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A very enjoyable night.Good food (Roast breast of chicken,black pudding bon bon, mashed potato with bacon and onion sauce. Sticky toffee pudding and ice cream). Good speeches from those introducing the inductees or their relatives. Inductees or their relatives interviewed by Michael Max, which was very entertaining. I managed to talk to Chris Erskine and let him know how much Eunice and myself appreciated that he and Callum Booth visited young Robert while he was in hospital. A visit which Chris remembered well. I also thanked Alan Archibald for the comments he made about young Robert in the match programme of the 1st April 2017 after Robert's death. A big thank you to @partickthedog for inviting me as a guest to his table for this event. The pictures below show me with Chris Erskine and also myself and @partickthedog with Alan Archibald.

It is with no little trepidation that, as a member of the initial failed TJF Board, that I stick my head above the parapet. My motivation is to provide a little background on some things and provide some personal observations. Hopefully some of it might be useful and/or of interest. I’ll start with the difficult bit. Due Diligence. I’ll be honest my knowledge of what constitutes due diligence was/is very limited. It’s not something that I’ve had cause to have involvement and my approach to that was very much that of a layperson. There were others on TJF Board with far greater knowledge than me. It’s only sensible to defer to them. Problem was there were conflicting views. The position of Three Black Cats was that Due Diligence wasn’t required as the shares would be a gift. The legal advice provided to TJF Board supported that. However, it doesn’t seem sensible to me to simply accept the majority shareholding without knowledge of the financial position and the internal workings of the Club. It was proposed by Three Black Cats that in the period in the lead up to the transfer of the majority shareholding there would be a period of knowledge sharing between the Board of the football club and the Board of TJF. In practical terms this would involve a period where a member of TJF Board would sit on the Club Board as a full Board member. This would not just provide a snapshot of the financial position of the Club at any given point but provide an understanding of how the Club had reached the current position and plans moving forward. Through that Board member, TJF Board were to gain full knowledge of the Club’s position. We signed Non-Disclosure Agreements which I took comfort from as this suggested full disclosure. You may think me naive , or just plain wrong, but I didn’t get any sense that they was any attempt to hide anything or any attempt to delay/prevent the transfer of the shareholding from taking place. Others, with far more knowledge and experience than me, suggested that Due Diligence can, and has, thrown up things that even the ‘seller’ was previously unware of. It’s a compelling argument. There was some discussion as to who from TJF Board would perform this Club Board role with some, understandable reluctance, from those approached. Eventually it fell to Gavin Taylor to perform that important role. As a layperson, in terms of Due Diligence the above worked for me. In practice, and purely from my perspective, I don’t think it worked well. Despite signing those NDA I didn’t have a better sense of the internal workings of the Club than I did prior to signing it. No information, to the best of my knowledge, was shared by Gavin with TJF Board that wasn’t readily available elsewhere. Where the ‘blockage’ came from I genuinely don’t know. By the time Gavin stepped down from his position on the Club Board I’d stepped down from TJF Board. It was with no little sadness that I read the joint Three Black Cats/Partick Thistle statement saying the TJF would not be the recipients of the majority shareholding. My view is that the Fan Ownership model is one that all clubs should aspire to. It puts control of the Club in the hands of the people that care most about it. There are good people involved with TJF. Some I considered friends beforehand (and beyond) and some that I consider friends now. Did we agree all the time? No but the desire to make it work was there although our thoughts as to the best route differed. The Three Black Cats statement said that they had concerns re the progress TJF was making in terms of passing the “fit and proper” test. I took that to mean the organisation itself rather than the individuals themselves as has emotively been suggested. Either way it’s wasn’t pleasant reading. I do think, however, that some of the points made in that statement though hurtful weren’t without merit. I do feel that TJF Board did get bogged down on the Due Diligence issue. Others will disagree and I respect that view. I think we failed, and it is a collective failure I’m in no way trying to absolve myself of blame, to reach out to the broad church that the Thistle support is. There was some sterling work done with some relatively small groups but I think we ignored, for want of a better expression, ‘the silent majority’. That people still see Fan Owned and think Fan Run means we failed to articulate that distinction. I think too we failed to reach out to the other shareholding groups and make TJF an even broader organisation. Whatever fan organisation ultimately receives the majority shareholding, and I have to believe it will happen, needs to try and represent as many people as possible. I have concerns that the current approach brings a fan owned Partick Thistle no closer. For it to succeed there has to be compromise from both sides. There needs to be a far less adversarial approach from all parties. I don’t currently get a sense of any movement towards that, not least because until the elections are completed there really isn’t a Jags Foundation Board. Trust me when I say that I passionately want to see a fan owned Partick Thistle and I wish anyone working towards that goal all the luck in the world. For me it’s less about short term change and more the future Partick Thistle long after I’ve vacated my seat at Firhill for a more celestial one elsewhere.

It’s been an absolute pleasure to come together with other fans from a range of different backgrounds in recent weeks, united by a desire to see progress on this. Thistle and success come together when everyone pulls in the same direction. I hope we’ve shown in our short campaign our ability to unite and mobilise the support behind a common goal and that you’ll back us, and send a clear message that fan ownership must happen, and must happen with The Jags Foundation.

After the terracing shenanigans of last Friday night, hope tonight is trouble-free!

When I was a kid, nobody in the family was interested in football so I went by myself to watch the local team, Tiptree United. As a teenager I would get the bus to Colchester to see my big team. The world of football had a new citizen. Women's football in Scotland is a developing branch of football. The fanbase is growing. It's a great entry level for young fans who may not want to go to a 'big' match yet, much like in my Tiptree days. Why are these fans not being considered? No way they can walk up to the game today or get a bus or train. Kids are much more switched on than you or I. They see clearly that holding a football match at a stadium only accessible by private car is bad for the planet. It must be so confusing for them. They spend all week at school learning, discussing and writing about climate change. Then they step through the school gates into the 'grown up' world of don't care. The SFA should behave more responsibly. These people are important. If we engage with them now they are the fans of the future. Mon The Jags

Calling our own players "dirty orange b*st*rds" doesn't wash with me. This was after the initial confrontation and not what provoked him, but c'mon...

Was round Firhill way last week and managed to get a quik pic of McCall’s summer strategy….intriguing.

When folk say can fan ownership work they ask a fair question. I was, for a long time, what you might call a "critical friend" of fan ownership. Especially in a football league with a patchy sponsorship record, the default model has, and not just for Thistle, been an emphasis on gates and benefactors. But the blunt truth is Thistle's choice isn't between fan ownership and a wealthy benefactor. Thistle's choice is between some form of fan ownership and being owned by a holding company owned by the estate of someone who's sadly passed away. There is no knight in shining armour ready to bear the burden. Save the Jags happened in the 1990s because, after Jim Oliver, there was no one person able or willing to bear the burden on their own. David Beattie and PropCo happened in the late 2000s because, even after Save the Jags, there was no one person willing to bear the burden of the Club without some sort of security on their investment. The closest we got to that white knight existing was when Colin Weir had all the resources, all of the willingness to muck-in and could absorb all of the risk. But that was only possible because he was making initially substantial six figure, and latterly high seven figure sums available to Three Black Cats to get on and do it. Unless the beneficiaries of his estate want to carry on doing that, and there's absolutely no evidence that they do (nor, frankly can we expect them to) that situation no longer exists. The only people who would buy our Club are asset strippers who don't care about the fans and the product on the park. Just ask fans of Nice and Barnsley how Paul Conway and co are working out for them. Fan ownership won't be easy. But it is the answer to which more and more clubs, of all sizes, are turning. If you're hesitant about The Jags Foundation because you don't know what kind of Club it would lead to in ten years time, ask yourself this: what will Partick Thistle look like in ten years time if Three Black Cats still owns it? what will Partick Thistle look like in ten years time if a different vehicle is given the shares? If either of those two outcomes is, in your opinion, clear and rosy, fair enough. That's a call for you to make. But if you think that both of those outcomes are filled with uncertainty, in terms of finances, governance and management, I think you should be backing The Jags Foundation. Even though it is not risk free, it has models and mentors, in Scottish and English football. No other organisation is better placed to mobilise the talents and resources of the Thistle support as things stand. For me, I think an organisation that is genuinely independent of the Thistle Board, genuinely independent of past and current major shareholders and directors, and which has already mobilised about a quarter of the home support in making regular financial contributions, is really well placed to engage with the wider Thistle community on a number of different levels. After years of wrangling by personalities and proxies, a genuinely fresh start would do the world of good. An opportunity to define Thistle by its positives, rather than just by what we're not. This isn't just something for big clubs. Morton is about to become fan owned and controlled. A club that, for decades, spent literal millions™ of one of the last of a dying breed of entrepreneur owners of football clubs. That model is dying out as a viable one in Scottish football even more so than elsewhere, and the clubs that are going to benefit the most in the next 20 years are those that recognise that and adapt. Hearts and Motherwell are steaming ahead on this. Let's join them on the train before it leaves the station.

Came over from Ireland for my first game since we were in the Premier. Today was my daughters first ever game and had my son excited to go back. Been following the team closely mainly through this site tbh so wasnt expecting much but… what a culture shock Ground looks like a dump, Main Stand has really gone to bits. Behind the goals let fall away. No programmes to commemorate her first game but all that secondary to the team! We were really poor. Defence okay apart from McKenna Midfield wee and anonymous (though Bannigan still class). Poor Tiffoney. Marked out the game and trying keep the ball from bouncing away on a shocking pitch. 10 minutes to go and I’m happy to take the point as I could sense what was coming. Walking away my son says “how often have we walked down this street sad and angry!” Ah well, an hour later I’d mellowed, “I’d still rather support a team that breaks my heart than either of the scummy Old Firm” Was proud he agreed, and at least were less crap than we were. Onwards and upwards to next season I hope….

Following on from the joint letter signed roughly 700 fans. Several of the original signatures have decided to stand for election for the Jags Foundation board under a “Common Platform” with the aim of bringing the club into fan ownership using the only viable vehicle of The Jags Foundation. More details can be found in the link, showing who we are, and what we stand for. We would gratefully appreciate any votes for us if you believe in the same as us. https://jagsforchange.wordpress.com

Dunfermline, whose chairman I seem to recall pronounced that Thistle should "just get on with it" when we got unjustly relegated through covidgate, now find themselves in League 1. I hope they will enjoy just getting on with it there for many years. Dundee, (in)famous for late emails, must be hoping for one from somewhere to tell them that a mistake has been made and they can stay in the Premiership. I hope they will also understand and enjoy this piece of karma.

It has been so heartening to see the groundswell of support within the Thistle fanbase for fan ownership in recent weeks. Whatever the result in the Foundation elections, I am confident that this process will demonstrate that this can be done and that it can be made to work. First and foremost, I would ask you all to vote for me and the other six Jags For Change candidates. We have a clear plan for the Foundation that can be taken forward from day one, and we stand ready to work with others, within and beyond the Foundation to make it happen. Find out more about Jags For Change Read (and add your signature to) the Open Letter Find out more about our Common Platform Read our candidate statements Secondly, I'd ask you to encourage your friends and family to join The Jags Foundation if they haven't already. If this is going to work, we have to show the Club's current custodians that the Thistle support will step up to the plate when called upon. The Foundation elections are the first step on that journey but we're going to need people with experience, expertise and enthusiasm in the coming months, not just to get this over the line but to make a real success of it. When the e-ballots come out, please use 7 of your votes to elect: Andrew Holloway, Graeme Cowie, Heather Iona Holloway, Ian Mackinnon, Sandy Fyfe, Stuart Callison and Stuart Goldie

Why don’t you send him a ‘genuine’ commiseration note, then….retract it a few hours later…and send him a different one, apologising for a glitch on your device.

One of the clear flaws in the team this season has been the lack of physical presence in midfield - we have frequently been over-run there, When Mayo played there recently the balance looked better. I think that a midfielder with height, pace and strength would free up Bannigan and Turner to play to their own strengths,,,as would a decent playing surface, full backs who are good going forward, someone to play on the right side and forwards who can hold the ball up. We have several midfield players whose contributions this season have been very limited - Smith, Murray, Crawford, Gordon, Bell - and I am not a big fan of Docherty. I have only seen Sena on streamed games but he seems to be the best fit for the role. I am a bit disappointed that a young player has not been given the chance to see if he was good enough - to be honest he could not have been less effective than most of our midfielders.

Agree. Fans who personally abuse players deserve to be confronted.

I struggle to understand the animosity of folk towards Foster. He has been a good signing for us and shows a great deal of fight and commitment despite him now probably having a very comfortable life - there is no coasting from him. He is probably a very strong leader in the dressing room and showed his class by giving his bonus to the young guys last year. I missed the incident at half time but when he was walking off after being subbed, I was applauding in recognition of 4th after 36 games, but the guy behind was giving him absolute pelters, something you would never get away with in any other walk of life. I’m personally glad that Foster called him out. The last three months haven’t been great on the park but we have achieved our target. Even if we didn’t, I wouldn’t criticise any of the players for lack of desire and I would never have anything against any Thistle player who tried. You can see the frustration in the players that we have struggled to replicate our 2021 form

Just had this signed Thistle top handed in for helping an elderly neighbour out over the years.

Having an entire country up front might cause a bit of a packed goalmouth.

Yes, I am very pleased to see this happening after once being a volunteer at the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB). There are a lot of people out there genuinely in low paid jobs, struggling to pay bills for essentials and there are many carrying large and even barely sustainable debts. Food bank use continues to burgeon with relative poverty and child poverty increasing. And, in this century, homelessness continues to be a massive problem, shockingly, in the world’s sixth richest economy. This is true in Scotland but also in many other different parts of the UK.

Looking backward Part of the problem here is that Three Black Cats has explicitly reneged on a timeline agreed to as recently as October 2021. They had committed to a transfer of shares to The Jags Foundation "by June 2022". Before that, there had been an initial commitment, when setting up The Working Group (in November 2019) to "handover" the shares "no later than March 2020" and a commitment to transfer the Main Stand and City End back to the Club "within 7 days". We entirely understand that: (a) original timeframe was hopelessly unrealistic (b) it was made completely impossible given the estate issues arising from Colin Weir's passing weeks later (c) the Covid pandemic caused real practical problems for working through some of the challenges in 2020, and even early 2021, which might reasonably have delayed this process. But none of this is an explanation or an excuse for the failure of the process in the last 6-7 months. There was a clear direction of travel and a target which, even if slipped on by, say, a few weeks, few would have grumbled about. Looking forward The dilemma going forward is that there is never a "good time" to address difficult issues on ownership and control of a football club. Three Black Cats want to wait until the summer, supposedly so that the Club's sole focus is on the pitch, but chose to make a statement breaking-off the process a matter of days before a crunch six-pointer near the end of the season. If we wait until the summer, the fans have very limited opportunity to organise and get engaged (for example) in physical settings on match-days. Doing this stuff at the start of the close season is a recipe for apathy, disengagement and other distractions. If we wait until later on in the summer, the annual tugging of heart-strings over season tickets is underway and those who ask for scrutiny and transparency will (no doubt) be accused of generating uncertainty while the manager is rebuilding his squad. And then if we wait until the season is underway again the "get behind the team" patter starts all over again. Now that The Jags Foundation is planning to hold elections (specifically because 3BC broke off talks) I suspect June 2022 might be ambitious to get this all sorted out. But there is no good reason I can see, in the public domain or of which I am otherwise aware, why fan ownership cannot be achieved before the start of the next league season if Three Black Cats are willing to get back around the negotiating table.

I would like to ask Ms Low, WHY did she think (or anyone on the board also involved in the decision) that last Saturday (April 9) was a good time to put out TBC and PTFC statements insulting and demeaning elements of the PTFC fanbase, just at the very time when the season is culminating and promotion is an still a live on-going battle. We are told the supporters are at “the heart of the club and everything we do” (It’s up on the website) and then statements like those two are issued. The strong suspicion must be Ms Low, the BoD and perhaps others at Firhill, do NOT REALLY want to see any fans or fan- groups have any real decision-making power and that those people presently with power at Firhill will only give the shares to a fans-group which is prepared to be deferential and do as they’re told. That’s most certainly not the way fan ownership works and it’s time the Thistle fans had a real say in what goes on, in many areas of their club. It’s OUR club!

Last time I went to hospitality it was a chicken dish.

Some years ago, I saw an ad. in a football magazine showing these in various team colours. The blurb said they had a number of teams in stock but you could order any team, provided you gave accurate details for how the shirt, shorts and socks should look. In addition you could choose a number for the reverse of the shirt in a colour of your choice. And, as an added bonus, although the faces were all the same, you could choose colour of hair, from black, blond, brown, red. ie it was meant to be a version of your younger self in your club colours. I had a Thistle long-sleeve shirt-red/yellow horizontal hoops, black round neck/cuffs, no badge when I was a kid. Mum got it from Millet’s in Glasgow for a birthday. Also, she had sewn a no. 3 on the back (but in white-the actual colour of numbers on Thistle shirts was black). Thus, I asked for a white number three! I was delighted when I received it. It most probably is a one-off, in my favourite Thistle colours, plus it also reminds me of my dear late-mum. NB: the shorts are a bit long for a child of the early 1960s, but who cares, it’s still one of my own favourite Thistle-related possessions!

I recognise much of this, and we cannot MAKE TBC engage with the next TJF board. But by making TJF a stronger and stronger members organisation, we increase the opportunity for engagement with them. The 'Common Platform' also means that the next TJF board could be aligned and have unity. This will help accelerate options, and the group has been an ideas factory so far, and so I have high hopes that there are lots of ways we can move this forward - if elected.

Not many complaints from me for this season. Couldn't criticise a lack of effort over those 2 ties. Consecutive promotions was unlikely. Graham and Rudden were a good combination but I don't think we had any means of holding on to the latter, and the replacements in Jakubiak, and especially Alegria, were a disappointment. We did well to cling on to a play off spot actually after some dreaful form, with some hard fought wins. We gave it a go.

Congratulations. You must be really chuffed to hear a young lad, who went through horrendous teen age years awaiting finalisation of his UK status, may now be deemed possibly surplus to our requirements. Well done. It looks like you may well have been right all along. Proud of you. eta On retrospect overlook my comments re off the field matters as being irrelevant.

I thought we looked decent up until the 60 minute mark. When ICT brought on Samuels it changed the game. It meant that our back 4 had to drop deeper as they became worried about his pace if the ball went over the top. That in turn created a space in front of our back 4 to play in and that's were both goals come from. It also meant that Tiffoney dropped deeper and was less able to run at Carson who up until then was struggling with him and equally Crawford was less able to get forward on the right to support Jakubiak. In my opinion we had to stick Foster on and play him as a sweeper to allow Holt and Akinola to hold the higher line. I get why Jakubiak was taken off and it almost worked. By the time he came off we were no longer capable of attacking with width and it was about getting someone closer to Graham to pick up the scraps. Can't really blame McCall for a striker not hitting the target from less than 18 yards. I wasn't expecting a great result tonight when I saw our back 4. We needed Foster at right back partly because the back four needed his experience and ability to organise but mainly because he doesn't look like bambi on ice when he has the ball at his feet. I don't think tonight's result is the worst. If ICT had won 3-1 the tie is over. If we had a lead to take to Inverness we would probably have tried to defend for 90 minutes and we're not good enough to do that. ICT now have a dilema. I don't think they are good enough to feel that they can shut us our for 90 minutes and if we do get a goal the momentum swings. On a better surface in Inverness I think we will be a different proposition particularly if we can get Mayo and Foster back in defence and have Turner at least on the bench. Over 4 games this season there has been nothing between the teams and for some strange reason I think this will go to penalties.

Think it’ll be a nervy 0-0 tonight with us sneaking a 0-1 on Friday, with exactly same scenario against Arbroath and then again against St Johnstone

Anyone not ‘up for this’ has lost the right to be called a Thistle fan. Feck off with your McCall issues. Feck off with your weird fascination with Low. Feck off with your sectarian shite about the players. I’d give my right nad to be there tonight, so, just for me, have one extra splenetic burst at a fake Thistle player, one extra wholehearted cheer for the actual Thistle players, one vein-popping tirade at the overtly cheating ref. Do this for the mighty Jags diaspora of which I’m proud to be just one part of. (*this forum has turned me into a slightly maddened happy clapper. )

I’d like to see the team give their all. Win, Lose or Draw, play for the shirt. Scott McDonald when he was on loan to us showed passion & commitment. I’d like to see 11 players be like him tomorrow.

I thought his block on Saturday that prevented a near certain goal was excellent but last night's effort looked exceptional.

That Jakubiak is absolutely honking. Waste of a jersey.

Are you sure your name isn’t Pickles?

Would be Sneddon for me. Deserves it after seasons of criticism

It is far from clear, based on the publicly available information, how sustainable Partick Thistle Football Club is if you were to strip out any ongoing financial support provided by Three Black Cats/Colin Weir. The public accounts simply aren’t detailed enough to make that assessment. This is why many of us think due diligence is so important. No fan-owned organisation can give a clear-eyed view of how much ongoing fundraising it needs to do to keep Thistle competitive on the park and at break even with the bank without being able to see, in extensive detail, the underlying ability of the Club to generate revenue independently of its present owners. It may well be that Three Black Cats/Colin Weir’s Estate (directly or indirectly) provides very little if any financial support to the Club. If this is indeed the case, the most recent set of accounts suggest Thistle is roughly break even and is not significantly dependent on fan-owner-shareholder revenue capacity. If, on the other hand, say, Three Black Cats has been plugging a hole in the Club finances (by whatever means) and that ongoing support is going to go away, or to be scaled back, then there is a clear need to raise funds on an ongoing basis beyond the acquisition of the shares. Otherwise, bluntly, the Club won’t be “debt free” for very long and won’t be able to make one-off improvements to its facilities without slashing the player budget. Most fan owned Clubs look to retain ongoing contributions and revenue raising activity beyond the acquisition of the shares. Because ultimately, their clubs are competing against non fan owned teams with bigger budgets underwritten by rich owners. And if you want to be competitive that means maximising your budget from the revenue streams available to you.

In my opinion, as important as any new signing is holding onto Tiffoney and Sneddon. Their form this season will have been noticed by others.

Definitely worth a check out. Club's free to use my loyalty card.

Or does it mean they might be a left back when they join, but will start in right midfield?

One more thought before I log off for this evening: given that fan ownership is the only show in town, I would much rather that we got on with it while the Club was debt free, owned its ground, and had an active supporter-run vehicle with financial contributions from (let's say) a quarter to half of the regular support. If there are problems, that situation is at least one with a buffer. Because the alternative might genuinely be us having the same conversation when the Club is heavily in debt, has mortgaged or had to sell part of its stadium to meet its ongoing liabilities, has been relegated on the football pitch because of abrupt cuts to the playing budget, and doesn't have an organisation with regular subscribers already in place to do their bit. That's Save the Jags again.

In Scotland it works slightly different. The VAR guys tell the ref that there is an incident to review. The ref goes over to watch the replay, while in the background a colleague is phoning Lawwel/Doncaster to ask what they want the decision to be.

Some simple questions for those currently in control

0101101111000 Our goal tally the last 13 games? Or “Clearout needed” in binary?

Not forgetting Queen of the South's chairman Billy Hewitson - " There'll be winners & losers" & Brechin City further languishing in the Highland League. What joy!!

Totally agree. And the number may be closer to 10 than it is to 1.

This is all helpful information. I always like to think in terms of Title Numbers. As above and in descending order, we have 1) GLA205256 Main Stand, Bing etc in name of 3 Black Cats Limited 2) GLA162711 Rest of Firhill Stadium in name of Partick Thistle Football Club Limited 3) GLA172381 Forth & Clyde Canal, Firhill Basin and towpaths etc in name of British Waterways Board. Nothing to do with PTFC and just happens to be disclosed on the address search as it is the nearest postal address for a chunk of land and water with no postal address! Still no sign of any application for registration of transfer of GLA205256 from 3BC to PTFC. Cannot think of any straightforward satisfactory explanation for this. It is basic conveyancing and risk management practice that (unless there is good reason to the contrary), you get your title registered as quickly as practicable to avoid any possibility, however remote, of any event occurring or deed or notice being recorded or registered which could in some way prejudice or affect the title. What is the "good reason" to the contrary? Why was the announcement made? To give a simplistic analogy which no doubt is imperfect. You have the ball at your feet a yard from goal. Opposing defenders and goalkeeper are stranded on the halfway line. Rather than walk the ball into the net, you start waving to the crowd. Eventually the inevitable happens and a defender gets back to clear. The solution is simple. Put the ball into the net first and you can then wave to the crowd as much as you like. I am not an expert in opaque trust and company structures. Could it be that I am barking up the wrong tree and instead of a straightforward transfer of registered title to GLA205256 to PTFC Ltd, there is some internal trust arrangement whereby 3BC continue to hold title, but on a different basis? That does not sit too easily with the "land transfer", "ownership" and "back in our hands" language of the statement. Some clarification from the club would be appreciated-or else just register the title!

In other news in managers, John McGlynn off to Falkirk. The horrible Goodwillie saga made his departure from Raith likely, but McGlynn is actually a decent human. Everyone makes mistakes, some might say managing Falkirk is part of his punishment.

Agree it will take a miracle. Leaving aside our current form the history of playoffs show the team finishing 4th rarely win their first tie never mind actually get promoted. However we shouldn't lose sight of the achievement just because its been a stumble over the line rather than a charge. There are 6 other teams in the league who would give body parts to be in our position and that's before you start looking at clubs in leagues below like Falkirk. The Foster incident last night has the horrible feeling that our expectations of the team and players is way beyond what the can reasonably achieve and we are in danger of losing sight of how far we have come. Foster's reaction last night was poor but I actually think he's done a very good job for us. His performances out of position last season at leftback were key to our success. This season he's struggled with injuries but always looked one of the better fullbacks in the league which for a guy who's almost 37 years old isn't bad. In 40 years of watching Thistle I've seen plenty aging ex-old firm players at Firhill picking up a final paycheck for little return. Foster isn't in that category and if you look at our drop in form it coincides as much with Foster's injuries as it does with Tiffoney's and Graham's or Rudden leaving. Given all that for a player returning from injury to get abused after 45 minutes seems O.T.T to me. Hopefully Foster is fit enough to play in the playoffs. A back 4 of Foster-Mayo-Holt-Hendrie or Foster-Akinola-Mayo-Holt is a big improvement on anything that involves McKenna. McKenna has played well at times but he still looks like a centreback playing out of position.

Pathetic. McCall has to go. We are a shambles off and on the park.