The Thistle Archive

John went from school to Chelsea, where he played for the reserve team for a couple of times during his three years at the club. He was on Chelsea’s books from 1968 to 1970. He transferred to Aberdeen where he made 18 senior team appearances from 1972 to 1975, after a successful season in the reserve side. He joined Thistle in the spring of 1975, as he craved more first team exposure. John joined the club on 15th March 1975 (1974/75 season) and made his maiden first team appearance 4 days later, in a Glasgow Cup tie at Celtic Park. Thistle lost out 1-0 to a Danny McGrain goal. He played in a further half-dozen league matches before the end of the season. At the end of the 1974/75 there was major change in the Scottish Football League, with the creation of the Premier League. As Thistle had finished 13th in the old 1st Division, they fell short of the hurdle to join the new 10 team Premier League, and as such joined the new 14 team 1st Division. In the 1975/76 season he achieved his wish for more senior football, as he appeared in all of the 1st Division League matches, and was almost ever present in the team’s other competitive competitions that season. He only missed one match, in the newly created (but ill-feted) Spring Cup against Meadowbank Thistle. The club were beaten by Celtic in the semi-final of the League Cup, and won the 1st Division title.

The following 1976/77 season saw John ever present in Thistle’s League Cup campaign, where the Jags went out at the end of the initial 4 team section. He only missed 5 of the 36 match League, with Thistle finishing 5th in the 10 team League. Very good for a newly promoted team. John missed 2 of the 6 matches in the Anglo Scottish Cup, with Thistle exiting against Orient at the semi-final stage. In the 1977/78 season John Thistle finished up in 7th position in the League, with John missing half-a-dozen matches. He was ever present in the Scottish Cup where the Jags got to the semi-final, where they lost to John’s old club Aberdeen at Hampden Park. John left Thistle in September of the following season, with the player having made over 140 competitive first team appearances for the club. John, along with Denis McQuade went east to join Hearts, with Donald Park moving west to join Thistle. His stint with Hearts wasn’t that successful, with irregular 1st team appearances, and Hearts were relegated from the Premier League that season. He moved on to Morton, and then Highland League team Keith before retiring as a player.

John’s brother Tommy, a Scotland international player also played for Aberdeen. In John’s obituary in “The Scotsman” it was reported that he suffered a heart attack while watching a Celtic v Rangers League match on television in Tenerife. He was 52 years old, and was survived by his wife Frances and their 2 children.

1976 - SFL FIRST DIVISION