Betfred Cup
Sat 14 July, 2018. Kick Off: - 15:00
Ochilview Park, Stenhousemuir
Fixture Information:
Admission Details:
This fixture is a PAY AT THE GATE fixture
Prices:
Adults – £12
Concessions – £6
A concession is qualified as a person under 18, over 65 or a student with a valid matriculation card.
Tickets for disabled supporters cost £6 and include a carer if required. If any disabled supporters require car parking please contact
Wheelchair users can watch the match from the front of their main stand, cover is limited if wet.
Supporters’ Buses:
City Centre Branch:
Pick ups:
Q Club – 11:50
Station Bar – 12:00
Non members welcome.
Please call 07979496154 or email to book.
John Lambie Jordanhill Branch:
Pick ups:
Jordanhill Station – 13:30
Thornwood Bar – 13:35
Prices:
£14 for adults
£8 for concessions
All Jags fans are welcome but booking is essential.
For seats please contact Alistair on 07817612563 or email
For general enquires please contact Iain on 07779668357 or email
Membership Information:
Membership of the John Lambie Jordanhill Supporters bus is available for all Championship games. Indeed it is advisable as considerable savings are made as compared with paying for each game as it comes.
Membership prices are as follows.
Adults £200
Concessions (senior citizens, students and school pupils) £115.
Parent and child £240
Payments can be a one-off transaction or by instalments(as long as the full amount is paid by the end of the season)
North-West Branch:
Pick ups:
Milngavie Station – 13:00
Esquire House – 13:20
Maryhill Community Halls – 13:35
Non-Members fares:
£12 for adults.
£7.50 for concessions.
To reserve seats, please e-mail or call 0141 632 3604 before 9:00 pm.
Membership Information:
The annual cost for membership on the North-West Branch will be:
Full Adult Membership: £270.00
Concession Membership: £150:00
(School aged children, unwaged adults, senior citizens & matriculated students)
As before, both levels of Membership entitle you to:
Your membership may be paid in a lump sum at the start of the season or by regular payments, to suit your budget, throughout the season.
Competitive football is almost here with Partick Thistle’s Betfred Cup opener at Ochilview tomorrow marking the beginning of the 2018/19 season. A summer of rebuilding has proved tough work for the management staff at Thistle but seven new faces and a list of exciting retained players mean the Jags are almost ready for the new campaign. With a tough group including Greenock Morton and League One winners, Ayr United, there is no doubt that this year’s group stage will be a tough one for the Maryhill men but that doesn’t mean the squad isn’t looking forward to it. Thistle gaffer, Alan Archibald, spoke to ptfc.co.uk ahead of this weekend’s trip to Stenhousemuir.
Alan began by telling us that there is a feeling of excitement in the squad ahead of the first Betfred Cup game with the disappointment of last season having been quickly cast aside as the squad was rebuilt.
“We’re all looking forward to getting back into it. I think after three weeks of pre-season, the players are ready for it and thanks to the Betfred Cup, we aren’t left sitting around waiting for the new season because we kick it off in mid-July.”
With a shorter turnover than ever, Alan feels the quick pre-season has made it easier to lift the mood around the club.
“We didn’t have much time to dwell on last season which has been a good thing. We had to get stuck into work very quickly after the season’s end and that helped us move on. Ultimately, although we have to learn from last season, we had to turn the atmosphere around and we’ve done that. It helps that the squad is almost brand new, but we’ve added some good characters to the team and a good number of lads who know the league, which we think will be important.”
The gaffer noted that although it’s been great to refresh the squad, he knows it will take a little bit of time for the team to properly gel in competitive games.
“There will be a period of our guys growing as a team. We have so many new parts that it’s inevitable that certain players will need time to develop partnerships and understandings with teammates. Pre-season games are useful for a number of reasons but I don’t think you really know a teammate as a player until you’ve been in a competitive environment with them and the Betfred Cup gives us the chance to get our guys minutes alongside each other in those situations.”
Alan said that although Saturday’s team won’t be the finished article, he will be hoping to see the right style of football from the boys who are out on that pitch.
“We obviously want to see them play football. The squad isn’t finished; everyone knows that but we have to try to find our identity quickly. We have a couple of injury doubts. Cammy Bell is fifty-fifty and a couple of others might not make it but with Andy McCarthy and Shea Gordon coming back in we should still have enough out there to win and, hopefully, win with a bit of style.”
This weekend’s game marks the start of the 2018/19 season for Partick Thistle. The Jags travel to Ochilview to take on Stenhousemuir tomorrow with kick-off at 15:00.
More exclusive preview interviews with Aaron Lennox, James Penrice and Jags gaffer, Alan Archibald, are available to Jagzone subscribers – log in now to see them.
Jagzone members will also be able to watch extended highlights of the game.
Can’t make it to Ochilview? Jagzone members can listen to live audio commentary of the match. JagZoneLIVE begins at 2:30pm on Saturday.
For a full list of all the great content you can access from just £5.99 per month as a Jagzone member, click here.
Article Copyright © 2018. Permission to use quotations from this article online is only granted subject to appropriate source credit and hyperlink to ptfc.co.uk.
As Scottish football’s summer break gets shorter and shorter, we return to competitive action in mid-July. The Betfred Cup group stages kicked off today as the 2018/19 season officially began.
Partick Thistle travelled to Ochilview for the campaign opener with Stenhousemuir the opponents. The Maryhill men came into the contest with a good recent record against the Warriors. The Jags hadn’t lost to Stenny since February 2001, before Thistle winger Aidan Fitzpatrick was even born.
There were six debuts in a new look Thistle starting XI. Aaron Lennox began the match between the sticks with Cammy Bell not quite ready to make the squad despite doing some training ahead of the game. In defence, it was James Penrice at left back, new signings Tam O’Ware and Sean McGinty in the centre of the back line and Christie Elliott returning to action, after non-football related surgery, at right back. Shea Gordon and Craig Slater both debuted in the middle of the park just behind another debutant in the form of attacking midfielder, Jack Storer. Chris Erskine and Blair Spittal were the wingers with Kris Doolan as the sole striker.
The Jags were looking for a quick start and got exactly that when Shea Gordon bagged the opener after two minutes. The debuting Motherwell loanee found the net with an easy tap-in as he got on the end of Blair Spittal’s square ball and things got even better for the Northern Irishman in the sixth minute.
Just four minutes after opening his account as a Thistle player, the new number 14 grabbed a second. This goal was much more difficult than his first as his late run was found by Sean McGinty’s pass from deep. With the opposition goalkeeper, Graeme Smith, slightly off his line, Gordon lifted a first time finish over the experienced ex-Brechin ‘stopper to extend the red and yellow lead.
It could so easily have been three as well with Shea Gordon involved again on eight minutes. It was the goalscorer who turned provider this time as he picked out Kris Doolan with a cross. Thistle striker, Doolan stretched to meet it and directed and effort on goal but Graeme Smith did well to get across his goal line and deny the Jags skipper.
In the 30th minute there was a bit of injury trouble for the Jags as Aaron Lennox went down holding his knee. The Australian was in pain after a goalkick and that injury saw him subbed off at half-time for Jamie Sneddon.
After the break, Thistle took control of possession and looked like adding to their two goal advantage. With nine minutes gone of the second period, the Jags had their next big chance. Craig Slater launched a cross-field ball which found Christie Elliott who then laid the ball off to Shea Gordon. The impressive 20-year-old then whipped a right-footed ball in to Blair Spittal. The number seven got his head to the ball but was denied his first of the new season by a solid Graeme Smith save.
Alan Archibald made his second change of the day as Christie Elliott came off for Miles Storey after 57 minutes. This change saw Miles go to the left wing with Blair Spittal filling in at right back.
The visitors went even closer to a third on 65 minutes as we almost saw our first own goal of the new season. Miles Storey received the ball out wide and bent a lovely cross into the middle. Morgyn Neill tried to deal with it, presumably attempting to nod the ball over his own bar. However, his header came off the underside of his own crossbar, not crossing the line according to the officials.
Following that opportunity, Thistle final sub was made. Jack Storer came off after his first 66 minutes of competitive football as a Jag. His replacement was number 16, Andy McCarthy.
With 15 minutes to play, Jamie Sneddon was seriously tested for the first time. Colin McMenamin was fed the ball on the right hand side of the box and he tried to catch the youngster out at the near post. However, Sneddon stood strong and turned the shot past the post for a corner.
The away side’s final big chance came in the 78th minute. Miles Storey beat his man on the left flank and cut the ball back to Chris Erskine. The number ten swung his left foot at it and found the target but Stenny substitute, Kyle Johnson was well-placed on the line to deflect the shot away for a corner.
As such, the game ended 2-0 with Thistle kicking off the new season by claiming three points for the Betfred Cup group stage.
The Jags return to action this coming Tuesday when Greenock Morton come back to Maryhill. The game kick off at 19:45 from the Energy Check Stadium at Firhill.
THISTLE TEAM: Lennox (Sneddon, HT), Penrice, McGinty, O’Ware, Elliott (Storey, 57’), Gordon, Slater, Erskine, Storer (McCarthy, 66’), Spittal, Doolan.
UNUSED SUBS (PTH): Wilson, Fitzpatrick.
STENHOUSEMUIR TEAM: Smith, Donaldson (Johnson, 84’), Neill, Tena, Reid (McMenamin, 66’), Gibbons, Halleran (Dickson, 62’), Cook, Ross, Duthie, McGuigan.
UNUSED SUBS (STN): McMinn, Sinclair, Ferry, Paterson.
Article Copyright © 2018. Permission to use quotations from this article online is only granted subject to appropriate source credit and hyperlink to ptfc.co.uk.
After a tough summer of planning and rebuilding for the 2018/19 season, the new campaign finally arrived for Partick Thistle this afternoon at Ochilview. The Jags travelled the short journey towards Larbert to take on Stenhousemuir in the opening game of the Betfred Cup group stages. The Maryhill men won the game 2-0 with both goals coming from Shea Gordon within six minutes and it could have been more for the away side with the bar and a goal line clearance denying further goals on separate occasions. Thistle boss, Alan Archibald spoke to ptfc.co.uk following the contest.
First and foremost, Alan was pleased to see his side come away from a difficult fixture with the points although he would have liked to see a couple more goals.
“It was never going to be an easy game against a decent Stenny team and the temperatures weren’t ideal for an opening game but the lads did the job. The start was fantastic but we should have built on it and could have easily done that if we were more clinical. Ultimately, with so many new boys I thought we did well.”
The hosts did have a spell where they looked dangerous and Archie told us that the players knew to expect a challenge from the Warriors.
“It was to their credit that they stuck at it and managed to get back into things. They had a couple of shots on target and we were wary of allowing back into the game. We’d told the players to expect that fight from Stenny, it was a big part of what got them promoted last year and was evident at times today.”
The gaffer was very complimentary of Shea Gordon, the brace-scoring midfielder made a great start to his loan spell with Thistle by netting two early goals and Alan was delighted to see him hit the ground running.
“We brought Shea in to offer that something different. He loves getting beyond the striker and he showed plenty of that today. I know that on a personal level, he was keen to add goals to his game so I’m sure he’ll be just as happy with that as I am.”
Alan’s Jags return to action on Tuesday evening with Morton the visitors to Maryhill. Kick-off is 19:45 from the Energy Check Stadium at Firhill.
A more in depth video interview with Alan Archibald is available now to Jagzone subscribers and will be followed by reaction from Shea Gordon and Jamie Sneddon. Log in now to see it as soon as it is available.
Highlights will be added shortly and will be free for Jagzone subscribers.
For a full list of all the great content you can access from just £5.99 per month as a Jagzone member, click here.
Alan will be here for the next big moment – will you? 2018/19 season tickets are on sale now – buy yours here.
Article Copyright © 2018. Permission to use quotations from this article online is only granted subject to appropriate source credit and hyperlink to ptfc.co.uk.
Sat 14 July, 2018
Betfred Cup 
Ochilview Park, Stenhousemuir
Erskine picks out McCarthy who returns the ball. His shot is deflected wide for a corner.
#JagZoneLIVE Man of the Match, sponsored by Pursuit Marketing, is Thistle number 17 - Craig Slater.
A dangerous Stenhousemuir set piece flies into the Jags fans in the terracing behind Jamie Sneddon's goal.
80. Cook tries an effort from distance but again Sneddon is equal to it.
McMenamin with a sight of goal but Sneddon tips his shot around the post for a corner.
Storey fires over a cross which is met by Neill who heads it against his own crossbar. It bounces close to the line, looked to be in but I'm not 100% sure. Doolan heads the rebound over the bar. Still 2-0.
Gordon gets to the byeline and chips over a cross. It falls for Miles Storey who takes a touch to control before being closed down for a shot.
Elliott meets a crossfield pass from deep. He slips it short to Gordon who crosses to the back post. Spittal meets it but safe handling from Smith keeps it out.
A low key opening to the second half as both sides look to feel their way into it. Jack Storer dances down the left and fires over a cross which is just beyond Erskine, Doolan and Gordon.
A slack back pass is pounced upon by Doolan. He rounds Smith but just runs out of space to shoot as the ball drifts out of play.
Lennox looks ok to carry on for the moment and play resumes with a drop ball.
Lennox slips as he takes a goal kick and he needs medical treatment. Jamie Sneddon and Kenny Arthur begin a precautionary warm up as the Jags goalkeeper is treated by physio Marcin Szostak.
Penrice nods behind for a second Stenny corner before a deep delivery sails out and the pressure is over.
Stenhousemuir win a free kick on the corner of the box after a Stenhousemuir player runs into Christie Elliott. Seemed a bit soft to me. It's a poor delivery and Slater takes no chances knocking it out for a corner.
After a bit of treatment Penrice looks like he will be able to continue. Storer takes the corner but noone can quite reach his good delivery.
Penrice and Spittal link up well to send Thistle into the box. Penrice's cross is blocked for a corner before he goes over awkwardly. He'll need a bit of medical treatment.
Stenhousemuir win a free kick 25 yards from goal wide of centre. It's played short and forces Lennox into a good save to tip it over the bar.
Cook crosses for McGuigan but the striker can't reach out far enough to connect as Stenhousemuir build up some pressure.
Penrice wins Thistle a corner. Spittal's delivery is cleared before Slater sends it back to Spittal. A deep cross is saved by McGinty before Stenhousemuir break.
Gordon lobs Smith after getting on the end of McGinty's diagonal pass. Excellent start for the Jags
Thistle on the attack again. Spittal crosses but it is blocked by a Stenny defender. Duthie breaks but O'Ware holds the attack up and Thistle are able to clear.
Doolan drops the ball into Spittal behind the Stenhousemuir defence. He unselfishly squares it where Gordon meets it and slams it home. Thistle are ahead!
Kris Doolan gets Partick Thistle's 2018/19 season underway.