A Final 10 Years in the Making
Partick Thistle will take to the Tynecastle pitch for their first taste of a national final. They have been building to this moment for ten years, now it is a reality. Can they win their first trophy?
Just over a decade ago the Partick Thistle Community Trust turned a for fun training group into a proper team as Thistle Weir Ladies entered SWFL Second Division West. On March 24th they will take on Glasgow rivals Rangers in a national final.
Thistle Weir Days
At the beginning it was just a group of women getting together to play and train for fun. There may have been jokes in training about lifting cups but for the first two years it was just a laugh two nights a week. The competitive spirit eventually took hold of the squad and they entered the Scottish Women’s Football League (SWFL) in 2014, Partick Thistle Community Trust would continue to lend their support but they would go by Thistle Weir Ladies.
Diane Scott was a founding member, speaking to Stef Lach for the Glasgow Times she said
"Hopefully we can get our name out there and attract new players and maybe even fans to come watch us play."
This season they set a new club attendance record with 874 making the trip to see them play at the men’s ground, Firhill, just metres away from the old Thistle Weir training pitches. A packed out Peasy witnessed them knock out the record cup holders, and last season’s runner-up, Hibernian in this competition, and they have signed Scotland capped Rebecca McAllister. Targets, met.
Barry McLelland was the director of the community trust, he outlined the ambition of the club
"There's a real desire among the squad to play competitive football and hopefully move up the leagues and eventually reach the Premier Division.
Five years after their formation they would be promoted to SWPL 2. The end of the Thistle Weir days as the club officially became Partick Thistle, but the values had been made. A club formed out of a desire to have fun with pals, a competitive spirit pushing them on. Those values remain in the SWPL Cup finalists.
The Brian Graham Era
Heading into the 2020/21 season Partick Thistle needed someone to steer them towards SWPL 1. Their aspirations as ambitious as ever, Jacqui Low made an appointment no one was expecting. One that they believed had never been done before. Men’s striker Brian Graham was handed the reigns with teammates Richard Foster (Amy MacDonald’s husband) and Ross Docherty joining him. Priority number one? Promotion.
Upon his appointment Graham stated that he was going to bring his experience of professional football to the job, using his experiences playing and training at the top level of Scottish men’s football to improve the squad technically and physically. It wasn’t long until this started to pay off and Thistle started to make waves, scoring nine in their first five. Losses to St Johnstone and Hamilton took the shine off things a little but it was clear something was brewing. A 5-1 demolition of one of the promotion favourites in Aberdeen before Christmas had Thistle fans dreaming of a special season.
By the end of the season those early losses would prove too much for them to earn promotion, finishing third in SWPL 2. Or so we thought, but in August with the season kicked off (SWPL Cup group stage, gone but not forgotten) the news broke that Forfar Farmington were folding. A spot opened up in SWPL 1 and Partick Thistle were invited to take the step up. Two weeks later they kept SWPL 1 Hearts to a 0-0 scoreline in the cup as they prepared to take that step.
Brian Graham’s intense style of play had Thistle looking dangerous despite the unexpected ascension. Heavily focused on organisation and effort, Thistle beat Motherwell, scored against both Glasgow City and Rangers, and then came the famous one. 10th of October 2021, Hibernian the opposition (a theme for historic Thistle moments), the score? 3-2 to the Jags. Danica Dalziel, a defender for anyone that has jumped on the train more recently, with an inspired performance in goal. Amy Bulloch a pitbull in midfield and netting twice. Rosie Slater, Demi Falconer, and Clare Doc solid at the back. A first win against Hibernian, one of the most decorated clubs in the country. A statement of intent.
A season later, they secured a top six finish for the first time. Brian Graham’s changes to their training regimen in 2020 paying dividends as they displayed levels of fitness that even the full time sides struggles to match. As the time has gone by, their reliance on running further and faster than their opponents has waned. Brian Graham has evolved as a manager, Thistle have evolved as a club.
This season there has been a clear shift towards a more technical style of play, Thistle have begun dominating games using the ball. Bulloch no longer just a pitbull in midfield is pulling the strings, Slater inverts from left back while Lawton pushes forward from the right, Cara Hendo works her magic as a playmaking 9. There’s been an evolution in what Brian Graham wants from his side on the ball. With a consecutive top six finish, it is paying off.
Partick Thistle Boing Boing
Partick Thistle’s tactical evolution has been bolstered by two January additions from Hearts, Aimee Anderson and Rebecca McAllister. McAllister had taken half a season away from football after questioning whether a future in football was right for her, as she told Chris Marshall from Leading the Line. She’s still finding her feet after an extended period away but is looking every bit the player that became Hearts’ second ever Scotland call up not too long ago.
Last time they faced Rangers they worked incredibly hard to stem the threat through the middle with Lucy Sinclair partnering McAllister in front of a back five. Emma Lawton deputised as right midfielder ahead of Clare Docherty at wing back. It was a team designed to frustrate, not create. They did have the ball in the net, Lawton’s strike ruled out (wrongly according to many), but it was a performance that owed as much to Rangers inability to find the net as it did to their own resilience. 21% possession, a 33% pass accuracy, and just three shots. To win this final they will need to be better on the ball.
Regular keeper Megan Cunningham will be missing as she can’t face her parent club, that is also the case for Jenna Ferguson who isn’t a regular at the back but has made 13 appearances in the league. Cheryl McCulloch remains unavailable as she recovers from an ACL injury suffered last season.
Thistle have gone five without a win coming into this game, although they have exclusively faced top six opposition in that time. That does include their impressive draw against Sunday’s opposition, and an equally impressive draw against Hibernian in tough conditions. Goalscoring has never been one of their outstanding qualities under Brian Graham (although they have scored a lot of outstanding goals) but they will likely be a little concerned to only have three in their last five. We can maybe put it down to them facing quality defenders, but their opposition in the final, Rangers, have the best defence statistically in the league. They will have to be more clinical than we’ve seen to get their hands on the coveted SWPL Cup (or Rachel Donaldson can pull out a trademark banger from 30 yards, last season’s goal of the season did come from the SWPL Cup final after all).
The underdog moniker is a comfortable place for Thistle to be, they have built a reputation thriving on that status. Underestimate them at your peril.
The SWPL Cup final will be played at Tynecastle on the 24th of March, kicking off at 1:30pm. Tickets can be bought here. There will be no formal segregation, however, Thistle supporters that want to sit with their fellow fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in sections R, S, and T.