After the tension and drama of recent days, the focus will finally shift back to the game itself as Partick Thistle prepares to face St Mirren in the opening match of the Premiership play-off final.
Partick Thistle, representing the Championship, aims to break an eight-year absence from the Scottish Premiership under the guidance of coach Mark Wilson.
Having gone the entire Championship season unbeaten at their home ground, Firhill, the Jags have every reason to believe they can capitalize on their home-field advantage.
St Mirren, on the other hand, finds themselves lacking momentum. After Craig McLeish took over from Stephen Robinson, the team managed a couple of wins but concluded the season with only one victory in their last seven games.
It is often said that Championship teams lose steam during these play-off finals, usually swinging the odds in favor of the Premiership side.
Ben Stanway has been the standout midfielder in the Championship this season
This time, however, the scenario may be different. Thistle demonstrated resilience in their semi-final clash against Dunfermline, overcoming a deficit in the second leg to secure a 3-2 aggregate win.
But few could call the winner of this tie with any certainty. To the neutral eye, this looks to be 50-50 as both teams go chasing a place in next season’s Premiership.
In Ben Stanway, Thistle have a young midfield maestro who has excelled across the season with his energy and dynamism in the middle of the pitch.
Named in the PFA Scotland Championship team of the year, Stanway has been the best midfielder in the league.
Still only 21 years old, and having come through the club’s academy, he has scored 12 goals in all competitions and has been a real driving force for the Jags.
One of those goals actually came against St Mirren in the Scottish Cup back in March. Even beyond his ability, Stanway’s leadership has also shone through. He has been a force of nature at times for Thistle.
It is no surprise that so many clubs across Scotland, England and beyond are now lining up to take a look at a young midfielder who has the full package in terms of talent and temperament.
‘I think Ben can go all the way,’ said former Thistle boss Jackie McNamara, whose management agency counts Stanway among their number.
‘I think his temperament and his mindset are so impressive — and, most importantly, he’s a fantastic wee guy. I love him to bits as a person.
Stanway shone against Dunfermline in the semi-final and is destined for a big summer move
‘People have obviously seen wee bits of him now. But you could see that three or four years ago when we first started looking after him. And then you see him when he went on loan to Airdrie. Just his first spell there and how he’s matured and how he’s developed since then. He then started adding goals to his game.
‘Even playing as a six and then the eight, he’s been great. But I think he’s like an old-fashioned midfielder. He can do it all, box-to-box.
‘You look at the boys that were playing in the Championship maybe ten years ago, John McGinn and all the rest of it, maybe got three or four goals in the championship.
‘Ben’s got 12 now. All different types of goals as well. Getting forward, free-kicks too. He’s got it all to go to a very high level.’
McNamara was critical of Scotland Under-21s boss Scot Gemmill recently in that Stanway continues to be bizarrely overlooked for the national side.
‘I would say yes, I am surprised at that,’ he added. ‘But the fact that Ben has played the number of games he has and to the standard he has, it’s just disappointing for the Under-21s rather than anything else.
‘I just hope he will go on to have a top career.’
