You Couldn't Make It Up!

by Jack Little

Evidence that football was still very much in its infancy in the 1880s can be found in several match reports. A friendly against Hibs in November 1882 saw Thistle claim Hibs' 2nd goal was due to differing interpretation of the off-side laws between Edinburgh and Glasgow referees. The following month saw Thistle play their "glamour" friendly against Blackburn Olympic. The first half saw English-style throw-ins being used whereby the ball was thrown in with only one hand. This match was played in defiance of an SFA ruling. Queen's Park had been told to fulfil a Scottish Cup fixture and 3 clubs, including Thistle, were told to cancel their friendly matches against English opposition as a result. Thistle's went ahead anyway.

Publishing date An original Thistle Archive publication, 07-Sep-2020.
Latest edit date Latest edit version 02-Jun-2020.

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