New memories, and perhaps new legends, will soon be made, however, after manager Jackie McNamara's side booked their place in the Ramsdens Cup final yesterday with victory over Cowdenbeath.
More than four decades have elapsed since Thistle's then manager, Davie McParland, and his players famously defeated Celtic 4-1 to lift the 1971 League Cup at Hampden. It is Queen of the South who lie in wait for the current Thistle side this time around. The stage may not be as grand, but the sentiment and sense of excitement will not be diluted.
"I am delighted for everyone at the club – the players, the fans, the board, the staff," said McNamara. "I thought the fans were outstanding again, they were in great voice. It has been a long time since they have had anything to cheer and been in any final. It was long before I was born and we are delighted to be able to do it for them.
"It is good to see them going away home happy, and long may that continue. It would be good to go and win it.
"The hardest part sometimes is winning through from the semi into the final. We have got a lot of games to play in the league first, but we will look forward to it . . . it will give the whole club a lift."
While Thistle have hit the goal trail on home turf this season, they have shown a different side to their game, and mentality, on the road, battling their way to league and cup wins in impressive style. It was those qualities that would prove decisive yesterday in Fife as they were forced to be patient in waiting for a goal to finally arrive and then withstand significant pressure in the tense, closing stages.
McNamara's side saw enough possession and had players of sufficient guile and quality to suggest they were capable of cutting Cowdenbeath open, but they were not at their free-flowing best in the final third.
The deadlock could have been broken as early as the 15th minute, but Steven Craig and Paul Paton saw shots blocked before Steven Lawless headed over from close range. Soon after, Stephen O'Donnell weaved his way into a shooting position from the right flank, but keeper Thomas Flynn was equal to his near-post effort.
Thistle continued to press and probe the Cowdenbeath rearguard, but it was at the other end where the net almost bulged, with Scott Fox diving to his right to deny Marc McKenzie a spectacular opener on the stroke of half-time.
Just minutes after the restart, Fox was again called into action, tipping Kenny Adamson's header over the bar as Cowdenbeath enjoyed an early spell of pressure on the Thistle goal.
Chances suddenly became sparse, but Thistle's finest move of the match brought about the only goal. After substitute Paul Slane saw his advances halted down the right flank, O'Donnell nipped in and found Erskine in the middle of the park, and his slide-rule pass set Lawless scampering towards goal. When the former Motherwell youngster elected to square the ball rather than shoot himself, Craig had a simple task to convert into an empty net from close range.
Lawless subsequently passed up a chance to seal the tie, heading wide at the back post, before Cowdenbeath again launched an onslaught on the Thistle goal. Kyle Miller saw an effort cleared off the line and Adamson dragged a shot horribly wide from 20 yards. It was keeper Flynn who would have the final opportunity, but when his header went wide the dream had died for manager Colin Cameron's side.
"We threw everything at them, bar the kitchen sink," said Cameron, "but, in the end, it just wasn't our day, unfortunately.
"It was the end product that lacked a bit. It is a semi-final and everyone is disappointed. I said to them that they shouldn't be too disheartened, because their effort was immense. Everything was there, but it just wasn't our day."
