Tommy Ledgerwood Partick Thistle keeper remembered by many for his inspiring goal
BOB CRAMPSEY The Herald.
18 Feb 2006.
WHATEVER other grievances might affect Partick Thistle players in the immediate postwar period, skimping trials for goalkeepers was not one of them. Tommy Ledgerwood was only just a Scotsman by geography and 25 yards of the River Tweed but, forwell over 10 years, added to the gaiety of nations. When the second great war finished, the Thistle goal was in the charge of the prewar keeper, Bobby Henderson, and it seemed as if in the not very distant future the new arrival would take over. He got a start against Motherwell in a rather shaky three-all draw. This was in the summer of 1947, and he went on to do well in a charity cup-tie. Still, the pecking order seemed to be Bobby Henderson, then Ledgerwood, and that was the shape of things to come over the next two to three years. Thistle were never less than interesting. Over the next few years they could call on the services of internationalists such as Johnny McKenzie, Dave McParland and those, such as George Smith, who the supporters say should have been internationalists. There is a certain irony that many people will remember Ledgerwood not so much for the shots he saved as for the goal he scored. In a league match at Tynecastle, Thistle were down 3-1 at half-time and, for all practical purposes, without Ledgerwood, who had been injured and sent to the leftwing. There was no substitute, of course, we were in the days of the trainer hissing: "Let's see how fast you can limp." Pretty fast was the answer. No sooner had Ledgerwood switched positions than he promptly reduced the deficit to 3-2 and, thus inspired, Thistle went on to register an improbable 5-4 win. Much later, there was a rearguard action which steered Thistle towards a League Cup final, but although Ledgerwood made two finals with the Maryhill side, the final step always eluded him. In this, Thistle were perhaps playing in character, the genial entertainers and perhaps the underachievers as well. In a time when the candidates for international goalkeeper included Bobby Brown of Rangers, Willie Miller of Celtic, Jimmy Cowan of Morton and Bill Brown of Dundee, it was no great disgrace not to make a full international, and as a consolation prize there was something to be said for a representation against the Irish League and, later on, the B international against France. Tommy Ledgerwood joined the list of stylish keepers for which Firhill was noted. The dapper Johnny Jackson, the neat-as-a-pin Bobby Henderson and the powerful Jimmy Steadward, who found the Henderson-Ledgerwood combination just too much to break into. In more recent times have come the orthodox ex-Rangers George Niven and Billy Richie and the Wandering Minstrel John Freebairn. He had all the important goalkeeping gifts and played some magnificent games but perhaps concentration did not come over easily. He was always entertaining and could be counted upon to make sure any game he was involved in would have at least one point of interest. Robert Reid, associate director at Firhill, recalls another notable performance: "Tommy thwarted the Hibs inside-left Eddie Turnbull, who struck a mean penalty kick, with one of the best saves I have ever seen." Ledgerwood played 338 games in goal for his beloved Thistle, a remarkable record of consistency, and he was always delighted to let you have the statistics – once he had told you about that Tynecastle goal.