Joe Ramsay
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Joe Ramsay
Joe Ramsay
● Joe Ramsay, 1924 (HA)

born in Scotland

Joseph Ramsay was born on Friday, 29th March, 1901, in Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire.

The 5' 9½ (12st 0lbs) goalkeeper signed for George Easton's Thistle on Friday, 28th December, 1923, having most recently been with Petershill.

Aged 22, he made his debut appearance on Tuesday, 12th February, 1924, in a 2-1 defeat at home to St Mirren in the SFL First Division.

Joe kept his first clean-sheet on Saturday, 29th March, 1924, in a 1-0 win at home to Aberdeen in the SFL First Division.

He registered the last of his 15 clean-sheets on Saturday, 27th February, 1926, in a 2-0 win at home to Dundee United in the SFL First Division.

He played his last game for the club on Saturday, 27th March, 1926, in a 3-3 draw at home to Morton in the SFL First Division, having appeared as a Jag on 100 occasions.

His club-list included Petershill, Partick Thistle, Crystal Palace and Arbroath.

Joe died in 1975, in Glasgow, aged 73 or 74. *

* If you can help us to improve any of these marked points on The Thistle Archive, then please do get in touch →

Bio Extra

Born the son of Joseph Ramsay and Jessie Ramsay (née Kilday), and one of several siblings.

Joe was working as a furnaceman when he enlisted into the RAF in May 1918, just after turning 17. He married in 1931. In his footballing career, there were many memorable moments as a Jag.

Joe was in goals for Tom Crichton's benefit, as Liverpool FC, 4 times champions of England, most recently in 1923, were defeated 4-1 at Firhill (29-Apr-1924). Just a couple of weeks later, he picked up a winners medal as Jags defeated King's Park to lift the Stirling Charity Cup (14-May-1924). He was in goals for two victories at Celtic Park; a 2-1 League success (29-Nov-1924) and another 2-1 win in the Glasgow Charity Cup (02-May-1925). Brilliantly, he completed the Old Firm double, playing a big part in a 2-0 Firhill League win over Rangers (10-Oct-1925). After spells with Crystal Palace and Arbroath, Joe returned to Glasgow for the start of season 1927-28, but future internationalist Johnny Jackson was, by now, an immovable object between the sticks, and Joe had to content himself with appearances in the second eleven.

The Dundee Courier of Wed-23-Mar-1927 ran a hilarious story under the headline ARBROATH FOOTBALLER STOPS A RUNAWAY: “Mr Joe Ramsay, Arbroath Football Club’s well-known goalkeeper, performed a daring act in bringing to a standstill a runaway horse. The animal, yoked to a fish lorry, made off from the foot of High Street, and, galloping along that thoroughfare, turned into Commerce Street. As the runaway was passing over the Brothock Bridge, Ramsay made a leap onto the lorry, and then jumped onto the back of the horse, secured a hold of the reins, and brought the animal to a standstill.

Weel done Joe, a derring-do!

On account of his service during WWI, Joe is included in our feature piece, The Partick Thistle returned →.

(WS/BIM/JK)



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