John Lambie (footballer, born 1941) facts for kids
Lambie as manager of Partick Thistle
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 2 March 1941 | ||
| Place of birth | Whitburn, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 10 April 2018 (aged 77) | ||
| Playing position | Full back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Whitburn | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1958–1969 | Falkirk | 199 | (16) |
| 1969–1974 | St Johnstone | 103 | (4) |
| Total | 302 | (20) | |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1984–1988 | Hamilton Academical | ||
| 1988–1989 | Partick Thistle | ||
| 1989–1990 | Hamilton Academical | ||
| 1990–1995 | Partick Thistle | ||
| 1995–1996 | Falkirk | ||
| 1999–2003 | Partick Thistle | ||
| 2004–2005 | Partick Thistle | ||
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John Lambie (born March 19, 1941 – died April 10, 2018) was a famous Scottish football player and manager. He was well-known for playing over 200 games for Falkirk. He also had a great time playing for St Johnstone.
After he stopped playing, Lambie became a manager. He managed Partick Thistle four different times. During his third time there, he helped them get promoted to the Scottish Premier League in 2002. This was a huge achievement! He also led them to the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup that same year. He also managed Hamilton Academical twice, winning the First Division title in 1986. He also managed Falkirk for a short time.
Lambie was famous for his unique personality. He often smoked cigars and loved pigeon racing. One of his most famous moments was when a player got a head injury. Lambie told his assistant to "Tell him he's Pelé and get him back on!" This quote is still talked about in British football today.
Playing Career
John Lambie was born in Whitburn, Scotland. He started playing for his hometown junior team, Whitburn. In 1958, he signed with Falkirk and became a professional player. He changed his playing position from an attacking player (inside forward) to a full back.
In August 1969, he moved to St Johnstone. While there, he played in the October 1969 Scottish League Cup Final. His team lost 1–0 to Celtic. He also played in St Johnstone's first ever European competition. They reached the third round of the 1971–72 UEFA Cup.
Coaching Career
After finishing his playing career in 1974, Lambie joined the coaching staff at St Johnstone. Later, he moved to Hibernian. He then became an assistant manager at Hamilton Academical. In 1984, he became the main manager there.
He led Hamilton to win the First Division title in the 1985–86 season. The next season, his team even won an away game against Rangers in the Scottish Cup.
Partick Thistle
In 1988, Lambie became the manager of Partick Thistle for the first time. A year later, he went back to Hamilton. But in 1990, he returned to Partick Thistle. He helped Thistle get promoted to the top league in 1992.
Lambie kept Thistle in the top league for three more seasons. They even qualified for the 1995 UEFA Intertoto Cup. This was the first time Partick Thistle had played in a European competition since the 1970s. Lambie left in 1995 to manage his old club, Falkirk, but he left that job in March 1996.
Lambie came back for his third time at Partick Thistle in 1999. At this point, the club was in the third tier of Scottish football. Fans had worked hard to save the club from closing down. Even with a very small budget, Lambie helped them get promoted twice in a row. They reached the Scottish Premier League in 2002. He built a new team by signing players like Stephen Craigan and Martin Hardie. He also helped young players like Alan Archibald and Kenny Arthur develop.
In 2002, he also led the club to the Scottish Cup semi-finals. They lost 3–0 to Rangers at Hampden Park. The end of that season was shown in a BBC Scotland TV show called Grasping the Thistle.
In January 2003, Lambie said he would retire at the end of the season. He did not agree with some new football rules. On May 17, 2003, he played his last game at Firhill Stadium. They lost 1–0 to Dundee United. However, his team had already made sure they would stay in the SPL. He then joined the club's board.
In 2004, Lambie returned as manager for a fourth time. This was a short time as a caretaker manager. He helped the team when they were struggling.
Lambie is well-remembered for his reaction when Partick player Colin McGlashan got a concussion. He famously told his assistant, Gerry Collins, to "Tell him he's Pelé and get him back on." A book of football quotes called Tell Him He's Pelé was released in 2010. He is also remembered for managing Chic Charnley, a player who was sent off many times. Lambie signed Charnley once for Hamilton and three times for Partick.
In 2018, Partick Thistle renamed the old North Stand at Firhill after Lambie. This was done unofficially in April 2018. It happened after a 2–1 win over Lambie's former club, Hamilton Academical. The manager, Alan Archibald, and player, Kris Doolan, dedicated the win to Lambie.
Personal Life
John Lambie was known for his love of pigeon racing and cigars. He also spoke about how important his Christian faith was to him. He was interested in politics and was a member of the Scottish National Party.
In August 2006, he was given the special title of Honorary Vice President of Partick Thistle F.C. He was also added to the Halls of Fame at both Falkirk and Partick Thistle.
Lambie had three daughters with his wife, Mamie. He passed away on April 10, 2018, at the age of 77.
Honours
Manager
- Hamilton Academical
- Scottish Football League First Division: 1985–86, 1987–88
- Partick Thistle
- Scottish Football League First Division: 1991–92, 2001–02
- Scottish Football League Second Division: 2000–01
