lambie returned for a third spell at partick in 1999, with the club now in the third tier, and got them into the scottish premier league in 2002 via back-to-back promotions. also in 2002, he guided the club to the cup semi-finals, where they lost 3–0 to rangers at hampden park. the final stages of the season were chronicled in the bbc scotland fly on the wall documentary "grasping the thistle", known for lambie's use of profanity.