The Thistle Archive

In the 2nd January 1971 edition of the Evening Times, many Thistle fans got their first introduction to up and coming youngster Archie Lochrie:

The “MORECAMBE & WISE” of junior football — that's what Bob Wood, the Cumbernauld United team manager calls forwards Archie Lochrie and Davie Brown! Bob tells me that the comic patter of Archie and Davie is tremendous. He could make it a Happy New Year for the new-town team on the financial side by selling them to the London Palladium instead of senior clubs. Archie is provisionally signed for Partick Thistle. Davie joined United recently with a free transfer from Johnstone Burgh. They were team-mates with amateur club Sighthill and became great pals.

The 18-year-old was an early fans favourite at Cumbernauld, where they quickly named him “Jinky”, recognising his Jimmy-Johnstone-like attributes which made life difficult for full backs. He was just breaking through at United when Partick Thistle signed him on a provisional contract in August 1970. Under the arrangement, the “sharp moving outside left” remained with United for the 1970-71 season (scoring plenty of goals) before being drafted in to the Thistle Reserves for season 1971-72 where (according to the PT handbook) he played 37 times (including friendlies), scoring 6 goals. There was a glorious end to the season when Thistle defeated Dunfermline Athletic (3-0 on aggregate) to lift the Scottish Cup. Archie won the penalty which sealed the comfortable margin of victory at Firhill.

His reward for a fine season was to be included with the first team squad which travelled for the May '72 tour of the Far East, touching down in Malaysia, Indonesia and Greece. That summer, Thistle paid £250 to United to officially complete the transfer under professional terms. Archie scored 7 goals for the reserves in 1972-73 and, in March of that season, just days after turning 21, he made his first team debut as a late sub in a midweek 0-3 league loss at home to Dundee United. It wasn't the best environment to be coming into as, just a few days earlier, Thistle had exited the Scottish Cup at the Quarter Final stage thanks to a shocking 1-5 loss at home to Ayr United. The youngster appeared twice more the following season, a narrow 0-1 loss at home to Rangers in September 1973 followed by a 2-1 win at home to Dundee United in April 1974.

Archie's greatest achievements as a Jag came in the reserves who were always at the higher end of the league tables during his time. Following on from his Scottish Cup winners medal of '72, Archie added the League Cup in May '74 (scoring a crucial goal in the final second leg at Bayview) as well as another Scottish Cup win in April '75 (again scoring a crucial goal in the second leg of the final at home to Dundee). Despite all of this, he got few chances under Davie McParland and none at all under Bertie Auld and was granted a free transfer in the summer of 1975 when he made the switch to Queen of the South. In what was a disastrous debut (in team terms) the Doonhamers lost 1-7 at home to Airdrie! Just two weeks later (27th September 1975) we did see Archie back at Firhill resulting in a more respectable scoreline; Partick Thistle 2 Queen of the South 1. However, that turned out to be his last league game for Queens and his footballing career from thereon was played out in the junior game. Archie was involved in two Scottish Junior Cup finals but had to settle for silver medals on both occasions. After winning the semi final at Firhill (2-0 vs. Shettleston), Kirkintilloch Rob Roy lost the '77 final, 1-3 to Kilbirnie Ladeside in front of 11,476 at Hampden. Similarly, he had no luck in the 1981 final in front of 13,518 at Hampden; Pollok 1 Arthurlie 0.