Best Part Timer

[Kingsmills]

We've had a completely full time squad for some time now, I suppose our last part time player was Paul Ritchie who combined football with accountancy.

However, in the early days and indeed for some time after we were blessed with some great part time players many of whom, with the benifit of full time training, could have held their own in th SPL. The likes of Paul Cherry and Mike Noble come to mind.

Who, in your opinion, was the best part timer to have played for Caledonian Thistle ?

I confess, for my part, I find it hard to seperate the cultured full back Ian McArthur from the much less cultured but hugely effective Jimmy Calder.

However, if pushed, my vote goes to Calder for sheer entertainment value.

[+Gringo]

Calder is a legend.... :notworthy01:

How about Mike Teasdale....whatever happened to him anyway?

[Scotty]

yup, my vote goes to Jimmy Calder too !!

[Harry Chibber]

Marco De Baros  :016:

I'm sure half our current squad were part time at one point or another but would say Alan Hercher although that would require a lot more than just full time training  :015:

Christie obviously!!

[Charles Bannerman]

If you think it through there were so many fine part timers (ie never full timers) at Caley Thistle. Calder, Christie (who, despite his full time employment with the club was, in effect, a part time player if you also exclude his time at Celtic), Ian MacArthur.... Paul Cherry was part time since he ran his own finance business, the legendary Herchie as mentioned, Mikey Noble, Brian Thomson... indeed so many of the side which won the Third Division title in 1997, and outwith that Paul Ritchie is the first thought.

I think I would have to give top equal to Christie and Calder (football's answer to Alf Tupper!) with Ian MacArthur possibly next but I'm also so sorely tempted by many of the others I've listed.

All time top part time eleven anybody? (Only players who never latterly went full time.)

Calder, MacArthur, ??????, Hercher, Noble, Cherry, Robertson, Thomson, Ritchie, Christie, Ross.

I'm struggling for a left back, given that Hastings is ineligible. (Vetle??!!!... NOT!) I'm also asking Herchie to play in central defence. If I didn't I could possibly put MacArthur  there which would then leave the right back slot blank and also possibly force Herchie out of the team which I'd be very reluctant to do. Gringo - I think Teasdale has too long a full time pedigree at Dundee and ICT to be eligible.

Memories of so many of these guys at Telford Street!!!

(By the way I do admit that this is very similar to the D3 championship winning team.)

[Scotty]

How about Mike Teasdale....whatever happened to him anyway?

Ended up at Elgin City working in the commercial department AFAIK .... not sure if he is still doing that or not.

Mike was a great guy too .... back in the early days of the site when we managed to get a few of the players to do live chat sessions Mike was always the first volunteer and seemed to enjoy it - think he did it twice or three times in total.

[caley100]

Met Mike in Inverness a while ago, he was having all sorts of bother with i canna mind which, but it was either a knee or a back problem(old injury i presume) which was giving him lots of grief, so much so that he could'nt ride his new sports motor bike.

Mike was a great player and was/is a great bloke.

[The Mantis]

I suppose Mad Dog McAllister is your LB then. Apparently he made 61 appearances according to Broadfoot.

[Charles Bannerman]

Thank you Mantis. As Captain Mainwaring would say ..... I was waiting for someone to mention that.

And here's a bit of ICT trivia. Although Charlie Christie was the first player to 100, 200 etc appearances, he was not the first to 50. It was Mark McAllister. Charlie had a period of injury during Caley Thistle's first season 94-95 which initially left him a little bit behind in the appearance stakes.

[The Mantis]

Aye, Charlie never appeared in that first ever East Stirling game in 94. The silky no 10 with the streaks in his hair was..... Grassa Bennett.

And the scorer of CT's first ever Scottish Cup goal was ... Mark McAllister.

[tm4tj]

:010:

[The Mantis]

What you mean mannie is you werenae there  :moon01:

And by the way it's

[tm4tj]

I may well have been, but would I have remembered the detail...........if the anorak fits, wear it :023:

[The Mantis]

The word is Ceefax. A Ceefax has a good memory. An Anorak makes a profession of it  :moon05::moon05::moon05::moon05::moon05:

Anyway they tell me ure a musical anorak  :016: :016: :016: :016: :016:

[tm4tj]

:buttkick: :music05: :011: