John Lambie

[Im_Rodger]

RIP

[Nightmare]

That video. 

"How did we start the game? Shite. Correct."

[Savage Henry]

Pretty sure this was a babyface promo of his before the Scottish Cup QF against the Caley around March 2002.  A great worker who drew big crowds.

Was that played in the pouring rain, with Partick winning a tight game, maybe 1-0 or 2-1? If so, I went to that game with a bunch of Partick fans I met in the pub. We were all half cut, and tagged along with Lambie after meeting him outside the ground. He told us to follow him, and we just walked (stumbled, really)straight up the tunnel and along the touch line, hopped over the barrier and into the away end. Not one person stopped us.

That aside, circa 1998 Partick had a black striker who, on his day, was sensational (remember him scoring directly from a corner against County). Unfortunately Lambie didn’t rate him, and made his life miserable. One day, outside Buchanan Galleries, said player was holding court to a group of fans, and basically said he hated it at Partick. “I don’t like Lambie and he doesn’t like me”. He then went on to use the names that Lambie called him. Never thought very highly of Lambie after that (apart from giving me free entry to an ICT game), but it’s hard to argue with what he achieved as a manager.

[the_paulo]

12 minutes ago, Squirrelhumper said:

Ha, I remember every single one of those.

I remember he and Gerry Collins used to have ding dongs with ref's on a weekly basis. One time Collins was banned from the touchline for game when we were at Firhill and he watched the game in the Jackie Husband with all the workies wearing a hard hat shouting instructions!

That's one that springs to my mind too.  That game was classic Lambie-era entertainment.  

[CM.]

6 minutes ago, Nightmare said:

That video. 

"How did we start the game? Shite. Correct."

Its edited out a Thistle documentary thats on youtube in several parts called "Grasping the Thistle". 

Only watched that part as it featured Clyde but imagine the whole thing would be worth a watch if it has dressing room and touchline scenes from several games.

Edit: after searching for it I came across this which looks like its all his best meltdown swearing moments from the documentary in the one video

 

[Hammer Jag]

1 minute ago, Savage Henry said:

 

Was that played in the pouring rain, with Partick winning a tight game, maybe 1-0 or 2-1? If so, I went to that game with a bunch of Partick fans I met in the pub. We were all half cut, and tagged along with Lambie after meeting him outside the ground. He told us to follow him, and we just walked (stumbled, really)straight up the tunnel and along the touch line, hopped over the barrier and into the away end. Not one person stopped us.

That aside, circa 1998 Partick had a black striker who, on his day, was sensational (remember him scoring directly from a corner against County). Unfortunately Lambie didn’t rate him, and made his life miserable. One day, outside Buchanan Galleries, said player was holding court to a group of fans, and basically said he hated it at Partick. “I don’t like Lambie and he doesn’t like me”. He then went on to use the names that Lambie called him. Never thought very highly of Lambie after that (apart from giving me free entry to an ICT game), but it’s hard to argue with what he achieved as a manager.

 

Said player was Namibian international Quentin Jacobs. He was a massive signing for us at the time considering we were mid-table in the old Second Division. I’m sure it was one of our directors who brought him in. 

Got told he kicked f**k out of Gerry Collins. 

[Nightmare]

12 minutes ago, Hammer Jag said:

 

That's amazing.

Looked like a great crowd as well.

[Nightmare]

4 minutes ago, C. Muir said:

Its edited out a Thistle documentary thats on youtube in several parts called "Grasping the Thistle". 

Only watched that part as it featured Clyde but imagine the whole thing would be worth a watch if it has dressing room and touchline scenes from several games.

Yeah, I remember it on the BBC at the time. Will need to watch the whole thing again.

[TheScarf]

6 minutes ago, Savage Henry said:

 

Was that played in the pouring rain, with Partick winning a tight game, maybe 1-0 or 2-1? If so, I went to that game with a bunch of Partick fans I met in the pub. We were all half cut, and tagged along with Lambie after meeting him outside the ground. He told us to follow him, and we just walked (stumbled, really)straight up the tunnel and along the touch line, hopped over the barrier and into the away end. Not one person stopped us.

That aside, circa 1998 Partick had a black striker who, on his day, was sensational (remember him scoring directly from a corner against County). Unfortunately Lambie didn’t rate him, and made his life miserable. One day, outside Buchanan Galleries, said player was holding court to a group of fans, and basically said he hated it at Partick. “I don’t like Lambie and he doesn’t like me”. He then went on to use the names that Lambie called him. Never thought very highly of Lambie after that (apart from giving me free entry to an ICT game), but it’s hard to argue with what he achieved as a manager.

 

That was the reply at the TCS you describe, a Scott Paterson freekick was the difference.  

The original game was 2-2 at Firhill which was what that photo was taken for, I think.   I recall Russell Duncan was superb that day.

[Squirrelhumper]

5 minutes ago, Nightmare said:

That's amazing.

Looked like a great crowd as well.

Aye, we were all behind the goals and main stand.

The Jackie Husband was open for our next visit I'm sure.

I remember a Hogmanay game about 95 (2-2) when it was split between home and away.

[the_paulo]

I remember my dad taking me to Firhill to pick up our season tickets on a midweek afternoon.  We were directed upstairs to the 'office'.   Upstairs, one guy behind a desk and a cloud of smoke obscuring the whole room as you'd expect.   Of course it is John Lambie handing out our season books, asks my dad if he's been coming to Firhill a while and who his favourite player was.  My dad replied Davie McParland and Lambie says 'was he no just a big eejit?'  My dad joins in and says aye he was a big daftie.  That's when Lambie decided to introduce the guy we never noticed sitting in the corner behind us, Davie McParland.  

 

Good chance to meet a couple of legends/my da getting clamped by Johnnie Lambie and Davie McParland.  Proud moment either way.

[Believe The Hype]

32 minutes ago, Hammer Jag said:

Thrown in the sea by his own players during a pre-season trip to Blackpool. Ended up puncturing a lung and nearly dying.

Used to make his players run up and down Ruchill Park with tractor tyres for training.

Had his car rammed off the road by an irate Falkirk fan when he was their manager.

What. A. Man.

I believe the Falkirk fan in question is a member on here

[Poet of the Macabre]

A charismatic guy and achieved incredible things with Thistle. 

[coach]

37 minutes ago, the_paulo said:

I remember my dad taking me to Firhill to pick up our season tickets on a midweek afternoon.  We were directed upstairs to the 'office'.   Upstairs, one guy behind a desk and a cloud of smoke obscuring the whole room as you'd expect.   Of course it is John Lambie handing out our season books, asks my dad if he's been coming to Firhill a while and who his favourite player was.  My dad replied Davie McParland and Lambie says 'was he no just a big eejit?'  My dad joins in and says aye he was a big daftie.  That's when Lambie decided to introduce the guy we never noticed sitting in the corner behind us, Davie McParland.  

 

Good chance to meet a couple of legends/my da getting clamped by Johnnie Lambie and Davie McParland.  Proud moment either way.

lol. Great story about the man I still and will always call "Gaffer". He took me on board as

his goalie coach at Firhill after I had been approached by an agent, who said Mr Lambie

was looking for someone to take his keepers for sessions and warm-ups. Could I attend

Lochinch Playing Fields the following midweek?", I was asked. Well, that was some experience.

Outfield players running about with ropes tied around their waists, dragging tyres lol.  Mr Lambie

watched quite a bit of what we were doing, asked me to head back to Firhill and that was the

start of a fantastic journey for me.  I can still see him singing the Thistle song - wearing a huge

cowboy hat - on the afternoon Jags won promotion with a 2-2 draw at Forfar. It was Easter

Weekend, baltic and after the final whistle, we were sent back out wearing t-shirts for a

lap of honour because the wonderful travelling support would not leave the ground. When

I last worked with him, on the morning Dick Campbell and Jimmy Bone were appointed, he

made a farewell speech which I will never forget. Gaffer, thank you for trusting me right from

that night at Lochinch. I am devastated that you have gone. RIP. My thoughts are also with 

Mr Lambie's family and friends.

[Hammer Jag]

His ability to work with squads of journeymen and wring absolutely everything out of them was second to none. He had an incredible knack of building teams around guys who were coming to the end of their careers. Guys like Brian Martin, Ray Montgomerie, Danny Lennon, Paul McGrillen, Jamie Dolan, Alex Burns, Mark McNally, Allan Moore and many more.

He also had an eye for younger players whose careers were stalling. Martin Hardie was plucked from East Stirlingshire in the old Third Division, and Stephen Craigan went on to become a top flight regular for the rest of his career as well as an internationalist, having been freed from Motherwell.  

His methods wouldn’t be tolerated in today’s game and he must have been hellish to play for at times but the guy was unquestionably of the greatest characters  ever to grace our game. I just feel privileged to have lived through many of his finest moments.

My thoughts are with his family today. Rest in peace, Mr Lambie.

[FuzzyBear]

1 hour ago, Believe The Hype said:

I believe the Falkirk fan in question is a member on here

Do tell more !

[Lurkst]

Remember hearing he fined Chick Charnley and Albert Craig for talking about Celtic too much in the dressing room 

[JamesM82]

 

Photo must be from 1981 (Bertie Auld as manager, First Division trophy in front).

[third lanark]

Absolute legend - very sad news to hear he has passed away.  RIP John and thanks for all the incredible work you did for the jags

[John MacLean]

I suspect for a whole variety of reasons John wouldn't have managed as well in the current, transfer window, football world. He was a fantastic wheeler and dealer in the transfer market. He would always go on about how we were "just two players" short. He'd then sign three and then still declare that he was "just two players short". He knew that bringing in new faces, even if they would be out the door in a week or two, would keep players on their toes. 

He was just about the first manager I can recall who used a psychologist (the master of malapropism John likely called them a physicist). A few days later we beat Rangers 3-0 at Firhill and John went nuts when the psychologist tried to claim credit for the result in the papers. They were swiftly shown the door. 

Of course John was a psychologist himself. From giving the players a glass of champagne each just before kick-off in a game against Rangers in our first season back in the Premier League to wringing a pigeon's neck in the dressing room and telling Declan Roche that he could do the same to him. 

Alan Archibald spoke at a Meet the Manager event last season and talked about how John was in many respects way ahead of his time. There was indeed method to his madness. 

Of course he had his flaws as a manager (which one doesn't?) and his eccentric approach would undoubtedly have put some, bigger, clubs off but he was a perfect fit for Partick Thistle. Four times he was our manager and it isn't that much of a stretch to imagine, had his health been better, that he could have been back for a fifth stint. 

As programme editor I 'worked' with John for many years. Trying to turn his colourful use of language into something readable was often a challenge and that's before you factor in the odd we expletive. 

I last spoke to John last season on an all too rare visit to Firhill. I was glad to spend just a few minutes just passing the time of day with him. He looked well, although we knew he wasn't in the best of health, and he was in top form. 

John Lambie will be thought of by most people as first and foremost a football man but a quick look at his Facebook page (John Lambie on Facebook, bloody hell) shows little other than a few family pictures. His love of his family shines through in those pictures for all to see though and it is his family that I think of most at this dreadfully sad time for them. 

Today is a sad day for Partick Thistle.