for the first time was assured. McKay was listed at #7 for the second round tie at Kinning Park, home to Rangers. Thistle's club-record crowd of 1,000 was set - but the 3-0 loss highlighted the gap which existed between Thistle and the top teams in the country. “It was pretty clear from the beginning of the game that the Partick Thistle would not be able to compete against their swift opponents. Nevertheless they played a good game” said the Glasgow Herald. Having played in Thistle's biggest game in their short history, it stands to reason that McKay probably featured before and after the Rangers game. It's likely, for example, that he featured in Thistle's first-ever Scottish Cup tie at Jordanhill early in October 1880, just three weeks before the Rangers game in which he was quoted. As ever, we remain on alert for further clues. |
| (WS/AFK) |
