THERE is only one person in this world who knows what it feels like to lead Partick Thistle to cup glory.
Davie McParland is 75 now, yet he can recall every moment of those League Cup final celebrations with true clarity after humbling Celtic on October 23, 1971.
That's because the legendary Thistle manager does not drink. However, McParland would love to see Alan Archibald make it a Firhill 'double' by beating Celtic tonight and taking another step closer to Thistle's holy grail.
Thistle have only won two trophies in their history, having won the Scottish Cup in 1921 by beating Rangers, and then McParland's incredible side thrashing a star-studded Celtic team 4-1 at Hampden.
The 43rd anniversary of that triumph was last week and the goals from Alex Rae, Bobby Lawrie, Dennis McQuade and Jimmy Bone are imprinted on McParland's mind. He had only been in the job for 18 months - the man who had spent 16 years as a Thistle player succeeded the veteran manager Scott Symon - when he outwitted Jock Stein to deliver the club's last trophy.
"I don't think Jock Stein underestimated us but I do think some of the Celtic players felt the medals were already in their pockets," said McParland. "They thought they would win at a canter and we took advantage of that.
"I told my players on the bus going to Hampden that we could win. If you don't go into any game with that attitude, you might as well stay at home. I don't know if the players believed me but I had to get them revved up."
McParland's words had an effect. Rae and Lawrie had Thistle 2-0 up in 15 minutes and McQuade and Bone compounded the pain for Celtic for an incredible 4-0 half-time scoreline that reverberated around Britain. This was a Celtic side which had reached a European Cup final just 17 months earlier and would make the semi-finals in that same 1971/72 campaign.
Celtic's emerging talent, Kenny Dalglish, cut the deficit in the second half, but nothing could stop McParland's side from lifting the League Cup. "I had only been a manager for 18 months but that was the pinnacle of my career, " said McParland. "It was a shock because we won so convincingly.
"What was really nice was taking the trophy back to Firhill where all our fans had got back from Hampden. Then the players got changed into their good suits and we went for a meal at the Buchanan Hotel in Glasgow. You have to enjoy these moments because they don't last long. I don't drink at all, so it was easier for me to take everything in that night.
"I don't get to Firhill as often as I would like to now, because it's not so easy to walk, but sometimes my daughter drives me there.
"Alan Archibald is doing a very good job and playing good football. He got them promotion just as I did in 1970/71.
"He's been in charge about the same amount of time as I was when we beat Celtic, so maybe that's an omen. If they beat Celtic, they would have a great chance. If Thistle got to the final, I would get a ticket and go to that."
McParland also played a part in bringing silverware to Celtic Park too. He quit as Thistle manager in 1974 and was in charge of Queen's Park when Stein took him to Celtic in 1976 as his assistant.
Celtic won a league and Scottish Cup double in 1977 but McParland had to leave when Billy McNeill took over from Stein as manager in 1978.
"It was the right club but the wrong time for me, " said McParland. "I was assistant manager of one of the biggest clubs in the world.
"I loved being there. It just didn't work out but I got to work alongside one of the best managers in football and that was priceless."
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