cinch Championship
Sat 31 July, 2021. Kick Off: - 15:00
Firhill Stadium
Match Sponsors
Ticket information
All Partick Thistle season ticket holders will be able to attend this Saturday’s match.
There will be no general sale tickets are available for home or away supporters.
For more information regarding ticketing, entry and seating at this fixture, CLICK HERE.
Entry Time Slots
Please attend Firhill in the time slot designated below.
Live Stream
We’ll be providing a livestream of the game which can be watched with a PPV pass, priced at £12. You can buy yours HERE.
Our coverage will begin at 2:30pm and will take you through the full 90 minutes of action from Maryhill.
We recommend logging in early to avoid issues.
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Season Ticket Holders affected by COVID-19
Any season ticket holder who is due to be self-isolating on Saturday, or who develops Covid-19 symptoms between now and matchday should not attend Saturday’s fixture. In this event, please contact to update us. We will de-activate your season card for this fixture and provide access to the live stream of the match.
Audio Commentary
Our JagZoneLIVE show will also be available to listen to with the build-up getting started at 2:30pm. The commentary team will bring you audio coverage of the full 90 minutes.
JagZone subscribers can listen in by clicking HERE ahead of kick-off.
In-Game Updates
There will be the usual in-depth text commentary available here on ptfc.co.uk
Live updates will also be available on our Twitter page throughout the game.
Match Programme
A match programme has not been produced for this fixture
50/50 Draw
You can enter our digital 50/50 draw by purchasing tickets online.
Tickets cost £1 each to enter.
Entries will close at 3:30pm on Saturday 31st July 2021.
No physical 50/50 tickets will be available to purchase at the stadium. Please ask a member of our team for help if you need assistance to purchase a digital 50/50 ticket within Firhill.
Post-Match
Following the game, we’ll have reaction from the Thistle camp available to watch on JagZone.
There will also be match highlights and a full game replay on JagZone later.
The management team’s written previews and reactions are presented by The Jags Trust. You can keep up to date with the latest from The Jags Trust by visiting their website, www.jagstrust.com.
Just over three months on from their League One title triumph, Partick Thistle are back in league action this weekend as Queen of the South visit Firhill. The Jags will be looking to get off to a winning start as they begin their Championship journey for 2021/22 against Allan Johnston’s Doonhamers. The Dumfries side were most recently in Maryhill last March when a goalless stalemate was contested a couple of weeks before the country was sent into lockdown. Thistle manager Ian McCall spoke to ptfc.co.uk ahead of the big kick-off:
“Every game you play in the Championship is tough and we know this will be a real test. I went down to Palmerston last weekend and watched their game against Airdrieonians; they were excellent in that game. Allan and Sandy have done a good job there.
“We’ll have a good number of our fans in and as the home side the onus is on us to come out and be exciting and look to score some goals but at the same time there’s no doubting that they have the ability to cause us lots of problems too so it should make for a good game.”
Those fans mentioned by McCall are the Jags’ season ticket holders who will be able to attend the match and the gaffer was greeted by the good news that we’ve surpassed 2000 season tickets sold this week.
“It’s an absolutely fantastic effort by everyone. I set that target before we’d sold any so to make it all the way to 2000 is terrific for the club as a whole. I’ll be phoning the 2000th buyer soon to arrange a gift that’s going their way as a special thanks as well.
“I think it’s a sign of a togetherness at the club that we’ve not had for quite a while now. That run we had at the end of the season was just so enjoyable and that seems to have captured the imagination of the support.
“I can’t honestly say it surprised me though because we’ve got a great fan base who have just been through a lot these past three or four years. We’re now moving in the right direction and that’s why next season the target will be a bit higher.”
Looking towards the new league term, Ian said that the target has to be making the promotion play-offs for his side although he knows they won’t be the only team with that aim.
“I think if the other nine managers in the division were all sitting here with me, they’d say the exact same thing about looking to get into that top four. It’s one of the best things about the Championship – the fact that just about any team in the league can end up in those play-offs with a shot at getting to the Premiership.”
There are two new signings in contention for a debut in tomorrow’s game with Lewis Mayo and Cammy Smith set to appear in the squad for the first time this season and the manager is excited about both players.
“They’re two guys who I’m very pleased to have here. They’re really good players and good characters as well which is something I think is important. We knew we needed to add numbers but with Lewis and Cammy, we’ve added more quality as well.
“For Cammy, he’s someone who gives us options going forward. He can play as a number 10 in behind one or two strikers, he can play off the left and if we play a midfield three he can play in there.
“Lewis Mayo is another player who can cover a few positions. He’s played centre-half, right-back and central midfield but that can be a good thing and a bad thing for young players. For us, I see him playing as a centre-half and I think that’s what he’d like too. That’s not to say he won’t have to cover other positions if needs be but all being well we see him playing central defence.”
To finish, McCall updated us on team news ahead of the weekend’s fixture.
“It’s looking like we’ll be able to name a full bench for the game tomorrow which is great. We hope to have Scott Tiffoney back; he trained yesterday after missing the game last week so he should be in the squad. Kevin Holt had a knock but we expect him to be fit to play as well.”
Exclusive video interviews with Ross Docherty and Thistle assistant manager Alan Archibald will be available for JagZone subscribers to watch today – log in to view.
JagZone subscribers will be able to tune in to live audio commentary for our clash with Queen of the South, starting at 2:30pm – click here to tune in.
There will also be a pay-per-view option, priced at £12, for any supporter who wishes to watch our live stream of the match – click here for more info.
We’ll have extended highlights and a full game replay of the fixture on JagZone following the game.
Article Copyright © 2021. Permission to use quotations from this article online is only granted subject to appropriate source credit and hyperlink to ptfc.co.uk.
Partick Thistle got their 2021/22 cinch Championship season underway against Queen of the South this afternoon at Firhill. The Jags came into the game off the back of a 2-0 defeat to St. Mirren in their final Premier Sports Cup group stage game while the visiting Doonhamers beat Airdrieonians 4-1 in their final group fixture.
There were two changes to the side which started at the SMiSA Stadium the previous weekend. Firstly, Jamie Sneddon returned to the line-up in place of Harry Stone after the two goalkeeper’s had split the four Premier Sports Cup group games. New loan signing Lewis Mayo also came into the starting XI, replacing Ross MacIver to make his second debut for Thistle.
Following a pre-season schedule when numbers were often light for the Jags, Ian McCall was able to name a stronger bench as the league got underway. Scott Tiffoney, who was rested for the match against St. Mirren, returned to take a place on the bench and Cammy Smith came into the squad for the first time since signing for the club.
A game which began relatively slowly burst into life when Queen of the South hit the front after 10 minutes. A period on sustained possession for the away side got the ball out to the experienced Willie Gibson on the left flank. He evaded the challenge of Ross Docherty before moving away from Ciaran McKenna, onto his right foot, unleashing a powerful strike towards goal which dipped and moved, beating Jamie Sneddon to give Queens an early lead.
The setback asked an early question of the Thistle side’s character and that question was answered emphatically just five minutes after Gibson broke the deadlock. A McKenna long throw was partially cleared by the visitors but Stuart Bannigan was able to bring the ball down ten yards outside the box. He fed a low ball into Zak Rudden’s feet who then stood a cross up to the back post. Attacking it was Brian Graham who was the team’s top league scorer last season and he was able to get his 21/22 tally started by knocking the ball into the back of the net, rising above Willie Gibson to do so.
Allan Johnston’s side almost produced a quick response of their own in the 21st minute as Roberto Nditi won the ball on the half-way line. He powered forward and fed a pass through to Ally Roy in the box, however, the former Jag’s low shot was comfortably turned away by Sneddon who used his feet to make the save.
Thistle then took the lead as Brian Graham doubled his takings for the afternoon. Again, Zak Rudden was at the centre of things as the number 10 received the ball on the left wing and cut back onto his right side to deliver a cross. He picked out Ciaran McKenna on the far side of the box who saw a powerful header turned onto the post by Queens ‘keeper Joshua Rae, however, the rebound fell to Graham who poked the ball home before Rae could get a hold of it.
The Jags almost gifted Queen of the South an equaliser eight minutes into the second half when Steven Bell’s short back pass put Jamie Sneddon under pressure. The goalkeeper’s clearance was deflected and fell into the path of Ally Roy who had a near-open goal to aim at but his effort was scuffed and therefore collected by the recovering Sneddon.
Two minutes after that nervy moment, Thistle thought they’d put some daylight between them and the Doonhamers only to be denied by a delayed offside call. The ball fell to Brian Graham in the box and the number nine tried to fire goalwards but it was deflected away. Ciaran McKenna was able to keep the play alive by heading back into the centre of the box where Kyle Turner applied the finishing touch on the volley. Turner ran away celebrating what he thought was his first competitive goal for the club but, after some deliberation with his assistant, referee Greg Aitken chalked the goal off for an offside on McKenna’s part.
The away side continued to press and probe and eventually they found a leveller with just over 15 minutes left to play. After a sequence of corners, one finally paid dividends when Lee Connelly’s delivery to the front post was met by Ruari Paton. The former Stranraer man guided a wonderful header across goal into the far corner, just too high for Richard Foster to get a touch on.
The Dumfries side very nearly found a go-ahead goal with 81 minutes on the clock. Roberto Nditi stepped out of defence and drove into the Thistle half. The former Forfar defender wasn’t pressed quickly and, having caught sight of the goal, he tried a shot from 20 yards. Fortunately for the hosts, his rifled effort flew just over the bar.
Thistle then had a chance of their own to grab a winner and they were able to take theirs. A Richard Foster cross into the box was headed away as far as Stuart Bannigan who lifted the ball back into the danger area. Ciaran McKenna was able to win his aerial duel and flick the ball on to Scott Tiffoney who found himself just outside the six-yard box in space. The former Livingston man struck the ball on the volley and beat Joshua Rae with a low, powerful drive before reeling off to celebrate in front of the delirious Jags fans at the south end of the Jackie Husband Stand.
The Maryhill men saw the game out to secure their first league opening day win since 2016. Next up for them is a trip to face Dunfermline Athletic at East End Park next Saturday.
The management team’s written previews and reactions are presented by The Jags Trust. You can keep up to date with the latest from The Jags Trust by visiting their website, www.jagstrust.com.
It was a winning start to the new cinch Championship season for Partick Thistle as they defeated Queen of the South this afternoon. The Jags fought back after conceding early on to head into the break 2-1 up courtesy of a Brian Graham brace. The visitors levelled things within the last 20 minutes through Ruari Paton, however, the Maryhill men were not to be denied as Scott Tiffoney struck late to secure a big three points for the hosts. Jags gaffer Ian McCall spoke to ptfc.co.uk after a rollercoaster of a game:
“I actually thought we were pretty poor today and Queens were better than us but it’s a great result for us. We’re still searching for the right shape and we’re still a couple of players light but Tiff comes on and does the business for us so we’re delighted.”
An early setback in the form of a Willie Gibson goal after 15 minutes had Thistle on the backfoot momentarily but McCall was pleased to see his side bounce back with character in a way he knows they can.
“This is a team who showed last season that they can come back when they get knocked down, I can’t question them in that regard. The guys who we’ve added have that in them too, for example Holt and Mayo both defended well in that second half. At the end of the day, we got the result although we feel there’s plenty of improvements to be made.”
The manager expanded on his feelings about the team’s performance, emphasising his high hopes for this group of players.
“We’ve got the ability to play better than we did today without a doubt but it’ll take a bit more time. As I’ve said, we’re still searching for the right formation for our players and hopefully we can find it soon. We’ve got a game next Saturday then we’ve got two weeks before the next match so that’ll give us a bit of time to work on different things with the team which will be useful for us.”
We welcomed over 2000 Thistle season ticket holders into the ground for today’s league opener and the manager says he thoroughly enjoyed having so many fans in supporting the team.
“It was a great day overall. Having the flag ceremony and so many supporters back in made for a great atmosphere but it almost felt like we were set up to fail but I’m very glad we were able to give the fans a win today.”
Finally, he paid specific tribute to Brian Graham and Zak Rudden who were central to Thistle’s two first half goals with the former scoring them both, taking his tally to six for the season.
“Zak was fantastic for us and he covered a huge amount of ground while he was on the pitch. We brought him off just to add a bit of freshness towards the end of the game but what he offered while he was on was invaluable with the two crosses for our goals and the way he stretched their defence.
“As for Brian, he gave absolutely everything out there. He’s in excellent form at the moment which is just a continuation of how he ended last season and long may it continue.”
Further reaction from Thistle manager Ian McCall and Brian Graham is available for JagZone subscribers to watch – log in to view.
We’ll also have extended highlights and a full game replay of today’s match on JagZone tonight.
Article Copyright © 2021. Permission to use quotations from this article online is only granted subject to appropriate source credit and hyperlink to ptfc.co.uk.
Sat 31 July, 2021
cinch Championship 
Firhill Stadium
It's a five goal thriller as Thistle return to the Championship with a 3-2 win over Queen of the South the side sitting just above Thistle when Covid ended season 2019-2020.
Queens will consider themselves unfortunate to have emerged from the game empty handed opening the scoring through Gibson after 9 minutes.
Thistle had barely threatened up to Brian Graham's 15th minute equaliser and the same player put Thistle in front 14 minutes later. A lead Thistle held at the break.
Thistle looked set to denied a winning return to Championbship football when after a series of corners Paton headed a deserved equaliser with 17 minutes remaining after a series of corners.
Scott Tiffoney though came off the bench to grab a 84th minute winner send the 1,534 Thistle fans present home very happy.
Graham cuts into the box and lashes a shot high and wide of goal.
Into the first minute of injury time.
Graham drills a low shot into the net but the whistle had already gone for Graham's trip on a defender at the edge of the box.
Nditi twists and turns his way towards the Thistle goal but eventually runs out of room and takes the ball out for a goal kick.
This time Tiffoney is there to apply the finish himself when the ball falls to him 12 yards and the substitute fires home.
Tiffoney's first serious part of the action sees him nearly create the opening for a goal but he can't find any takers to his chipped cross across the 6 yard box.
Crowd: 1,534
Mayo is close to restoring the Thistle lead with a shot that is deflected just wide for a corner.
Graham does well to hold off Chima and earns his side a free kick half way inside th Queens half.
Nditi reads a flick forward and from the edge of the box flashes a shot over Sneddon's crossbar.
Graham is able to lift a cross across the face of the Queens goal but not team mate is able to read his intent and the ball drifts away from goal.
Queens pressure eventually brings a reward as Paton escapes his marker to find the net with a header that Foster can't prevent from finding the net at the back post.
Paton is able to get a glancing header to Connelly's corner but it doesn't trouble the Thistle goal.
After a bit of pressure, but no clear sight of goal for Queens, Thistle clear the corner.
It's Bannigan again with the Thistle corner and it is aimed deep for Holt again. The ball is partially cleared and Docherty has a chance for a shot which is blocked.
Holt is involved at the other end with a perfectly timed, and much need, challenge on Paton.
Bannigan takes the corner and although Holt does manage to get a touch to it it is well defended.
Thistle have the ball in the net for a third goal. Turner puts the ball in as Queens, and just about the whole crowd, wait for an offside flag that doesn't come. The goal music is played before the referee consults with his assistant and the goal is disallowed. the correct decision but a round about way of getting to it leaving those that provide match updates frantically searching for the Delete button. .
Thistle nearly present Queens with a gift an equaliser but Roy fails to take advantage with almost the whole goal to aim at and Sneddon makes a save that he really shouldn't have had a chance of making.
It's an easy catch for Sneddon from Connelly's poor coner.
Just a hint of a chance for Graham as the ball falls into his path inside the box but a defender is quickly across to block.
It's been an eventful first 45 minutes with Thistle leading 2-1 at the break after falling behind early on but two Brian Graham strikes have The Jags ahead at the interval even if it can be debated that they don't deserve to be.
Queens work a short corner and when the ball does comes over Sneddon is there to punch clear.
Thistle are in a dangerous position on the right with McKenna but as he crosses the referee pulls back play for an earlier foul from Rudden.
Turner tries to find McKenna at the back post with the free kick but it is well defended.
Roy's foul on Bannigan earns him a yellow card and Thistle a free kick wide on the left.
There is a flutter of anxiety inside the Thistle box as Gibson's free kick comes over but the flag goes up for offside.
Queens have a free kick near the left hand corner of the Thistle box.
Roy has the ball inside the Thistle box. Mayo does well to force him slightly to his left and off balance Roy sends his shot wide of target.
There getting further and further out for Graham. This one might be six inches out. Rudden lifts a cross across the face of goal. McKenna is unlucky not to see his header find the net but Graham is there to poke home his 6th goal of the season.
The referee spots a push as the corner comes over and Thistle have a free kick.
Another chance for Queens through the skills of Gibson. He crosses to the back post but Paton can't find either the pace of direction with his header to beat Sneddon.
Thistle are still looking far from secure at the back and Roy has a chance to regain the lead for Queens but he is denied by the legs of Sneddon.
A perfectly timed challenge from Mayo gets the ball away from the advancing Connelly and Thistle quick launch a counter attack with Rodden down the right but he can't find Graham with his cross.
Foster is able to get into a good position wide on the left but the flag goes up for offside.
Thistle haven't got going in this game at all but out of the blue they are level with their first effort on goal. It's almost inevitably Brian Graham that scores the goal heading home from almost right on the goal line.
Queens good start to the game is rewarded with an early goal and it is a top quality strike. Gibson totally outwits Docherty before advancing to the edge of the box where his swerving effort beats Sneddon and finds the net.
McKenna gets just enough of a head to the ball to clear the initial danger from the corner,
It's Queens that have had the better of the early exchanges and Connelly's cross is headed behind for another corner.
Docherty clears Connelly's corner at the front post. Queens retain possession of the ball though and Thistle are still under some pressure until the flag goes up for offside as McKay crosses from the right.
A cross comes over from the left but Sneddon is sharp off his line to make a confident catch.
Connelly sees a shot blocked as Queens win a throw near the corner flag.
Last season, in tying and often surreal circumstances, Thistle fought to achieve a place in 2021-2022 cinch Championship.
The celebrations of last season's title win have long since died down and the trophy is safely in the Club trophy cabinet but it is today, the start of the league season, that Thistle truly receive the reward for last season's endeavours.
Queen of the South are are league opening day opponents and the Thistle starring eleven shows two changes for the side that started against St Mirren last weekend.
Jamie Sneddon gets the nod to start the league campaign in goal while Lewis Mayo, on loan from Rangers, is drafted straight into the team to make his Thistle debut second time around.