Meadowbank Thistle

[Hibernia&Alba]

I was just having a look at football shirts on e-bay and there are a few old Meadowbank tops for sale. Do any posters know any former MT regulars, and if so, what did they do when the club became Livi? Did they switch over or not?


Are MT still going in some form?

[Pretty Boy]

No answer to your question but my Grandad was manager of Ferranti Thistle shortly before they became Meadowbank Thistle, my Dad played (briefly) for Meadowbank and I was signed as a youth with Livingston.

Completely irrelevant piece of family history there.

[Mikey]

There's a big nosed yam who used to be a Thistle fan. Without wishing to be nosist, you wouldn't miss him!!

[Www1875hfc]

No answer to your question but my Grandad was manager of Ferranti Thistle shortly before they became Meadowbank Thistle, my Dad played (briefly) for Meadowbank and I was signed as a youth with Livingston.

Completely irrelevant piece of family history there.

Did you by any chance know Davie Roseburgh?Who was just coming to the end of his career with Meadowbank?
And a young lad called Barry Wood who was just starting out with Meadowbank,then Livingston.

[Pretty Boy]

Did you by any chance know Davie Roseburgh?Who was just coming to the end of his career with Meadowbank?
And a young lad called Barry Wood who was just starting out with Meadowbank,then Livingston.

My Dad may have known Davies, certainly a name I've heard.

I was at Livingston in 2002/03 so a fair while after the Meadowbank days. The name Barry Wood doesn't ring any bells.

[Skanko79]

one of my first jobs was working for meadowbank thistle, great wee club and i worked there when leishman was in charge and he's a top guy.

was sad to see them go. still remember the chants of "livingston **** **** **** we prefer meadowbank."

would love to get my hands on a shirt, think you can get them from toffs as well.

in fact you can http://www.toffs.com/Meadowbank-Thistle-1975-77/productinfo/2051/

[Www1875hfc]

8740

Think this was the start of season 95/96 i may be wrong though.

[PISTOL1875]

My mate is in the picture and he switched over when they became Livi. He has his 3rd Division winners medal which he likes to remind us about..

[patch1875]

i used to go to load of games when i was younger as i wasnt allowed to go to ER without my dad remember having a top that was massive as they didnt do kids sizes sure they were sponsored by ferranti at the time.

Remember going to *********** to see them play rangers in the skol cup :jamboak:

[fat freddy]

i attended meadowbanks first ever match...the programme had meadowbank thistle superimposed over ferranti thistle's name on the front cover as they weren't allowed to use the name of a company in the pro leagues and they had to come up with another name at the last minute (thats how i remember it anyway)...they had around 250 fans and most of them just done it for a laugh...i remember their supporters bus held illegal readings en route to matches of ''spycatcher'' by peter wright, a book about the intelligence community which was banned by the thatcher regime...their best ever player was darren jackson...they also had a player that played around 1000 games for them and was still playing when he was 65...they beat hibs once i think but that might be a bad dream...thats everything i know about meadowbank thistle.

[magpie1892]

I knew four or five die-hards who switched to Edinburgh City (and still go) the minute MT left Edinburgh.

[jgl07]

They didn't have much support by the end.

A typical crowd would be 200 - 250. A thrd of those would be away team supporters, another third would be complimentaries, and the remaining 80 or so would be chanting 'Blobby out'. (A reference to chairman Bill Hunter).

Some certainly transferred over to Edinburgh City when they moved into Meadowbank stadium.

[Phil D. Rolls]

They didn't have much support by the end.

A typical crowd would be 200 - 250. A thrd of those would be away team supporters, another third would be complimentaries, and the remaining 80 or so would be chanting 'Blobby out'. (A reference to chairman Bill Hunter).

Some cratainly transferred over to Edinburgh City when they moved into Meadowbank stadium.


I think the council should be doing more to preserve the place, in case any other famous old Edinburgh teams need to use it in future.

[The_Exile]

They didn't have much support by the end.

A typical crowd would be 200 - 250. A thrd of those would be away team supporters, another third would be complimentaries, and the remaining 80 or so would be chanting 'Blobby out'. (A reference to chairman Bill Hunter).

Some certainly transferred over to Edinburgh City when they moved into Meadowbank stadium.

BLOBBY BLOBBY BLOBBY OUT OUT OUT, ahhh the memories :greengrin

[HibbyDave]

I went to see them play Partick thistle in a scottish cup tie in Glasgow. Partick won 6_1 Still had a great day out, can't remember where Hibs were palying that weekend but I think the Glasgow trip was a sunday anyway.

Also, It was Ferranti Thistle.

[Holmesdale Hibs]

I was a ballboy for Meadowbank for a few seasons. It was my first ever job paying £2.50 per game and a bovril at half time.

[Auckland Hibs]

i attended meadowbanks first ever match...the programme had meadowbank thistle superimposed over ferranti thistle's name on the front cover as they weren't allowed to use the name of a company in the pro leagues and they had to come up with another name at the last minute (thats how i remember it anyway)...they had around 250 fans and most of them just done it for a laugh...i remember their supporters bus held illegal readings en route to matches of ''spycatcher'' by peter wright, a book about the intelligence community which was banned by the thatcher regime...their best ever player was darren jackson...they also had a player that played around 1000 games for them and was still playing when he was 65...they beat hibs once i think but that might be a bad dream...thats everything i know about meadowbank thistle.

Recall this guy actually got a mention on BBC's lunch time footy show, isn't he the all time record holder for appearances in the UK? Seem to remember some football guru Meadowbank Thistle fan having to correct the football league as they had messed up their appearance records (will try to google later).

Went along to see Meadowbank play a few times, usually if they had a cup game against a bigger team.

[Eyrie]

Think the guy's name was Graeme Armstrong.

[Bishop Hibee]

I know one fan who followed them to
Livi and one who was so bitter he gave
Up.
Remember being at a Thistle v Pars game
When a Hibs game was postponed.
Hamish French scored in a 0-1 win to
Dunfy. More Hibbys than Thistle fans
In the crowd!

[NorthNorfolkHFC]

Think the guy's name was Graeme Armstrong.

Yeah, i know that guy. ;)

Didn't plat until 65 though, he is only 56 and hasn't played for a bit.

[Jonnyboy]

I went to see them play Partick thistle in a scottish cup tie in Glasgow. Partick won 6_1 Still had a great day out, can't remember where Hibs were palying that weekend but I think the Glasgow trip was a sunday anyway.

Also, It was Ferranti Thistle.

We'd probably been knocked out :wink:

I used to work beside a Meadowbank fan and he was gutted when they moved west to become Livingston. Not sure if he followed them.

[tamig]

Think the guy's name was Graeme Armstrong.

It was. Think he played into his 40s and he was the fastest player in Scottish football for a good number of years.

[NorthNorfolkHFC]

It was. Think he played into his 40s and he was the fastest player in Scottish football for a good number of years.

Still held in high regard by the norwegian Stenhousemuir supporters. Not sure about fastest footballer but still competing in athletics and sprinting at his grand old age.

[Iggy Pope]

Still held in high regard by the norwegian Stenhousemuir supporters. Not sure about fastest footballer but still competing in athletics and sprinting at his grand old age.

And a good Hibby too, as is his old boss Terry Christie!

[NorthNorfolkHFC]

The whole Armstrong family are huge Hibs fans.

I know his career highlight was scoring a penalty at tynecastle against big Rousset!!! He was playing for the Warriors in the League Cup.

[KeithTheHibby]

They almost got promoted to the premier league one year, finished runners up to Hamilton I think?

[Heedersnvolleys]

I think Ian Little the current Berwick boss was one of the players at Meadowbank when it changed to Livingston.

[scotia44]

Actually my claim to fame is I played for MT reserves ...yes there reserves were set up as a youth team scouted from supporters or in my case a mate of a ballboy
Used to go to training at Holyrood park at the time when Adrian Sprott Darren Jackson and the gent Arthur Duncan played for them sure Tam Niven was the physio as well and TC was the manager with Donald Park his assistant player coach kit man divot replacer

I never made it (injury:fibber:) or I could have graced that hallowed turf in a MT strip
Remember going to a massive game against the mighty Nairn County and the casuals were out in force that night :greengrin

[Gaz]

The whole Armstrong family are huge Hibs fans.

.

To right we are big hibbys Graeme is my uncle

[fat freddy]

I never made it (injury:fibber:) or I could have graced that hallowed turf in a MT strip
Remember going to a massive game against the mighty Nairn County and the casuals were out in force that night :greengrinyes, i remember the infamous meadowbank casuals, the m.c.c....they held edinburgh in a grip of fear for many years as they ran riot all over the city, extorting pubs and clubs, putting their top boys on the doors of all the nightspots and reducing the gorgie aggro to a quivering wreck...the good thing about them though, was ordinary meadowbank fans suddenly found that they could go to places likes ochilview and glebe park and remain unmollested by the hooligans of the teams that previously terrorised them...i recently read a book by one of their top boys, ''these colours dont wash''..it was a no holds barred account of the workings within the inner sanctum of a group of men who feared nothing and fought gamely on the wide open terraces against some of the hardest mobs that the scottish 2nd division could muster....on one occassion the author was arrested for a road traffic violation..it really was that dangerous back in those days.

[Jonnyboy]

Actually my claim to fame is I played for MT reserves ...yes there reserves were set up as a youth team scouted from supporters or in my case a mate of a ballboy
Used to go to training at Holyrood park at the time when Adrian Sprott Darren Jackson and the gent Arthur Duncan played for them sure Tam Niven was the physio as well and TC was the manager with Donald Park his assistant player coach kit man divot replacer

I never made it (injury:fibber:) or I could have graced that hallowed turf in a MT strip
Remember going to a massive game against the mighty Nairn County and the casuals were out in force that night :greengrin

Arthur was indeed a gent. Nicer bloke you couldn't meet :agree:

I'm guessing you mean Tam McNiven who was 'trainer' at ER for many years and was another top bloke

[O'Rourke3]

8740

Think this was the start of season 95/96 i may be wrong though.
Year may be wrong but I'm sure there's a player in that photo that played last Saturday at ER for oppsition. He was on MT books but left just before they became Livingston. Name that player :cb

My trivia is I worked beside the guy who did the programme at MT but diagreed with the move west and was banned from Meadowbank by Bill Hunter so could only watch the team away from home. I also knew someone who worked at Ferranti when they accededed to the Scottsih League and so was a shareholder in the team and also the new company and proxied his shares to my mate who went to the shareholder meetings to protest, We know what happended....He also ended up at EC, and was interviewed on the BBC when EC made the third round of the Scottish Cup as their historian.

[Jonnyboy]

Year may be wrong but I'm sure there's a player in that photo that played last Saturday at ER for oppsition. He was on MT books but left just before they became Livingston. Name that player :cb

My trivia is I worked beside the guy who did the programme at MT but diagreed with the move west and was banned from Meadowbank by Bill Hunter so could only watch the team away from home. I also knew someone who worked at Ferranti when they accededed to the Scottsih League and so was a shareholder in the team and also the new company and proxied his shares to my mate who went to the shareholder meetings to protest, We know what happended....He also ended up at EC, and was interviewed on the BBC when EC made the third round of the Scottish Cup as their historian.

Rab Douglas per chance? :greengrin

[O'Rourke3]

Rab Douglas per chance? :greengrin

I forgot you probably took the photo........ If there was a prize you just won it. Em, .......................You are gifted the honour of being Hibs class :thumbsup:

[Jonnyboy]

I forgot you probably took the photo........ If there was a prize you just won it. Em, .......................You are gifted the honour of being Hibs class :thumbsup:

I'll settle for that :thumbsup:

[O'Rourke3]

In the absence of an emoticon ...........:cup:

When the Admins get round to asking: a(n) Hibs Class one :thumbsup:

[Jonnyboy]

In the absence of an emoticon ...........:cup:

When the Admins get round to asking: a(n) Hibs Class one :thumbsup:

:aok:

[jae]

yes, i remember the infamous meadowbank casuals, the m.c.c....they held edinburgh in a grip of fear for many years as they ran riot all over the city, extorting pubs and clubs, putting their top boys on the doors of all the nightspots and reducing the gorgie aggro to a quivering wreck...the good thing about them though, was ordinary meadowbank fans suddenly found that they could go to places likes ochilview and glebe park and remain unmollested by the hooligans of the teams that previously terrorised them...i recently read a book by one of their top boys, ''these colours dont wash''..it was a no holds barred account of the workings within the inner sanctum of a group of men who feared nothing and fought gamely on the wide open terraces against some of the hardest mobs that the scottish 2nd division could muster....on one occassion the author was arrested for a road traffic violation..it really was that dangerous back in those days.

LOL if this was facebook I would like that #bigthumbsupsmiley

[Niffy]

Ali Paterson switched to watch Dunbar United , and still does.


There you go.

[ano hibby]

yes, i remember the infamous meadowbank casuals, the m.c.c....they held edinburgh in a grip of fear for many years as they ran riot all over the city, extorting pubs and clubs, putting their top boys on the doors of all the nightspots and reducing the gorgie aggro to a quivering wreck...the good thing about them though, was ordinary meadowbank fans suddenly found that they could go to places likes ochilview and glebe park and remain unmollested by the hooligans of the teams that previously terrorised them...i recently read a book by one of their top boys, ''these colours dont wash''..it was a no holds barred account of the workings within the inner sanctum of a group of men who feared nothing and fought gamely on the wide open terraces against some of the hardest mobs that the scottish 2nd division could muster....on one occassion the author was arrested for a road traffic violation..it really was that dangerous back in those days.

haha very good mate:greengrin:top marks

[JustPassing]

yes, i remember the infamous meadowbank casuals, the m.c.c....they held edinburgh in a grip of fear for many years as they ran riot all over the city, extorting pubs and clubs, putting their top boys on the doors of all the nightspots and reducing the gorgie aggro to a quivering wreck...the good thing about them though, was ordinary meadowbank fans suddenly found that they could go to places likes ochilview and glebe park and remain unmollested by the hooligans of the teams that previously terrorised them...i recently read a book by one of their top boys, ''these colours dont wash''..it was a no holds barred account of the workings within the inner sanctum of a group of men who feared nothing and fought gamely on the wide open terraces against some of the hardest mobs that the scottish 2nd division could muster....on one occassion the author was arrested for a road traffic violation..it really was that dangerous back in those days.
Excellent post!

[dangermouse]

Year may be wrong but I'm sure there's a player in that photo that played last Saturday at ER for oppsition. He was on MT books but left just before they became Livingston. Name that player :cb

My trivia is I worked beside the guy who did the programme at MT but diagreed with the move west and was banned from Meadowbank by Bill Hunter so could only watch the team away from home. I also knew someone who worked at Ferranti when they accededed to the Scottsih League and so was a shareholder in the team and also the new company and proxied his shares to my mate who went to the shareholder meetings to protest, We know what happended....He also ended up at EC, and was interviewed on the BBC when EC made the third round of the Scottish Cup as their historian.

Are his initials DB and did he work for the Scottish Office?

[hibee-shtuggie]

I was just having a look at football shirts on e-bay and there are a few old Meadowbank tops for sale. Do any posters know any former MT regulars, and if so, what did they do when the club became Livi? Did they switch over or not?


Are MT still going in some form?

I work with a guy who was a MT season ticket holder for many years - going to all the away games.

He has a few genuine tops still about.

he said that not many fans switched to Livingston out of protest. He started following hibs and knew others that started following hearts...but apprently the majority went to Edinburgh City as they were Edinburgh's 'third team' after MT changed.

[London Hibs FC]

Actually my claim to fame is I played for MT reserves ...yes there reserves were set up as a youth team scouted from supporters or in my case a mate of a ballboy
Used to go to training at Holyrood park at the time when Adrian Sprott Darren Jackson and the gent Arthur Duncan played for them sure Tam Niven was the physio as well and TC was the manager with Donald Park his assistant player coach kit man divot replacer

I never made it (injury:fibber:) or I could have graced that hallowed turf in a MT strip
Remember going to a massive game against the mighty Nairn County and the casuals were out in force that night :greengrin



Correct, I don't think a 'formal' reserve team was set up till 1990/91 Season. I'll drop you a PM as we must have been around about the same time, I didn't get picked up by any bigger clubs as I had 'issues' with discipline at that age but Terry (through his son, who I played with for years before he went to Hearts, and Jim McArthur who was my old PE Teacher) allowed me to train with Thistle.

I used to ball boy every match and would travel with the team to away matches.......... we weren't much cope to be honest but great memories all the same, Arthur Duncan in particular but I also remember being there for Darren Jackson's first training session.

Wee, Wee, Wee, Jags, Jags, Jags, Wee Jags, Wee Jags.........

[O'Rourke3]

Are his initials DB and did he work for the Scottish Office?

:agree:

[Sylar]

I guess I come from the other side of the fence in all honesty.

I wasn't much interested in football when I was young (I was 9 when Livingston were formed) even though my uncle had tried to get me to follow Rangers (his team) from a young age. Despite some of the notions on here, it didn't take and I didn't have a team at this time.

My father was involved in a lot of the development of the stadium when the move took place and as a result, I was there pretty regularly with him. I kicked about on the pitch when he was working, I watched the team train, had photos taken with the players and our family got to know the Leishman family pretty well during this time. As a result of the continued work in the setup of the stadium, my dad was gifted season tickets to the club and we went to every single game as Livi rose through the leagues. I was hooked as this was both a local and successful team (unknown to me that it would effectively ruin the club via financial mismanagement). I supported the club and went to every league match right up until the Angelo Massone era, when the continued politics, financial Armageddon and bitter taste left following the previous incumbents of the club drove a lot of fans away.

I can understand many of the Meadowbank fans not continuing to follow the club under their new guise, but I certainly knew plenty of Meadowbank Thistle (and even Ferranti Thistle) fans who did follow the club to Livingston.

[NorthNorfolkHFC]

To right we are big hibbys Graeme is my uncle

Subtle Gary!

[NOLA]

when i was too young to go to hibs away games id go along to meadowbank, sad that they moved away at the time but can see the reason behind it now, id forgotten that livingston used to be meadowbank thistle.

[PercyHibs]

The whole Armstrong family are huge Hibs fans.

I know his career highlight was scoring a penalty at tynecastle against big Rousset!!! He was playing for the Warriors in the League Cup.

Nah, I've heard there's a jambo in there somewhere. I'd say the armstrongs are split down the middle. Just read some of your posts magnum, unsure what side your on. I smell a Yam??? :fishin: :feed: :stirrer:

[NorthNorfolkHFC]

Aye, very good.:cb

I think there is 1 jamboid amongst us but on family dinners he eats in the back garden, alone.

[heretoday]

I used to live in a flat in Meadowbank and was able (with a little strain) to watch Thistle while having a bath.

Sadly they never played Hibs at home during that period. That would have been the ultimate luxury.

[Gatecrasher]

I used to go and see Livi quite a lot as we got free tickets from the schools and it was only 5 mins from my house, i was and always will be a Hibby though. I also done a summer training camp with livi and 2 ex hibees Lee Bailey and Chris Reid took it. I was amazed to be chatting with Hibs players and Lee Bailey had some skills :agree:

Sorry i thats just slightly off topic :)

[Kojock]

Years ago we used to go to Scotties for a beer after the game. When we walked in the barman told us to remove our scarves as no football colours were allowed.

No probs we said but that guy at the bar has a football scarf on pointing to an old guy who was eighty if he was a day wearing a MT scarf. "Awe c'mon boys you must be joking," says the barman.

Nope rules are rules we said, so he went up to the old boy and told him he would have to take his scarf off while we stood there p!shing ourselves laughing.

We bought the old boy a pint for his troubles. :greengrin

[Delboy4]

My business partner 'Jimmy Hancock' was the first ever captain for Meadowbank Thistle away back in 1974...some good stories from then!

[Peevemor]

My business partner 'Jimmy Hancock' was the first ever captain for Meadowbank Thistle away back in 1974...some good stories from then!

I thought it was a guy called Neil Nisbet

[Delboy4]

I thought it was a guy called Neil Nisbet

Jimmy just told me the story - back in 1974 MT tried to sign him but they never had any money to pay his fee...they started the season without him and played 6 games and lost the lot, they then offered him his signing on fee but would have to pay it at the end of the season when they received money from the pools payout.

He was made captain on his debut which they won! He played and captained the team for 5 years.

Funnily enough, he was also telling me that they never had a manager, the team was picked by a committee!!

[Peevemor]

Jimmy just told me the story - back in 1974 MT tried to sign him but they never had any money to pay his fee...they started the season without him and played 6 games and lost the lot, they then offered him his signing on fee but would have to pay it at the end of the season when they received money from the pools payout.

He was made captain on his debut which they won! He played and captained the team for 5 years.

Funnily enough, he was also telling me that they never had a manager, the team was picked by a committee!!

I used to see Neil fairly often when he was working with his son (also Neil) - both great guys.

[Stevie Reid]

Went to see them a few times when Terry Christie was manager, think they beat Alloa 4-0 in one of the games we went to. I'm pretty sure one of the guys who worked in Colin Campbell Sports when it was on Ratcliffe Terrace played for them.

[Peevemor]

Went to see them a few times when Terry Christie was manager, think they beat Alloa 4-0 in one of the games we went to. I'm pretty sure one of the guys who worked in Colin Campbell Sports when it was on Ratcliffe Terrace played for them.

Colin Campbell? :dunno:

[derekHFC]

Colin Campbell? :dunno:

:agree: t'was Colin himself who played

[eastmainsmsh]

I thought it was a guy called Neil Nisbet


Neils a good lad as is his brother stevie both played for ormi primrose . neil managed Peebles im sure ....Yano (Ian Little) followed Terry Christie to Stenhousemuir then Livingston

[Stevie Reid]

Colin Campbell? :dunno:


:agree: t'was Colin himself who played

No. I'm aware that CC played for them (earlier than when I mean) but it wasn't him, it was another guy who worked in the shop - around about 86-87 I think.

[eastmainsmsh]

No. I'm aware that CC played for them (earlier than when I mean) but it wasn't him, it was another guy who worked in the shop - around about 86-87 I think.

Ian Gordon maybe ?

He played for Airdrie and Raith

used to coach EOS Pencaitland

[Steve-O]

I seem to recall going to 2 Meadowbank games when I were a lad, and I am sure that both games finished 2-2. One was definitely v East Fife and someone scored a cracking header. Weird the things you remember. I also think I remember that BLOBBY BLOBBY BLOBBY chant but had no idea what it was all about! :greengrin

[One Day]

Meadowbank Thistle 1st game August9th 1974, Team line ups,


Meadowbank Thistle - Gray, Cathcart, McDonald, Bell, Robertson, Nesbit, Scobie, Fotheringham, Martin, Hall, Sivewright. Subs - Crawford, McGurk.

Albion Rovers - Graham, McConville, Main, Rice, Shields, Montgomery, Brogan, Sermanni, Dickson, O'Connor, Coughlin. Subs - Gillespie, Smyth.

Referee - R. D. Henderson (Dundee)

[Hibby_Paul]

Nice to see to see my dads name in the line up (Cathcart) played centre half for feranti thistle then Meadowbank.

[matty_f]

No. I'm aware that CC played for them (earlier than when I mean) but it wasn't him, it was another guy who worked in the shop - around about 86-87 I think.

86-87 is awfy old for a footballer. Was it Davie Weir ?

[TrickyNicky]

When I was about 7 or 8, me and my pals used to sneak into Meadowbank Stadium via The Waverley hockey field near the tennis courts.

We would climb up through the stand and into the commentary box through a small hole below the seats and yell out a plethora of swear words over the tannoy which was operated from inside .

All the players on the park would look up at us and laugh and cheer.

They eventually put a guy up there to make sure we couldn't do it ( he had no idea how we were getting in ), as soon as he was out of sight we were straight in.

We tired of this when they demolished the big garage across the road and we would sit and read Knave magazine ( the return of the scratch and sniff was my favourite issue ever ) in burnt out car seats with the sweet smell of engine oil.

[Stevie Reid]

Ian Gordon maybe ?

He played for Airdrie and Raith

used to coach EOS Pencaitland

Could well have been, I can't remember his name but it definitely wasn't Colin himself. Very nice guy though.


86-87 is awfy old for a footballer. Was it Davie Weir ?

:greengrin