The fall of Third Lanark

Have read Michael McEwans book “ The ghosts of Cathkin Park. Found it to be interesting. Pity that Mr McEwan didn’t conceal that he doesn’t like Rangers.
 
Demise of Thirds seemed to go under the radar in 1967 with Scotland beating the "World Champions" and us and them doing well in Europe!
 
Always fascinates me that stories of this nature - wee teams or teams from the past - are always illustrated with “scoring against Rangers”.
I suppose I should see it as a compliment.
Wouldn’t class Third Lanark as a wee team. They had some decent teams over the years and some very good players. Their demise was an absolute crime. BBC Alba had an excellent programme about them recently. Might still be on catch up.
 
There's a famous picture of the main exit gates at Cathkin being forced open due to the crush of the fans. Right at the front is a picture of my dad. It was in the papers on the Monday after the match. My mother was raging at my dad.
 
Wouldn’t class Third Lanark as a wee team. They had some decent teams over the years and some very good players. Their demise was an absolute crime. BBC Alba had an excellent programme about them recently. Might still be on catch up.
Thought “ or teams from the past” might have applied In this case.
I was, once, taken to see the Hi Hi at Cathkin by an Uncle who was both Rangers and football mad, if two kids were playing neediest he’d have paid to get in.
I was a bit more pragmatic and pissed off at mission, I think, Wagon Train.
Come to think of it, it might have been a ploy to give my Mum and Dad a bit of, ahem, time to themselves..
 
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Have read Michael McEwans book “ The ghosts of Cathkin Park. Found it to be interesting. Pity that Mr McEwan didn’t conceal that he doesn’t like Rangers.

It's a good book but there's way too much about Lisbon and their 1966/67 season in it (and, to a lesser extent Nuremberg and Wembley). I get he's trying to compare Third's downfall with the succeses or otherwise in the rest of Scottish football but there's pages and pages of it and it gets tiring. It's still a well written book but instead of a five-star rating it only gets a four from me for that reason.
 
The late Bob Laird was there unofficial historian. The work he put into documenting the history of the club was mind blowing. Not sure what happened to his work after he died. I heard it may have been donated to the Hampden museum.
 
They must have had interesting origins, with their full name being the Third Lanarkshire Volunteer Rifles.
 
Guy I worked with and stays next to auld yins scored the last league goal for Queen of the South at Cathkin Park.
 
Went to a couple of their games in the 60s when they had a good team, Hilley, Harley etc. I seem to recall we bought a full back from them near the end and the guy never played in our first team. Handout possibly?
 
My grandfather took me along to a couple of Thirds games in the mid 60’s as a small boy considered too young to be allowed to go to Ibrox. They attracted a decent following in those days. Can still remember the entire layout of the ground.
 
Went to a couple of their games in the 60s when they had a good team, Hilley, Harley etc. I seem to recall we bought a full back from them near the end and the guy never played in our first team. Handout possibly?
Good fellow, Hilley Harley, Gray and Mcinnes. Was some fwd line.
jocky Robertson one of the smallest goalies ever.
Think Hilley and Harley went to Man City and Arsenal.
 
Good fellow, Hilley Harley, Gray and Mcinnes. Was some fwd line.
jocky Robertson one of the smallest goalies ever.
Think Hilley and Harley went to Man City and Arsenal.
Believe Hilley went to Newcastle and Gray to Man.City. Not sure about Harley.

Jocky Robertson was an amazing keeper for his size - couldn't have been more than 5'8!
Recall he would frequently dislocate a finger and trainer would run on and fix it and Jocky would play on! Not like spoiled prima donnas today!
 
Was in Cathkin park once in 1965 when I was 12, I'm sure we won 1-0, it was your typical Scottish stadium with terracing and small narrow stand that ran the length of the park, there was a covered enclosure opposite the stand.
I remember going to have a look at it when we played in 1972 SCF and it was still intact although derelict with the playing field knee high with grass
 
Believe Hilley went to Newcastle and Gray to Man.City. Not sure about Harley.

Jocky Robertson was an amazing keeper for his size - couldn't have been more than 5'8!
Recall he would frequently dislocate a finger and trainer would run on and fix it and Jocky would play on! Not like spoiled prima donnas today!
Cheers hi hi.
Harley to city, as you said, Hilley to the toon.
Matt Gray to city for Scottish record of £30,001.
Hilliey had been £30,000
 
Took my boy there about 6 years ago. It was such an eery but special experience. To think thousands stood on those stands to watch their favourite team whoever they might be, with absolute no doubt some of my ancestors - while my son was free to roam about on the pitch.

Something that will live with me forever.

It'll be gone one day. Prime location so it'll be replaced with flats at some point.
 
What are the chances of a proper Third's resurrection? You know, like in AFC Wimbledon style, with an eventual promotion to the senior leagues?

It would be an amazing story.
 
Waited many a time outside the pavilion for autographs as a boy!
Old dear through them out along with old programmes!
They included Real Madrid Euro Final at Hampden and countless others -would be worth a few bob on e-bay etc!
 
Toward the end they were rigging the half time draw to save paying out the cash.
Doug Baillie's first job at each match was to kick the new ball out the ground so that the old ball could be used and the new ball saved for the following match.
 
Guy I worked with and stays next to auld yins scored the last league goal for Queen of the South at Cathkin Park.
I see Drew Busby who scored there last ever goal quite often.
He has The Waverly in Dumbarton and lives in Alexandria
 
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