Monday 18th September, 2023 at 5:00pm
Partick Thistle Football Club would like to thank everyone who contributed to a truly memorable occasion at the Wyre Stadium at Firhill yesterday for Stuart Bannigan’s richly deserved testimonial.
First and foremost, a huge thanks is owed to the Stuart Bannigan Testimonial Committee and their army of volunteers as without their hard work the day would not have been possible – thank you.
Many Partick Thistle FC staff and regular volunteers also gave up their Sundays to ensure a unique matchday went without a hitch, so a big thanks goes to each and every one of them too. This includes the kitchen and bar staff across the Alan Rough Lounge, 71 Club and Aitken Suite who ensured all guests were so well looked after – thank you. Michael Max hosted the packed out hospitality within the Alan Rough Lounge with the returning voice of Gavin Wallace on PA duties, assisted by Alan Brown.
Aside from tributes to Banzo, the hot topic amongst players past and present was the condition of the Firhill pitch, which provided the perfect platform for many to roll back the years. So another thank you is due to head groundsman Allan Findlay and all his support staff for producing a pitch fit for a Liam Buchanan hat-trick!
Which brings us to the players. There can be no greater acknowledgment of the respect with which Stuart Bannigan is held than the turnout of players past and present (and future!) yesterday. Thanks to all current PTFC players and special thanks to the returning former players: Scott Fox, Tomas Cerny, Paul Paton, Conrad Balatoni, James Craigen, Kris Doolan!, Chris Erskine, Steven Craig, Ross Forbes, David Rowson, Craig Slater, Liam Buchanan, Gary Harkins, Abdul Osman, Blair Spittal, Gary Fraser, Kallum Higginbotham, Mark Roberts and Joe Cardle. Aaron Taylor-Sinclair, Stephen O’Donnell and Sean Welsh also attended but couldn’t take part due to injury. With special mention to Shea Gordon who flew over especially for the occasion and also to Paul McDonald, Alan Archibald and Scott Paterson for leading the teams.
The outcome in the end was 4-2 to the 12/13 Select with the 90 minutes enjoyed by a big red and yellow support in the Jackie Husband Stand, who seemed to particularly enjoy an edge-of-the-box strike by a certain number 9. A huge thanks to every Thistle fan who attended as well as all those who tuned in via the live stream – your support means the world to Stuart and his family and gave them a day to remember.
Final word, of course, must go to Banzo. Quite simply, thank you for your outstanding service to Partick Thistle Football Club to date and here’s to many more midfield masterclasses this season, just like during Friday night’s win at Somerset. We hope you and your family enjoyed your day as much as we did – thanks for everything.
