Seeing big Jim Thomson turn in a fantastic display at the heart of the Queens defence today to reach a Scottish Cup final at the age of 36, a few months after turning full-time, was great to see. Does anyone not like Jim Thomson?

Other opposition players who I've admired down the years include Kenny Arthur, Scott McCulloch and Brian McPhee.

What about everyone else? What opposition players do you have a lot of time for?

Before seeing your post I was thinking of big JT. That no doubt has a fair bit to do with today, but he's always been a player I've admired.

I'd add Mark McLaughlin, Henrik Larsson, Alan Main and McPhee to my list.

Martin Hardie, Mark Roberts, Stephen Dobbie, Graham Dorrans

Huge of fan of Queens' Sean O'Connor. Have been ever since I first saw him play. Outstanding Vs. ourselves every time. Such a powerful player.

Always thought Steven Hampshire was a good player too. Now at Stenny I think.

I liked Graeme Dorrans until he gave us the big GIRUY after scoring in the Scottish Cup at Firhill. The boy was a fans' favourite during his time in Maryhill and always got a good reception, but that changed in an instant. It was disappointing to see.

My mate creams himself everytime he sees Alan Main because he once clapped the Thistle fans after a game against Gretna.

If you don't like Brian McPhee you have a heart of stone. That's about it

One of the reasons I like him. It was after a complete thrashing at Raydale. Compare his actions to those of Stevie Tosh who though it appropriate to taunt the travelling support.

Main - gentleman.
Tosh - weasel-faced turd burglar.

Like SP, Sean O'Connor. I seriously want him to hit one of our players so I've got a reason not to like him.

Jim Thomson definately.

Colin Cramb - his banter is second to none.

I'll probably get abuse for this but Barry Lavety. A guy from Belville Street, a very good mate of mine named Andy Newman, I believe scored the winner in a testimonial v Hearts, whilst playing for Hibs, who shared the same car as Lavety whilst playing for Hibs and Lavety came out whilst we were playing worldy on the grass in Beliville Street. He came round and joind in and got put out in the first round. Claimed he wasn't fit enough to play against anyone but Morton. Had a good laugh with him, although he may have been high.

Larsson, for many reasons.


Neil Lennon - My family are Huns, but my grandas next door neighbour is a Celtic Supporter, and Lennon was in a house in Port Glasgow. A Young boy said 'my father loves you' and when Lennon found out he was an old man dying of cancer, he went round to the house for a coffee and a chat. A complete gentleman. The old guy was over the moon.

Have a lot of respect for John Hughes (even though he manages the scum) everyone thinks he is an idiot because he sounds a bit uncouth but what he has done at Falkirk with no money is pretty amazing.

Alan Main and Colin Stewart - I have seen them both applauding good saves from opposing goalkeepers which I think is nice.

Brian McPhee and Jose Quitongo for the good humoured way they take stick from the opposition fans.

Barry Lavety for organising and playing in a team of St Mirren old boys for derek collins' testimonial even though he knew he would take dog's abuse from the morton fans.

Thank god someone else said his name

And I hadn't even seen your's when I typed mine

GEORGE BEST
EUSEBIO
JOHAN CRUYYF
PELE
MARADONA


CLAUDIO CANNIGGIA (no hang on that world class super star did play for us haha)

I'll second sentiments about Lennon, I met him on Byers road after a night out and he was happy to chat and have photo's taken. Respect for him contradicting the pashy old firm media as well in his autobiography regarding what happened at Firhill after the whole "death threat" episode.

Owen Coyle has to be the biggest love to hate figure for jags fans?..... for me anyway.

Nacho Novo.

I like Kevin McAllister, John Hughes and Mixu Paataleinan.

Also Andy Smith, I liked him before he joined us.

100% hatred for that wee t*t from me mate

I loved him when he played for us used to kiss the Dundee badge every time he scored but then when he got his first goal for Rangers, he ran over to Dundee (It just had to be ) and kissed the Rangers badge!

Didn't you just want to ruffle his hair and call him a rascal though when he did that?........ no wait..... yeah, i meant throw him in the clyde with Ally McCoist tied to his feet!

I remember Bill Leckie wrote a stinging criticism of him after a crucial SPL encounter with Dundee at Firhill. He noted how Barry Smith celebrated with the bench after scoring, yet Novo was more concerned with winding up the Thistle fans. The dirty wee bassa shouldn't have been on the park to score anyway having stamped on Ian Ross.

He gets a bad rep from the blue side of Glasgow but if you ask me he's a fantastic player and doesn't deserve the stick he gets.

a fit martin hardie

He's a wee w**ker. Despite living in Inverclyde once (don't know if he still does) Alex McLeish ended up having to ban him from Greenock because he got himself into so much trouble.

Anyway, this was about players we like at other clubs, not guys like Novo, so Neil McFarlane at Queens, always liked him and I would love to see him at Cappielow.

Liam Buchanan, Stevie Bell, and of course Brian McPhee, the banter's fantastic from him, although it is annoyng at the time when he's tearing your team to pieces. Nutmegs Greacen, beats Collins, wins a corner off Gaughan, turns to a stand full of Morton fans and shouts "OLE!!!" Funny in hindsight.

There was also one time at Cappielow against Hamilton when the whole Cowshed was singing "If you hate Jose Quitongo clap your hands" and McPhee turns round to the Cowshed, grins, looks at Jose and starts clapping along.

I've always liked dat Pat Keogh. He a donkey like me, and he love da carrot.

That's changed my opinion on him alot - very good of him



McPhee was also giving some superb banter to the AFC fans when warming up a few months ago, seems a good laugh.

Will also echo the sentiments on Neil Lennon and Henrik Larsson. I think with Coyle we always hated him but had a grudging respect for him since he was a great player, Novo is just a shitebag (see also Muscat, Wilson, Lovering.) Personally also liked Tosh for his banter with the Thistle fans, if a player can give as good as he gets without taking it too far I enjoy it.

I have a lot of time for Ross Tokely and Richard Hastings. These two guys have stuck with Caley from their 3rd Division days. They have made the transition to each new level and raised their game to cope with it. There are very few players these days who are loyal to a single team for so long. IMO guys like these have been central to a lot of Caley's success over the years.

I hope no St. Mirren fans read this, as they seem to think more highly of Stalin than him.

I agree with the bit about Tosh- his dialogue with the Thistle fans in that 4-0 horsing at Raydale was the only highlight of that day. I suppose it's easier to do that as a player when you're 4-0 up but he was an example to guys like Andy McLaren in how to deal with a bit of abuse from the crowd. Maybe Amoruso applauding us and giving us the thumbs-up in the cup semi when we were calling him a wanker is up there as well.

I've always liked Lee Wilkie (ok, maybe apart from for a couple of days after the 0-6 game in Amsterdam but he wasn't the only culpable one). Christian Dailly as well, even if he did always score against us and probably will tomorrow. I've always wanted Kevin James to sign for us, just so he can't play against us.

would have love to have seen someone like russell latapy play for the accies. A complete magician who drinks and smokes like a normal guy.

Always would rather have Kevin James in my team rather than play against him, never seen someone win so many headers, offensive and defensive, at NDP.

Doug Imrie and Joe Miller have always been mature, dignified and self-effacing when visiting New Douglas Park - both will be welcome on Saturday

McPhee is a legend. I started a poll ages ago about who was better for Accies- McPhee or Quitongo. McPhee messaged me and thanked me for my praise of him but then gave me some stick for saying that I prefered Quitongo. I explained that he'd only been at Hamilton for a season or a season and a half and should take it as a compliment that I'm even asking the question about the guy who is my favourite Accies player. I'll say again- McPhee = legend.

Non- Accies players I respect that have played in Scotland

Larsson, Barry Robson and John Hughes are the ones that spring to mind.

In the 1st division at the moment I'd have to say Kevin McDonald. The only Dundee player who kept his discipline against Hamilton in the recent game. Had a poor game but just got on with it.

At Hamilton, I'm so impressed with McArthur- NEVER mouths back at the referee, works his socks off, plays the game fair and is a model pro.

Agree 100%. His problem has always been the way he looks. Underated player and doesn't deserve the stick he used to put up with. Dealt with it well.

I'll add Wilkie, Latapy and John Hughes to my list as well, with no doubt more to follow as I remember them!

I've never seen a player take my side to pieces like Latapy has on occasion and that's including him alongside the likes of Gascoigne, Larsson, Laudrup etc... At the last World Cup, as much as I wanted Jason Scotland to get some game time, it had to be Latapy that came on as the final sub in the match against Paraguay.

First time I'd seen Jim Thomson play and I thought he was a rock in centre defence. Did I hear right that the commentators said he'd been at Queens for 10 years?

He first signed for them in 1997 but had a couple of years at Arbroath so it's eleven years but not continuously. He was excellent when they first came into this league but I thought time was catching up on him over the past few years before this season, when he's been back to his best.

For me, it would be Kenny Arthur. Taking that amount of abuse from the Clyde fans and still walk off with a smile on his face is incredible. I have a huge amount of respect for him.

Agree about Kenny Arthur and Thomson at Queens. I remember JT having a few stormers at centre half against the Accies a few years ago. Never the quickest but commanding- also did he not used to take free-kicks as well or set-up and goal against Hamilton with some neat wing-play a couple of seasons ago. I remember liking his no-nonsens committed approach.

Jim Thomson is one of those players that fans can relate to.I remember watching a few Clyde games at the old Douglas Park and he stuck out then.

I may be wrong but did him and Keith Knox play together.That was a good backline pairing.

Frank McGarvey-a blast from the past.To think of the abuse that guy's wife got for years and he still got on with the game.Made the abuse Posh?Spice gets seem tame in comparison.

Joe Wark at Well is another respected ex player.

Unlucky for Imrie then as he won't be there

Hard to think of players who haven't played for my club that i like or respect, Maybe Ryan Mcguffie.

Kenny Arthur was good for banter when we played Thistle.

Also, I've always admired Ally McCoist. He was a good player and a very down-to-earth, honest guy with a lot of time to talk to anyone. Any time I've spoken to him he's always taken great interest in lower league football. Great guy.

Larsson

He was signed from Stenhousemuir in January 1997 and left for Arbroath for personal reasons in June 1999, returning after a two season sabbatical to lead the team to the second division championship for the beginning of season 2001/02. He turned down first division football with Arbroath to return to Dumfries with no guarantee of it coming around again for him too. Respect for that.

He's now known as Mr Queens in some quarters. This season is the 10th he's played with us, though that first one wasn't a full season. I have no doubt he'll get a testimonial if he gets another year (which is surely a given). He also now works for the club in a promotional capacity as schools liaison officer and visits schools in the area giving some basic coaching regularly. Although not a local as such (raised in Kilsyth), he's an adoptive Doonhamer and has made his home here (as has Sean O'Connor).

When you consider his central defensive partner yesterday Andy Aitken is already in his testimonial year despite only being 30 it's a hell of a long established pairing. Aitken is the only local in the squad currently now too (since Willie Gibson departed for Kilmarnock).

I'm delighted for all our staff yesterday, they've all had their part to play but these two with 20 years service behind them deserve the rewards of yesterday so much for all the efforts over the years.


He's never taken a free kick for us to my knowledge. He did retrieve a too deep set piece and send in a brilliant cross for McNiven to open the scoring at NDP a few years ago. I expect that's what you recall.


I'm fairly sure he did play for Clyde at the same time as Knox. Knox was a full back though wasn't he? I wouldn't call that a pairing.

SD, here was me thinking that was you posting to confirm the level of your respect for the Ice Man, Goran Stanic!

Mark Kerr.

He played as a full back on occasions, but mainly as a centre half alongside Thomson. The centre half pairing of Knox and Thomson was also partnered in defence by Ross McFarlane at right back.

To be fair he was relatively calm on your most recent visit. Not like him at all.

As for the subject matter, not sure. I'd need to give that some thought. I always liked Mixu Paatelainen. Bobby Mann impressed me too over the years. Brian McPhee always impressed me. Just three off the top of my head.

Fair do's. I always recall him playing against us for Stranraer or Clyde at full back. Stand corrected though. Knox was a good honest pro too.