joe breezy
22-03-2012, 12:41 PM
http://sport.stv.tv/football/scottish-first/partick-thistle/301312-partick-thistle-reveal-plans-to-harness-fan-power/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
A director of Partick Thistle has said the poor state of Scottish football and the Glasgow team’s own financial woes were the main reasons behind an invitation to fans to help run the club.
Earlier this week, The Jags announced ‘The One Thistle’ scheme and said it was unique in the Scottish game. It will see supporters directly involved in managing club marketing, match day experience, schools and community development, PR, fan liaison, the website and social media, match day volunteers and PTTV.
Billy Allan, a director of the club who is also Group Chief Executive of Aberdeen Oil and Gas logistics company ASCO, told STV that two sub-boards will be created with five or six fans on each.
A ‘fans’ board has already had an initial meeting, with Thistle director Greig Brown and the club’s general manager Ian Maxwell joining supporters. It will discuss many of the areas highlighted in the club’s vision for ‘The One Thistle’.
A ‘corporate’ sub-board is set to meet for the first time later this month. It will involve fans with business experience, along with Mr Maxwell and Mr Allan, to discuss creating more revenue opportunities for the club. Fans on both boards have been invited to the meetings by the club.
Mr Allan told STV: “Instead of putting something in the match programmes, we were more pro-active and spoke to vocal supporters who we knew through our AGMs and ‘Meet the Board’ sessions.
“In the future, other fans who express an interest in joining up will have the chance too. We hope to keep it fresh, with other fans coming in over the next few years.”
While the groups will not have set objectives, the fan groups will have the power to make changes to the club with agreement of the two club representatives. Initially, the groups will meet once a month, with bi-monthly meetings expected thereafter.
The director added: “The economy of the Scottish game is not in great shape. All you need to do is look at Rangers and Hearts, while our own club is hand-to-mouth.
“The economics of the game simply don’t work. We need to be sustainable, and the entire product of Scottish football and of our own club has to be improved. Summer football and changes to licensing laws, to allow fans to have a beer and buy their wife a glass of wine, are just two things we will look at.
“In Spanish football, at Barcelona, fans are much more involved in the running of the club. At Partick Thistle, we want fans to be involved much more.”
In an interview with STV in January, Thistle chairman David Beattie revealed the need to involve the fans in the running of the club and involve businesses to create new revenue opportunities.
The decision of the Glasgow Warriors to leave Thistle’s Firhill stadium and move to Scotstoun Stadium from next season is expected to leave a £200,000 hole in the club’s budget next year.
Sangs, the parent company of club sponsor macb, went into administration in January, leaving the club with more financial headaches. With macb unable to fulfil its sponsorship with Thistle, Glasgow legal services company Just Employment Law announced a sponsorship deal with the club until the end of the season in February.
In the past few weeks, meetings have also been held between Thistle and Clyde over potentially sharing Firhill stadium next season, as The Jags continue to look at ways to make money for the club.
A director of Partick Thistle has said the poor state of Scottish football and the Glasgow team’s own financial woes were the main reasons behind an invitation to fans to help run the club.
Earlier this week, The Jags announced ‘The One Thistle’ scheme and said it was unique in the Scottish game. It will see supporters directly involved in managing club marketing, match day experience, schools and community development, PR, fan liaison, the website and social media, match day volunteers and PTTV.
Billy Allan, a director of the club who is also Group Chief Executive of Aberdeen Oil and Gas logistics company ASCO, told STV that two sub-boards will be created with five or six fans on each.
A ‘fans’ board has already had an initial meeting, with Thistle director Greig Brown and the club’s general manager Ian Maxwell joining supporters. It will discuss many of the areas highlighted in the club’s vision for ‘The One Thistle’.
A ‘corporate’ sub-board is set to meet for the first time later this month. It will involve fans with business experience, along with Mr Maxwell and Mr Allan, to discuss creating more revenue opportunities for the club. Fans on both boards have been invited to the meetings by the club.
Mr Allan told STV: “Instead of putting something in the match programmes, we were more pro-active and spoke to vocal supporters who we knew through our AGMs and ‘Meet the Board’ sessions.
“In the future, other fans who express an interest in joining up will have the chance too. We hope to keep it fresh, with other fans coming in over the next few years.”
While the groups will not have set objectives, the fan groups will have the power to make changes to the club with agreement of the two club representatives. Initially, the groups will meet once a month, with bi-monthly meetings expected thereafter.
The director added: “The economy of the Scottish game is not in great shape. All you need to do is look at Rangers and Hearts, while our own club is hand-to-mouth.
“The economics of the game simply don’t work. We need to be sustainable, and the entire product of Scottish football and of our own club has to be improved. Summer football and changes to licensing laws, to allow fans to have a beer and buy their wife a glass of wine, are just two things we will look at.
“In Spanish football, at Barcelona, fans are much more involved in the running of the club. At Partick Thistle, we want fans to be involved much more.”
In an interview with STV in January, Thistle chairman David Beattie revealed the need to involve the fans in the running of the club and involve businesses to create new revenue opportunities.
The decision of the Glasgow Warriors to leave Thistle’s Firhill stadium and move to Scotstoun Stadium from next season is expected to leave a £200,000 hole in the club’s budget next year.
Sangs, the parent company of club sponsor macb, went into administration in January, leaving the club with more financial headaches. With macb unable to fulfil its sponsorship with Thistle, Glasgow legal services company Just Employment Law announced a sponsorship deal with the club until the end of the season in February.
In the past few weeks, meetings have also been held between Thistle and Clyde over potentially sharing Firhill stadium next season, as The Jags continue to look at ways to make money for the club.