Thistle has, dotted throughout its history, no shortage of family connections. Thistle Archive recently recounted the father and son pairings to have served the Firhill faithful. From time to time brothers also pair up in the red and yellow in search of glory.
With the 25th Thistle Pin we are commemorating the contributions of two very well known brothers. One played in defence that fateful day almost 54 years ago. The other watched on from the stands at Hampden, his time still to come. Two lads from Sauchie with big ambitions.
In October 2025, we recognise John and Alan with the Hansen Brothers Pin!
Brother John
The Hansen connection at Partick Thistle began in October 1967. Elder brother John, then just 17, put pen to paper after a spell with his local team Sauchie Juniors. He signed while finishing off his school exams, including (in the most Partick Thistle way ever) Highers in Latin and Greek.
John would make his debut in a 3-0 victory against Raith Rovers in 1968 and opened his account for the Jags the following season against Rangers, going on to score 15 goals in 325 appearances for the Club.
The late Robert Reid said of John that he had a “superb engine” and praised his versatility. He could play at his more familiar right back or elsewhere in defence and midfield.
It was under Davie McParland’s tenure as Thistle manager that John Hansen most excelled. He helped the Jags bounce back from relegation and was a vital part of the Cup winning side of 1971. His performances in red and yellow even earned John two Scotland call-ups, against Belgium (in a 1-0 victory) and against Yugoslavia (in a 2-2 draw).
Knee injuries would ultimately curtail the playing career of the Elder Hansen, who narrowly missed out on a big break to Manchester United. He served at Firhill for just over a decade, retiring at the age of 27.
After his playing career, John spent some time as Thistle’s public relations officer, and turned his hand to becoming a successful building society manager. Now retired and living in England, he and Alan recently returned to Firhill to an enthusiastic reception for our delayed kick-off against Airdrieonians last season.
Brother Alan
The 1971 cup final came slightly too soon for younger brother Alan. A trainee at the time, he watched from the stands at Hampden as his brother and ten magnificent others ensured Lou Macari only collected a runner-up medal. A talented golfer as a youth, and turning down a place at Aberdeen University, Alan might not have gone down the football route at all.
But Alan did choose football, and would make his Jags debut in 1973 against Stenhousemuir. He broke through as a McParland and first Auld era regular from the 1974 season onwards, amassing 126 appearances at the heart of defence. He found the net for Thistle 10 times, including a sensational brace in a 4-3 win over Rangers in 1977, still aged just 21.
Alan’s talent was abundantly clear to all, and he started to accumulate Scotland youth caps while at Firhill. English giants Liverpool swooped in in 1977 to lure the younger Hansen onto bigger and better things, for a then significant fee of £100k.
His footballing career thereafter went onto modest success. Alan accumulated just the 8 English league titles, 3 European Cups, 1 UEFA Super Cup, 2 FA Cups and 4 League Cups to fill the Anfield trophy cabinet. Oh and he won 26 full international caps for Scotland, including playing for the national team at the Spain 1982 World Cup.
But we’d like to think it was the Scottish First Division title in his penultimate season at Firhill he was most proud of!
After football, Alan could easily have gone into management. But instead, he turned his hand to punditry and broadcasting, gaining a fierce reputation for high standards and brutal candour.
Now taking a quieter profile in later life, Alan still enjoys his golf. Let’s hope Mark Wilson disproves his infamous declaration that “you can’t win anything with kids”!
Brothers in Arms
The two Hansens often played alongside one another for Thistle, and hold the distinction of being the only brotherly pairing at Thistle to have scored for the Jags in the same game.
The fateful day at Firhill was 30th November 1976, and the opponents, Heart of Midlothian. An early headed goal from Hansen the Younger was cancelled out by Graham Shaw.
A further headed effort from Hansen the Elder snatched full points from the Capital’s visitors. As Jim Blair reported in the Evening Times: “HATS OFF TO THE HANSENS!”
Hats off indeed! Two Thistle legends, and now immortalised in the traditional TJF way.
How do I get a Hansen Brothers Pin đź“Ś
If you’re a TJF member, you can get your hands on a Hansen Brothers Pin for just ÂŁ10 including UK P&P, when they go on sale from 7pm on Thursday 16th October on our members shop.
There will be the opportunity to collect your Pin at the Ross County game on Saturday 18th October, in the hour or so before kick-off. We will be running the TJF stall in our usual place in the Colin Weir stand foyer.
We encourage members to collect their Pins as it will help save on postage, meaning more of our fundraising can go back into supporting the Club through our pledges.
The sale of Thistle Pins, and other TJF merchandise, help us to meet and beat our three member pledges to the Club, Academy and Women’s team. Last season we contributed more than ÂŁ200k across our pledges and fundraising, making a huge difference to the foundations of our football club. We want to do the same again in season 2025-26.
If you’re not a member, it’s really easy to join TJF, and there are affordable membership rates for all, regardless of circumstances. Help us on the road to 2,000 members and be part of your Club’s biggest ever fans community.