P.A.F.C Posted September 23, 2014 Share Posted September 23, 2014 I know ex referee Louis Thow's father ,also Louis, played in the South of Scotland League around 1948-9 but does anyone know if he was a professional before that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
young buck Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 Book by Duncan Carmichael may be your friend. I'll have a look when I'm home mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.A.F.C Posted September 24, 2014 Author Share Posted September 24, 2014 Thanks mate, much appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
young buck Posted September 24, 2014 Share Posted September 24, 2014 Ayr before war, south of Scotland league after it, prob a stint with Morton in there as well. That's all got for you mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.A.F.C Posted September 24, 2014 Author Share Posted September 24, 2014 Thanks very much. very helpful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLip69 Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 I hate Louis Thow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Connolly Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 Doethn't he play for Benfica and Brathil? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caledonian Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 From 100 Ayr United Greats. (The spelling is Lewis. His son, the referee, was Louis). Lewis Thow Outside - left, 1938 - 1940 and 1945 - 1946 Lewis Thow first achieved football prominence at school level with Newton Park. On 8 April 1933, three days before his thirteenth birthday, he represented Scotland in a Schoolboy International against Wales at Newport. He then proceeded to play against Ireland and Wales for a grand slam of appearances in the annual series. One year later he again played in all three internationals whilst two other Ayr schoolboys, Reid (Newton Park) and McConnell (Newtonhead) appeared against England and Wales. All three appeared in the same forward line, most notably in a major match against their English counterparts at The Arsenal Stadium on 12 May 1934. In January 1934, the Ayr Schools Select had beaten Paisley Schools 7-1 in the Scottish Elementary Schools Cup. Hugh McConnell, centre-forward, scored five and Lewis Thow, outside-left, got the other two. In the following round Rutherglen Schools were beaten 5-0 away and McConnell again scored five. Both were destined to play for Ayr United. Lewis Thow was tried out for Ayr United reserves in September 1935, at the tender age of fifteen. Subsequently he played junior football with Ardeer Recreation and, on 8 January 1938, he was again given a run out for the reserves. The occasion this time was an Alliance League fixture against Rangers reserves at Somerset Park. After a 4-3 win it was observed that "Thow scintillated on the left wing". His performance was highly spoken about by a visiting director. Still, what would a director know ? In this case quite a lot ! The identity of that director was Alan Morton, one of the greatest left wingers the Scottish game has ever known. Thow was retained in the Alliance League team for a fixture at Beith, by which time he was a signed Ayr United player. Afterwards he was praised for being "clever on the ball" and possessing "strong and direct shooting". These qualities brought him an early first team debut. It took place at Douglas Park, the home of Hamilton Accies, on 29 January 1938. The team was : Hall, Dyer, Strain, Taylor, Currie, Mayes, McGibbons, Steele, Yardley, Gemmell and Thow. Underfoot the conditions were muddy whilst overhead the wind played havoc with the ball. The undeterred Thow scored twice in a 3-0 win to become the youngest player ever to have scored a competitive goal for Ayr United. He was aged 17 years 293 days. This record stood until 2 March 1993 when Barry Scott, aged 17 years 248 days, also scored against Hamilton Accies at Douglas Park and also on a debut. The record was again broken when Stewart Kean scored on a debut at Livingston on 29 April 2000. His age was 17 years 56 days. A fortnight after breaking into the first team, Lewis Thow found himself playing against Queen's Park at Hampden in a Scottish Cup second round tie. It is unlikely that the venue was especially unnerving after having played at prestigious venues (in front of massive crowds) for Scotland Schoolboys. Ayr United proceeded to reach the quarter-finals of that year's Scottish Cup, at which stage a 1-1 draw was fought out at Kilmarnock in front of a crowd amounting to 27,442. Young Thow played in that tie, although not the replay which was lost heavily. Yet he was to have no respite from important games. Dundee visited Somerset Park for the concluding League game of the 1937-38 season and at least a draw was required for survival whilst the visitors required to win. In a scoreless draw, the now eighteen-year old Thow created many opportunities by cutting through the Dundee defence and sending over a series of searching crosses. Indeed he was most unfortunate when striking the crossbar with a first half effort. In the summer of 1938 his former Ayr Schoolboys and Scotland Schoolboys team mate Hugh McConnell was signed from Kilwinning Rangers. On the last day of August, McConnell and Thow scored three and two respectively in a 7-1 win over Beith in a deferred Ayrshire Cup Final. At League level, however, McConnell was unable to gain selection ahead of Jimmy Yardley in the centre-forward position and he had to content himself with breaking into the first team at outside-right. With McConnell and Thow on the right and left wings they scored nine and ten League goals respectively in 1938-39. In the course of a 3-3 draw at Celtic Park on 5 November 1938, a McConnell goal was scored from a chance created by Thow. It was reminiscent of their schooldays. At the conclusion of season 1939-40, Ayr United beat Aberdeen 3-2 on aggregate in the final of the Scottish Second Eleven Cup. In the first leg Lewis Thow scored in a 1-1 draw at Pittodrie. The particular relevance of this was that first teams competed in that season's competition. Five years then passed before Ayr United next played. Consequently, Thow signed for Morton in December 1940. His registration was still held by Ayr United but he made just two first team appearances in 1945-46 by which time the war had already decimated his playing career at that level having not been demobbed until November 1945. He later played for Newton Stewart. His most important contribution to the club had yet to be made. In November 1964 news leaked that the directors were considering the sale of Somerset Park in order to clear debts. If the idea had been implemented it would have meant killing off Ayr United. Furthermore the story was true. In January 1965 a group of new directors brought stability to the club and the feared extinction was staved off. Lewis Thow was one of that group and, in time, he became club chairman. League Ayr Charity Cup Scottish Cup Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals 1937-38 6 3 1 0 3 0 1938-39 23 10 --- 1 0 1939-40 19 1 --- --- 1945-46 2 0 --- --- __________________________________________________________________ 50 14 1 0 4 0 __________________________________________________________________ 1939-40 : First Division (4), Wartime Regional League (15). . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.A.F.C Posted October 9, 2014 Author Share Posted October 9, 2014 well Caledonian that's what you call a proper reply, must admit didn't think I would get that much information. THANKS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killiepiemuncher Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Thow also played 12th man for Ayr Utd in every game he refereed against Killie. Fact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryU65 Posted September 15, 2018 Share Posted September 15, 2018 My Papa was Hugh McConnell ... got the 2 team line up photos for the schoolboy internationals that he played in and a picture of him scoring against England . Also have a picture of him in what I assume to be an Ayrshire Schools select with Reid & Thow in the picture .. all 3 wearing their Scotland caps . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arch Stanton Posted September 15, 2018 Share Posted September 15, 2018 Thow gave Billy Abercromby three red cards in a game v Motherwell which resulted in a 12 match ban.c**t. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tamthebam Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 I'm sure he once sent off 3 Forfar players in a game against Meadowbank. Hero! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick1867 Posted April 17, 2019 Share Posted April 17, 2019 On 29/09/2014 at 21:12, TheLip69 said: I hate Louis Thow. He was an absolute screwball of a ref. Once told Eddie Hunter at half time at Ochilview that if the Queen's fans didn't stop giving him pelters then a few decisions would be going against us in the second half. Well I was told that was the reason Hunter came running out the tunnel straight across to the fans to tell us to "Shut the f**k up!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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