Survival bid it would be perfect tribute to Lambie
“I was injured for that match but I played in all the rest of the games.
“That was nerve-wracking but it was one of the most dramatic finishes I have ever seen. A week later the same thing happened with Watford and Leicester in the play-off semi-final.
“Hamilton don’t want to be the Scottish Cup in 1987, one of Lambie’s finest managerial feats.
The duo reunited at Partick in 1992 and 1999 with the club on the brink of bankruptcy and in the third tier.
Thistle had been relegated three years earlier after Lambie took his stalwart to Falkirk but he could not ignore his old gaffer’s call – even at 37.
Now he’s urging the Jags fans to get behind the side as they did then because the club can’t afford to go down again.
Craig said: “The two spells at Firhill were really different. Being in the top flight in the 90s was incredible for Thistle.
“John cleverly recruited a lot of players let go by other teams. Thistle punched above their weight to survive.
“People say knocking Rangers out the cup was John’s greatest feat but I disagree. Keeping Thistle, on their budget, in with the big boys for three years was a bigger achievement.
“After Thistle had gone down, John was looking for experience to help out. Most players were parttime, we hardly had kit and trained on public parks.
“The club was kept afloat by the ‘Save The Jags’ campaign and the fans really backed the team – like they need to do now. John won two promotions and got Jags back where they belong.
“But Dundee United with their huge budget show how difficult it is to come back from the Championship now.”