Latest news with #Thistle
The Herald Scotland
15 hours ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Lets'osa wasting no time in making big impression at Partick Thistle
Tuesday night's 2-0 win over Queen of the South would be the acid test. The fans had already taken to Lets'osa's personable nature, but it is his performances on the park that will ultimately define his time in Maryhill. The Lesotho-born player was pitched into the starting XI for his debut as fans got to see the club's latest recruit in a competitive game for the first time. He had the entire stadium rooting for him within minutes. Somehow, his efforts on the pitch were even more enthusiastic than his responses in that interview. He was seemingly everywhere; marauding around the park, taking his man on, charging forward to join the attack at every opportunity. He would get his reward around half an hour into his debut. Moments after Aidan Fitzpatrick had slammed Thistle ahead with a free-kick, the same player found himself bearing down on goal with no one to stop him making it 2-0. The winger drove at goal, spotting a lung-busting run from Lets'osa before squaring it to his team-mate for the simplest of finishes. It capped off a fine debut for Lets'osa – known as 'T' among his team-mates – and the man himself could not have been more pleased. Although, one suspects that he would still have been remarkably chipper had Thistle lost the game. He doesn't just play with a smile on his face; he appears to live with a huge grin permanently etched across it. 'Of course I'm happy,' Lets'osa said after the 2-0 win, which could have easily been six or seven. 'All glory to the Lord Jesus. He gave me the strength and peace on the pitch. I was able to play my happiest game. 'I think everybody was able to see that in the stands, from the staff, from the team-mates who encouraged me on the pitch. So I'm really happy. 'To be honest, I think after the interview I already won the fans' hearts! I think I had more pressure to be able to deliver on the pitch, but I did my best. I hope they enjoyed it. Not just myself, but the team performance. We're here to play for the team. 'Hopefully I can play more than 60 [minutes going forward]! I need to keep my legs strong, keep my self ticking over. I'm really happy to even just play, to be honest. I'm so happy, so blessed. I'm really happy everything's going so well so far.' Lets'osa certainly put in the hard yards for his debut goal. He sprinted more than half the pitch's length in order to provide an option for his team-mate – although he admits he wasn't sure if Fitzpatrick would simply go it alone, rather than slipping him in. Ts'oanelo Lets'osa scores on his Partick Thistle debut (Image: Partick Thistle) 'To be honest, when I started sprinting all the way through the pitch, I was like, 'You have to now!' after me running,' Lets'osa laughs. 'No, I'm joking. I didn't know he was going to pass it, but it just shows the team bond, how we are close and we're becoming close on the pitch as well. I was really happy just for him to pass the ball to me like that. 'It does look far on the pitch, but the coach has been training us very well. Us as a team, we're all fit. I believe the fans saw that [against Queens]. Our pressing – Craw [Robbie Crawford], Logan [Chalmers], Fitzy, Tony [Watt] - we all did our work and it gave our defence such an easy job at the back, to be honest. 'It gave us confidence being able to show how good we are in the press and how organised we were. I think we're just disciplined. If we keep that going for the next couple of games, I think they'll be more prosperous games.' Both head coach Mark Wilson and assistant Alex Rae were highly vocal throughout Tuesday's Premier Sports Cup fixture as they issued tactical instructions from the sidelines. Lets'osa is particularly grateful for Rae's expertise, given the fine playing career the former Falkirk, Sunderland and Wolves midfielder enjoyed. 'Definitely,' said Lets'osa. 'I always like to ask questions, just to be able to learn. It's always good to have someone you can learn from. Someone who's been at that level, who's more experienced than you. Just to take tips and just to guide you. 'His wisdom can help me on the pitch. He also helped me on the pitch [against Queens], scanning, keeping the game simple. It's an easy game, but sometimes it can be difficult to play the easy game. He's teaching me a lot, so I'm really happy to have him, and Mark as well. It's been amazing.' You'll be hard pressed to find a happier man in Glasgow – heck, in Scotland – than Thistle's latest recruit. His infectious positivity is plainly apparent, and he says the warm welcome he has received has helped him to settle in quickly. 'I would just say the peace that I feel being at the club, being with the team-mates, the coaching staff - I don't think I can ever go away from that,' Lets'osa replied when asked if anything stood out from his first week in Maryhill. 'Every time, from the first moment I came in, the training, the coach speaking with me, the boys just encouraging me, just being good lads at the end of the day. Also, then seeing the fans on the open day [last Sunday] and now seeing them together on the pitch. So I think that's the one thing I can say that's really remarkable, if that's the right word to say.' It's difficult to think of a more suitable word to sum up Lets'osa's first week with Thistle.
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Mark Wilson delighted with Thistle display in win over Queens
In truth, the second half was a bit of a non-event that saw little goalmouth action at either end as Wilson's men held on to make it three wins out of three in the League Cup group stage ahead of Saturday's trip to Dingwall. 'I'm really pleased because I knew how difficult a challenge it was going to be,' Wilson said. 'It may have looked a stroll in the park in the first half, but I certainly wasn't with how hard the boys worked. 'I'm particularly pleased because on Sunday we held an open training session here, and I utilised that as a full training session to work on certain things. Any supporters that were here would have seen on this pitch the plan we were putting in place, in terms of pressing high up the pitch and that level of energy. And when you see it coming off, it's particularly pleasing. 'So, we had a lot of energy in the team, bravery going forward, and we kind of overwhelmed them a bit in the first half. Obviously we came off a wee bit in the second half, but that's to be expected, so really pleased.' Thistle eventually got the lead they deserved on the half-hour mark when Fitzpatrick slammed home a free-kick from just outside the box, and the Firhill faithful didn't have long to wait until they celebrated another. Fitzpatrick was again at the heart of it. Aggressively pressing Queens' last man in defence, the winger won the ball around 50 yards from goal with no one to stop him but Stewart. The goalie rushed off his line and was rounded by Fitzpatrick outside the box as the 24-year-old charged into the box from an angle. A sole defender for the visitors charged back to attempt to protect the goal-line, but it was already too late. Lets'osa had made a lung-busting run up the park to provide his team-mate with an option, and Fitzpatrick selflessly squared the ball to the debutant for the easiest of tap-ins. 'Brilliant,' Wilson said of Fitzpatrick's display. 'I mean, a wonderful team player tonight and I highlighted that at half-time to the team. That's a team player who could have just been selfish and put that in, but includes his team-mate. That second goal kind of sums us up as a group tonight, and sums us up where I want to get to as a team consistently. 'We're defending a long throw in at the box, you see boys putting their bodies on the line and defending as a unit, but when the ball comes up to this side of the pitch, you see Logan Chalmers bursting his gut to put people under pressure, and Fitzy, and then wee T makes up probably about 70 yards to take it up for the tap-in. 'So all that stuff coming together is particularly pleasing. And again, we hope to get it even better. We know there will be maybe tougher challenges, but I'm pleased with how it's going along just now.' It is hard to think of anyone the home crowd were willing on to score more than Lets'osa. The 21-year-old made quite the impression after joining the club last week and providing a thoroughly charming interview with club media where his enthusiasm was blindingly obvious. "Everything has just clicked, to be honest... The environment in the changing room with the guys - everyone was amazing." 🗣️ Hear from our newest recruit Ts'oanelo Lets'osa for the first time since his arrival on Tuesday. — Partick Thistle FC (@PartickThistle) July 17, 2025 His performance on Tuesday night was every bit as positive, energetic and endearing as his unveiling. And although it is very early days, the box-to-box midfielder – who was subbed off around the hour mark – has the makings of a cult hero in Maryhill. 'Magic,' said Wilson. 'I mean, he's so infectious in terms of his character and personality, but as soon as he goes on the pitch he means business and he's a player with high quality. He has so much energy, covers the ground really quickly, and you can see his quality in there. 'And it was important just to manage his minutes. Him and Tony [Watt] obviously joined the group later, they missed pre-season. So in terms of their game time, that's why they came off at that time. 'There's no doubt Ts'oanelo was a fit lad and he probably could have played on, but we just need to be careful with him. It was great that he gets his goal in front of the fans, but his overall play was fantastic.' The Thistle fans, too, are very much rooting for Lets'osa. His forward-thinking attitude and positive play was lapped up by the Firhill crowd, and Wilson believes the best is still to come from the youngster. Wilson added: 'I think he's an easy one to take to. I knew what he was going to be like as a player anyway, but coming into a new environment and a new group, you hope that then translates to the fans. 'And debuts are hard to get right - sometimes you just try too hard. But you can see the flow in his game, and he's connected great with the people around the club. But more importantly, he's connected great with the actual players on the pitch, and that showed in his performance tonight.'
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
East Kilbride YM ace Barry Russell relishing EK Thistle rivalry in West of Scotland League
The defender will face his former side as EKYM embark on their WOSFL journey Barry Russell admits he questioned whether he should play on for another season at East Kilbride YM, but admits he is delighted he did as he gets to face former side East Kilbride Thistle in the West of Scotland League this season. YM were an amateur side until this summer when they were voted into the Fourth Division in the WOSFL, following Lowland League Broomhill folding and opening up a space at the bottom of the Scottish football pyramid. Now defender Russell - who helped YM win the Caledonian Premier League last term - has penned a one-year deal to stay at YM as they embark on their inaugural season in a setup that has the potential to take them into senior football. Russell has completed a local hat-trick by playing for YM, Thistle and, of course, East Kilbride FC where he was captain and famously skippered the side against Celtic in the 2016 Scottish Cup tie. Now 36, Russell says he had contemplated hanging up his boots but is now relishing a new challenge with YM and the chance to tackle Thistle, where he played at both ends of his career, starting out there in 2011, coming in on loan from EKFC in 2018 and joining the Jags again in 2022. He said: 'When it came to signing the contract I was thinking: Am I stupid to go another season!? 'I was 50/50 to keep playing because I keep getting niggling injuries. But I got a good run at things towards the end of last season and managed to get the YM Players' Player of the Year. 'I sat down and spoke to the manager [Graeme Robertson] and he wanted me to stay on, so I was happy to do that. 'If I manage to stay fit, I should be fine. I have played in this league before and I know what to expect and if I get through this season I'll be happy. 'With EK Thistle in the league I think it will be a good one. I had two spells at Thistle and played under Colin Mitchell, Jimmy Kerr, Alan Paterson and Aaron Connolly, so there's a good bit of history there. 'I've had a good few folk from Thistle wishing me luck, just not against them! 'You always look for your derbies and I'm really looking forward to that game. Hopefully a derby will get people down to watch it.' YM have actually raided the Jags this summer for their former captain Adam Edgar and Ryan Anderson, amid a new manager coming in at the Showpark. Stephen Kane has taken the reins there and a complete overhaul of the squad has taken place ahead of the sides facing each other on August 2 at Kirktonholme. Russell added: 'Thistle have got a brand new team this season so I think they will be pretty decent. 'We've got a good team as well with some of the players we've signed so I'm looking forward to it. It should be a tough league as well. 'It is good for the town to have another team into the West of Scotland League. 'We've taken a couple of their players in Adam Edgar and Ryan Anderson, so they are good players that will strengthen our side and provide good competition. 'Last season we had a team where the same guys would play but you need to be on your toes now. It is a bit different from the amateur game. 'At this level, when you are in there you need to fight to hold on to your position. 'We've got good young players who will be looking to keep the older ones on their toes.' YM will be a bit of an unknown quantity to many in the Fourth Division and Russell hopes that can work to their advantage. He said: 'I thought we were outstanding last season. A lot of sides will look at us and just think we are an amateur team but the players we have got have played at a higher level. 'Personally, I think we should be up in the top half of the table. 'But you don't want to sit in a league and just be comfortable. If anything, I think we'll go for it and see what happens at the end of the season. 'Our aim will be to go and put down a marker. 'Wishaw will be right up there as one of the favourites though. They have a good team and, having just been relegated, they will want to go straight back up.'
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Health
- Daily Record
Drug-check facility roll-out needed to tackle rise of opioid overdoses, say campaigners
Rising numbers of drug deaths and overdoses are being linked to lab-made synthetic opioids like fentanyl - up to 50 times stronger than heroin. Facilities to test whether street drugs are laced with deadly synthetic opioids should be available in every community in Scotland, campaigners have urged. It comes as rising numbers of drug deaths and overdoses are being linked to lab-made drugs like fentanyl - up to 50 times stronger than heroin. The opioids are so strong they can cause drug users to overdose instantly. Drug-checking services (DCS) at sites in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Dundee have been proposed since last summer as part of a pilot scheme. However, the plans - which would allow drug users to test what's in their drugs - have been in limbo for more than a year as the Home Office is yet to approve them. A bid was also submitted for Edinburgh this year. Kirsten Horsburgh, CEO of the Scottish Drugs Forum, said: "The fact it has taken so long is, frankly, outrageous. "We say we have a public health emergency, a crisis around drug deaths, yet we can't even provide these services to people. "It's very frustrating and ultimately, delays in these sorts of things cost lives. "We need to stop tinkering around the edges. If we are serious about making significant change, we need to make significant investment and have fewer of these small-scale pilots and more full-scale rollouts for things that we know work and make sense." Horsburgh said Scotland should learn from countries like New Zealand, where a massive and mobile roll-out of DCS everywhere from street corners to festivals has helped reduce harm from drugs and encouraged users to be safer. Glasgow is home to the UK's first legal safe drug consumption facility, the Thistle, which opened in January in a bid to save lives. Scotland is the worst nation in Europe for drug deaths. There were 308 such deaths from January to March, up by 33 per cent on the last three months of 2024. Data had showed a decrease in the number of suspected deaths over the year. There were 1053 suspected drug deaths in the 12 months to March 2025, meaning 166 (14 per cent) fewer such deaths than in the 12 months to March 2024, when the total was 1219. It's understood the recent rise follows reports of dealers flooding the streets with new breeds of heroin laced with fentanyl and other lethal 'nitazenes', also known as synthetic opioids – with the potential to compound Scotland's drug deaths epidemic. The presence of nitazenes in street narcotics is known to drastically raise the risk of fatal overdose - and in some cases, can cause instantaneous collapse. Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole Hamilton said: 'When 100 people a month are dying in Scotland's drug deaths emergency, missed targets and patchwork care isn't good enough. 'If ministers are serious about delivering, they need to properly support services and staff, roll out a network of safe consumption rooms and introduce new drug-checking facilities. "Drug checking services allow people to make informed decisions about what they are taking and reduce the risk of accidentally overdosing. 'That's especially important when we are seeing a rise in dangerous synthetic opioids, which can be 50 times as strong as heroin and are often disguised as other drugs." Hosburgh said: "Normally there would be a slower onset of an overdose. "But what people have been reporting more frequently in a number of areas across the country is people using the drug and overdosing immediately, which is quite unusual. "That would indicate a more powerful, potent substance within what people are using and quite often that is determined to be a nitazene." Andy Paterson, of the student-led Help Not Harm campaign which wants to see DCS available for every community in Scotland, said: 'These things come down to political will. If we wanted to set these services up, it would be quite doable.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Drugs Policy Minister Maree Todd said: 'We are determined to continue our efforts to reduce drug-related harm and save lives. Through our National Mission on drugs we are taking a range of action, including the provision of new drug checking facilities. 'We continue to work at pace with partners to deliver these facilities across all our pilot cities as soon as possible.' The Home Office, which is understood to have inspected the proposed pilot sites in Dundee and Aberdeen last year, was approached for comment.
Glasgow Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Partick Thistle vs Rangers friendly talks ended by police decision
The Maryhill club had been interested in playing Russell Martin's side in a bounce game on Saturday, July 19. Thistle explored the possibility due to having a free weekend from Premier Sports Cup duty. Wee update for Thistle fans 🇧🇪 Thistle had explored the possibility of playing Rangers in a friendly this afternoon (not behind closed doors) cos they're not playing in the League Cup this weekend. The cops kiboshed it cos Celtic are playing a friendly against Newcastle today. — James Cairney (@jamescairney_) July 19, 2025 It's understood the idea had been floated for a friendly tie - which would have been open to the public. However, the discussions, which were at an early stage, were ended after Police Scotland rejected the suggestion due to a [[Celtic]] match in Glasgow on the same day. Celtic play Newcastle in a pre-season fixture this afternoon with police reluctant to have that and the addition of a match between Partick Thistle and Rangers in the city at the same time. Around 10,000 Newcastle supporters made the journey to Scotland for the friendly fixture at Parkhead. Read more: Instead, reports have suggested Rangers faced Hamilton Academical in a friendly this afternoon - that match was behind closed doors. Thistle are back in action on Tuesday night against Queen of the South in cup competition. Mark Wilson's side have won both of their matches so far in the group stage, beating Edinburgh City 4-1 and then claiming a 2-0 triumph over Stranraer.
