.........of 10 or11 I was a big fan of the hi hi's my dad wouldn't let me go to the away games but every home game there I was with my red and white scarf on, having taken 2 buses to get there from Pollokshsws (when I could afford 2 penny halfs on the tram or bus, otherwise I walked) I remember the feel of it, there is nothing like a real live game! Bovril and a pie at halftime! And here was me thinking I was the only thirds fan on the planet!
I'll be posting more now I'm a MEMBER thanks for this site
Taking the Polish player Felix Staroscik as an example, he was at Cathkin Park from 1946 until 1951. Incidentally, does anyone know if Staroscik is the first "foreign" player to play for Thirds?
Thanks Alan, for those dates, that would make me aged 9 to 14 which sounds about right.
As I said I went to all the home games, and some away games in Glasgow,I was thirds mad! I saved every programme, and had quite a collection, until my wee mammy threw them out when I went in to the service! I wish I had them now!
My favourites were players like Jimmy Harrower, a classy fullback, wee Harry Mooneyof course Jimmy Mason and the aforementioned " Starry" a wee bandy legged winger and a character in his own right.
Was anybody around Cathkin at that time? I notice that there are a lot of "viewers" but not many "posters" speak up lads and lassies!
PTL in my time there was no club shop in the ground and i have no recollection of any Thirds shop in the 'High Street'. These type of shops are a fairly 'recent' (20-25 years) phenomenon and to get anything resembling your favourites back then was to trawl round all the 'sports' shops looking for a strip that was as close as possible to your team. I did have the old 'v' neck top (not official) and white socks with two thin red bands round the top (still got the socks!)
Thanks tampabear, I remember Matt Balunas well, a big, well built lad, baldy heided played right back, and was famous for "baluning" the ball over the coo shed when things got tough!
matt balunas was born of lithuanian parents. he had four sisters, one of which is my mother.matt has had his legs amputated. after football he became a junior referee. he used to referee games in the central division in the 60s. he refereed at holytown where my older brother was playing for holytown amateurs. matt is still alive and living in bellshill, with my mother his only surviving sister. should you require any furher info, please post.
I'm so sorry,that Matt has lost his legs, if you could do one thing for me I'd appreciate it. Please convey to him that there are still people out here who remember him with fondness, If his playing days are any indication (and I'm sure they are) the man is not a quitter! and I wish him the very best! He, along with the rest of that team were a BIG part of my life when I was growing up in the 'shaws.
Having read your comments re Matt Balunas, and agreeing with all of them, I wonder if anyone who had the privilege of seeing him in action remembers the Match reports following each Celtic game at cathkin or Parkhead.
Having described the game, there was usually a form of postscript, highlighting Matt's meticulous display against Celtic's Charlie Tully. He regularly managed to put the shackles on him.
In 1971 when living in Northern Ireland, I visited Clandeboy Park in Bangor, for a match against Portadown. At that time the Bangor boss was indeed THE Charlie Tully, and I managed to have a few words on the Hi Hi front. Of course he remembered Matt well,, and agreed that of all the full backs of that era, Balunas, was the finest he had faced.
Quite an accolade for Matt but one well deserved
Along with Johnny Kelly, in the late 40's and early fifties he formed just about the finest Club defence partnership in Scotland.
I remember talking to Matt at work one day about fitba of course and I asked him who was the greatest winger he ever played against being a winger myself i was really interested who he would say and he told me it was Len Shackleton i believed he played with Sunderland at the time Matt said he just could not get near him i wonder if Matt remembers him I think he was the original crown prince
Along with Johnny Kelly, in the late 40's and early fifties he formed just about the finest Club defence partnership in Scotland. Thanks for that memory. Bert.
Hi Bert,
I'm sure you'll know best, but my memory is telling me that both full backs were certainly solid,but at the same time I'm remembering Jimmy Harrower at left back in those years.
Am I wrong here? Harrower, I believe went on to play for, I think Newcastle, and finished up managing Accrington.
Maybe: I'm losing it, but I don't recollect seeing Johnny Kelly.
Matt Balunas - Joined Thirds in May,, 1943 from Newarthill Juniors, and left in May 1955. Twelve glorious seasons in the Scarlet and never once did he give less than 100 per cent.
Jimmy Harrower, joined us from Dunfermline Ath. on 4th September, 1944, He was a member of Thirds victorious Glasgow Charity Cup winning side of season 1953/54 ( v Rangers.)
Of course Harrower was an extremely versatile player, and occupied many positions for Thirds.
In December, 1954 Harrower was transferred to Accrington Stanley, for a reported fee of £2,000. He played with them for seven seasons, before taking up the Management role there in 1960, for an eighteen month spell. which you were aware of.
Johnny Kelly. came from Morton to Thirds in 1940, and remained one of the finest full backs of his era. He & Balunas were the full back partnership, with very few exceptions from 1943/1948..when Harrower stepped in.
I hope we get a chance sometime to have a chat & compare notes on the old Hi Hi. I look forward to that.
Bert at Cathkin wrote: Johnny Kelly. came from Morton to Thirds in 1940, and remained one of the finest full backs of his era. He & Balunas were the full back partnership, with very few exceptions from 1943/1948..when Harrower stepped in. I hope we get a chance sometime to have a chat & compare notes on the old Hi Hi. I look forward to that. Best wishes. Bert.
Thanks Bert 1949 would make sense to me, because that was the year I became a regular at Cathkin and Jimmy Harrower came on board that year. I was 12 then and was dead keen. When I moved to Merseyside in the mid fifties. it was over from a practical point of view (no internet then), I was lucky to get the score!
I would enjoy talking about those specific years, and the players I listed on this thread almost exactly a year ago.
Matt Balunas was born of lithuanian parents. he had five sisters, one of which is my mother.Matt has had his legs amputated. after football he became a junior referee. he used to referee games in the central division in the 60s. He refereed at Holytown where my older brother was playing for Holytown amateurs. Matt is still alive and living in Bellshill, with my mother his only surviving sister. should you require any furher info, please post.
I know this is an old post but I found the mention of Felix Staroscik on Google and that led me to your Third Lanark site-those that remember Felix might like to know that after a few years with Northampton Town he played from 1955 to 1959 for Bedford Town in the Southern League and is one of the very earliest players I can remember seeing when I was taken to watch them from age 6, he was always known as "Starry" because nobody could pronounce his name and was still a very useful winger, more like Finney than Matthews ie he would cut in from the wing and shoot hard into the bottom corner. He was one of the starts when we held Arsenal to a 2-2 draw at Highbury in the Cup in 1956 and only lost the replay 1-2 after extra time. Eventaully I think he became trainer (physio in modern terms) for a few years and was still living in the Bedford area in the late 80s, working in his own electrician's business. A boyhood hero, thanks for reminding me of him.
"Starry" was also one of my own favourites, particularly because he arrived at Cathkin a relative unknown - and almost instantly lit up the Fans, with his electric wing bursts and fierce shots.
