Tuesday 5th March, 2024 at 9:30am
Harry McKinnon
1932-2023
Harry was born into a family of 14, of whom he was second youngest. They lived primarily in a tenement block on Keppochhill Road, Springburn.
His father, Jimmy, was a ships caulker on the Clyde and money was tight.
Jimmy loved his fitba’ though, and whilst the older weans weren’t so keen, Jimmy inculcated 5 year old Harry into the ways of the Jags. And it never left him.
We do know Jimmy would pop wee H over the wall to his mates so he didn’t have to pay for him; Keep a few pennies back for a beer or a bet on the way home!
So the love never died. Harry would watch the Thistle at any opportunity… but in 1961 he moved to Wales and married his dream girl, Lucy. They had a daughter, Jane, and in 1976 when she was 12 they visited Firhill on a pilgrimage. There they met Miller Reid who took them on a tour of the stadium and they had photos taken on the pitch with the 1975–76 Scottish First Division winners flag.
Fast forward a few years to 1991, and 6 year old grandson Robert, was soon taken under the Jaggy wing of his Pap; sitting in his little Thistle shirt at Firhill on a freezing cold March day, watching the lads taking a battering against Meadowbank Thistle… but Pap and Rob were happy to have experienced the match and even the lows together.
Following the death of his wife in 2008, Harry visited Firhill again and spent some time with Robert Reid, chatting about the old days.
Harry emigrated to Gibraltar in 2011 to be with his family who had moved 10 years prior.
They tried to get him to another home match but TV scheduling meant it didn’t happen, then he sadly became unwell and unable to travel.
He was however a keen watcher of Jagzone and constantly kept up to date with the games and the gossip, more or less until the end, as many friends and fans will testify.
OTIG.
Harry McKinnon
Forever Thistle
