stats - xls spreadsheet 1893-94 Members of the Scottish League

• New Scottish League Division Two formed
• Bickering sees Airdrieonians and Kilmarnock barred from the League
• Scottish Cup disappointment again
• Biggest win ever in the Scottish League recorded by Partick Thistle

Off-field politics rumbled on over the summer, as clubs tried to change the state of the organised game. Following the end of the season St Bernards were elected to the Scottish League rather than Alliance winners Cowlairs, adding another Edinburgh club to the Scottish League. The bottom three clubs in the Alliance, Vale of Leven, Kilmarnock, and Cambuslang were asked to re-apply for membership.

Vale were the unlucky club not to be re-elected at the AGM in June - Morton and Port Glasgow Athletic were asked back after a season out of the Alliance, completing a line-up of Airdrie, Cambuslang, Cowlairs, Kilmarnock, Linthouse, Morton, Northern, Partick Thistle, Port Glasgow, and Glasgow Thistle. Although a settled group of clubs had been agreed on for the forthcoming season, there was dissatisfaction over the Scottish League's decision to elect St Bernards, who had finished second to champions Cowlairs. Many clubs felt that closer ties with the Scottish League would lead to automatic election for the top club, and also lead to greater competition. A motion was passed to approach the League regarding amalgamation. Andrew Smith of Partick Thistle, elected President of the Alliance, was to lead the discussions.

While President Smith's approaches were successful, the League agreeing in principle to a Second Division based around the Alliance, it appeared that several Alliance clubs were trying to sabotage the plans, trying to tempt fellow clubs to start a new league along with high profile non Scottish League clubs such as newly relegated Clyde and Abercorn from the Scottish League, and Edinburgh Hibernians. Partick Thistle were unsurprisingly one of the clubs not seeking to leave the Alliance, and it quickly transpired that there was a clique of clubs keen to lose the memberships of Thistle and Springburn's Northern club. The reason for Northern's unpopularity stemmed from problems at Springburn's other club, Cowlairs. Despite winning the Alliance, there were problems at Springvale Park, particularly in recruiting players. Cowlairs felt that the area could not sustain two clubs. No reason was given for Partick Thistle's absence from the group, although it was pointed out that the President of the Alliance was Thistle's Andrew Smith, while the Secretary was from Northern.

As it turned out, the Scottish League became tired of the inbickering, and decided to elect a Second Division rather than take a ready packaged group of clubs. Thus the first season of the Scottish League Second Division was fought out by Abercorn, Clyde, Cowlairs, Hibernian, Morton, Motherwell, Northern, Partick Thistle, Port Glasgow and Glasgow Thistle. The unlucky clubs not elected from the Alliance were Linthouse, Airdrieonians, Kilmarnock and Cambuslang, though disappointment was tempered by the fact that these clubs were leaders behind the split. As if to rub salt in their wounds, Andrew Smith was elected President of the Second Division.

Although members of Partick Thistle were helping to shape the future of football, at Partick things were not looking good for the season ahead. The committee was described as "…. at their wits end for a team. Most of last year's recruits have deserted, dissatisfied with their treatment at Inchview". J.Harvie and A.Stewart played a practice game for Third Lanark.

As the first ever Second Division game approached things seemed just as desperate. Frank Herbertson had joined from South-Western, but it was a team made up largely from last season's members that faced Morton at Cappielow. Goalkeeper Crozier had joined from Clyde. "Bravo, Partick Thistle! You're no' dead yet!" proclaimed the papers as they recorded a 3-2 Thistle win. Willie Paul fittingly scored Partick Thistle's first League goal in front of a small crowd. Match details here.

The other main off-field change during the summer was the official sanctioning by the SFA of professionalism. Players had been paid for their services for some time, though in underhand ways. This gave respectability to clubs who wished to reimburse players, though it would bring other problems with it. The press, in particular, were obsessed, and the Scottish Sport regularly ran a table of each club's pro' players. At the end of the first month of the season Thistle had nine registered.

For the first League game at Inchview, Abercorn were the opposition, recording a 3-0 win over Thistle in front of a fair crowd. They were followed by a Scottish Cup visit from (non-League) Airdrieonians, followed by 300 on a special train. W.Freebairn scored Thistle's three in a 3-3 draw. The replay the following week saw a large number travel from Partick, only to see a 1-3 defeat. J.Harvey returned from Third Lanark, Willie Paul scored the only goal. Match details here.

Cup competitions had rarely troubled Thistle in recent years, and following the Scottish Cup exit, Glasgow Thistle closed that competition for Partick Thistle - 1-2 defeat at Braehead. A 2-3 defeat at Barrowfield from Clyde in the League ended a poor September. Match details here.

October, though, started better, as Motherwell visited Inchview. In a very fast game the Thistle forwards were well matched by the Motherwell backs. The game got rough towards the end as Motherwell disputed a Thistle goal and threatened to leave the field. The Motherwell president persuaded them to stay on as Thistle won the game 4-2, with three goals from William Freebairn. Match details here.

Following a 5-2 home League win over Morton, with another goal from Freebairn, the papers were prepared to wax lyrical about the team struggling just two months previous. "Freebairn is a dandy, and Finlay backs him up well. Paul is in good form. Robertson, at half-back, played his best game, and was about the cleverest man on the field." Match details here.

A third of the way through the season the Division Two table saw Thistle in fifth place, having won three and lost two of their five games, scoring 14 and losing 12 goals.

Glasgow Thistle were struggling - off the pitch they were financially embarrassed, and as an effect were having problems fielding teams. Partick Thistle visited Braehead and found the place in disrepair. A poor crowd attended the game, which saw Partick Thistle fans unkindly shout that the club should "pawn the park". Freebairn scored another three goals, Harvey also netted, but Partick Thistle thought they should have scored better in a game which finished in a 4-3 win. Match details here.

With no League game, a hastily arranged friendly was arranged with Linthouse to keep the players on the boil. Linthouse must have regretted the game as Thistle won 7-2 at Inchview. Recognition also came Thistle's way, as Willie Paul was selected to play for Glasgow at Sheffield.

Rough play and bad feeling had marred an earlier game with Motherwell, and the return game at Dalziel Park was little different. Thistle were 2-0 up at half time through Freebairn and Murray before Motherwell came back to 2-2. However, with ten minutes remaining Motherwell suffered their second defeat of the season, both by Partick Thistle, when Willie Paul scored the winner. Match details here. "Motherwell station platform was a perfect pandemonium on Saturday night when Partick Thistle supporters took possession of it. New hats and sore throats should now be the order of the day." (Scottish Sport)

Missing Paul, on representative duty, the good run of form slammed to a halt against Alliance champions Cowlairs. 8-1 to Cowlairs. There was a return to wining against Northern - a 4-3 win at Inchview without Willie Paul, but with goals from Finlay, Murray and W.Freebairn after Northern had gone 3-0 up. Match details here.

A series of friendlies then approached, as the turn of the year approached. A battle of two goalkeepers was at Inchview against Clyde. Crozier had signed from Clyde at the start of the season, while John McCorkindale, Thistle's ex-internationalist, was now playing for Clyde. Clyde won 2-1. A 4-4 draw against Battlefield saw the first ever penalty awarded at Inchview. Battlefield scored it, after a foul by Hope Robertson. A 1-0 win over Vale of Leven at home completed the pre-Christmas friendly games, though Northern evened the results with a 2-1 win over Thistle at Springburn. Willie Paul, newly returned to the side, scored the goal. Match details here.

Thistle had often seen themselves as missionaries for the Scottish game, taking themselves to Dundee, Ireland and Angus to spread the word, and this season's New Year tour was to be to the north of Scotland. There was a great deal of interest as Thistle travelled to Aberdeen to beat Victoria United 5-4, Peterhead to win 10-1, before returning south. On their way back they visited Montrose (2-2) and Forfar (3-3).

As the league readied itself for the second part of the season, Thistle's end of year form had moved them up to third in the table, four points behind Clyde in first place, having won seven and lost five of their twelve games, scoring 33, but losing 35 goals.

The first League visitors of the new year were Cowlairs. Thistle, keen to make up for the 1-8 reverse at Springvale, gave new members David Proudfoot and Galloway a game. "Interesting and exciting, but it's roughness at times marred it's beauty" was the Scottish Sport's opinion of a game which saw Thistle win 5-3, with two goals from Galloway. Match details here.

The next two League games saw the loss of ten goals in return for just two, as away games against Port Glasgow (1-4) and Hibernian (1-6) were lost against as Hibernian stretched their lead in the league. However, with those games past, the Thistle players went into the next few games with a better attitude. A 3-2 away win over Abercorn at Underwood Park was followed by a 5-0 home win over Port Glasgow. This should have been a League game, but poor conditions saw the clubs decide to play the game as a friendly. Clyde were next at Inchview. An early goal from Harvey and a late one from Freebairn opened and closed the League game that Thistle won 5-4. Glasgow Thistle's early season problems were worsening, and there seemed no hope for the old club. Opposition clubs were taking advantage of a team only just fulfilling fixture obligations, and at Inchview at the end of March there was no deviation. A record score at Inchview, the 13-1 win was also the highest recorded in a Scottish League match ever. Match details here.

That run of victories had lifted the club to send place, three points behind Hibernian. Thistle had won ten games, losing six, and scoring 55 times, losing 50. There were, however, just two League games left for Thistle to play, while others, notably Clyde and Cowlairs, had more games left.

The two remaining League games were both at home, against Port Glasgow and against likely champions Hibernian. Port visited first and left with a 1-0 win, before Hibernian again emphasised their position by winning 6-1 at Inchview. Match details here.

Final league table.

	W	L	D	F	A	Pts
Hibernian	13	2	3	83	29	29
Cowlairs	13	4	1	72	32	27
Clyde	11	5	2	51	36	24
Motherwell	11	6	1	61	44	23
Partick Thistle	10	8	0	56	58	20
Port Glasgow Athletic *	9	7	2	51	52	13
Abercorn	5	11	2	41	59	12
Morton	4	13	1	36	62	9
Northern	3	12	3	29	66	9
Glasgow Thistle	2	13	3	30	72	7

* Port Glasgow had seven points deducted for playing an ineligible player.

The season ended with Secretary Andrew Smith again announcing his intention to resign, while a committee was organised to look for a new ground.

Goalkeeper Crozier ended the season well, and rumours flew that both Newton Heath (later to become Manchester United) and Woolwich Arsenal were interested in signing him. Crozier played in an end of season representative match along with Jack Robertson, William Freebairn, G.Proudfoot and Willie Paul, for a Second Division team selected from Glasgow clubs, against a similar team from the provincial clubs. The City won 3-2.

As holders of the Greenock Charity Cup Thistle were expected to do well again, but a 2-3 defeat to Battlefield in the first round meant the cup did not stay in Partick.

stats - xls spreadsheet

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