100 year old Partick Thistle medal to go under the hammer

A 100 year old medal from Partick Thistle’s only Scottish Cup triumph is set to take centre stage at an auction of sporting medals and trophies in November.

The winner’s medal was awarded to Jags forward, Jimmy McMenemy, following the club’s 1-0 victory over Rangers in the 1921 showpiece. Experts at McTear’s Auctioneers believe the rare piece could fetch up to £4,000.  

McMenemy joined Partick Thistle in 1920 following 18 years with Celtic, where he picked up multiple trophies and established himself as one of the finest players ever to wear the hoops. The forward was 39 years old when he moved across Glasgow and had turned 40 when he stepped out onto Celtic Park in front of 28,000 fans for the Scottish Cup Final on 16^th April 1921.

Commenting on the player Jags legend, Alan Rough, said: “This is a fantastic piece of Thistle history. Jimmy McMenemy was a legend in Scottish football and earned his place in the Jags history books as a member of the all-conquering 1921 Scottish Cup winning squad.  It will be 100 years next year since the Scottish Cup win and 50 years since we won our last piece of silverware, so maybe 2021 will be our year again.”

Commenting on the auction, McTear’s Managing Director, Brian Clements, said:  “We see a good number of Old Firm medals coming to auction due to the number of trophies both clubs have won, but this is something quite different and very special. Partick Thistle has only won the Scottish Cup once in their 144 year history so anything related to that historic moment is going to be of great interest to football fans and sports historians alike. 

“Interestingly Partick Thistle’s cup triumphs have come exactly 50 years apart, with the Scottish Cup win in 1921 followed by the League Cup in 1971. Could they be in line for a third trophy in 2021, only time will tell. In the meantime Jags fans are welcome to come and take a look at this true piece of Scottish heritage from the club’s glory days.” 

Born in Rutherglen in 1880, Jimmy ‘Napoleon’ McMenemy was a mainstay in Willie Maley’s Celtic side in the early part of the 20^th Century, winning a total of 11 League championships and six Scottish Cups.  The player made 56 appearances for Partick Thistle between 1920-22 and was capped 12 times for Scotland.  In later years McMenemy would be appointed as coach at Partick Thistle before becoming assistant manager to Willie Maley at Celtic in 1934.  He passed away on 23 June 1965, aged 84.

The Sporting Medals & Trophies Auction at McTear’s is the only dedicated auction of sports medals and trophies in Scotland. The Partick Thistle medal, which has been consigned by an anonymous seller, will appear in the next auction on Friday 20 November at 2pm.

Click here to view the full auction catalogue. >>