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Dark Passenger

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Everything posted by Dark Passenger

  1. How do you know half the stuff you know? Why does Jim keep saying two TFE members have been appointed to the board? The statement released this week names one. I support Jaf's suggestion of greater transparency. Who wants to go first?
  2. My message to Jacqui Low would be this: You might be a director of TBC, but if you know your brand is toxic then sit this one out. If you want to give fan ownership the best chance of succeeding then sit this one out. Mr Weir will have other advisers. Lawyers, accountants, financial planners. The interim board has a good mix of skills. It includes a successful, respected entrepreneur and a corporate comms specialist. Let them and the working group, once it's established, get on with things.
  3. Jacqui Low's always seemed pleasant enough on the face of things, but her brand is now toxic and her presence divisive. Those defending her must know that. She must know that.
  4. PARTICK THISTLE ANNOUNCE INTERIM BOARD MEMBERS FOLLOWING TAKEOVER Following Colin Weir's acquisition of Partick Thistle on Wednesday evening, the Maryhill side have announced a new interim board. The Three Black Cats (TBC), the new owners of Thistle for whom Weir is a director, have unveiled an interim board that will take charge of the club until ownership passes to supporters by the end of March 2020. Colin Weir, Dr Charan Gill MBE, Ian Dodd, Alan Caldwell, Andrew Byron and John Penman have all been confirmed, with one additional board member still to be appointed. Thistle manager Ian McCall and chief executive Gerry Britton will also attend board meetings but there is no club chairman: board members will take turns chairing meetings on a rotational basis. A spokesman for TBC said: "We are grateful to the Directors for agreeing to take on their roles at this important time for the Club. They were selected for the skills they can bring to Thistle. After a period of uncertainty, it’s time to put the focus back on the football and support the management team in the key January window. "We are also pleased that these two fans groups will come together, to work with fans, to prepare for what will be the most significant period in the Club’s history with fan ownership. We will offer any support they may need to deliver this within the agreed timescales, including funding legal work that may be required." All of the interim board members have ties to Partick Thistle: Colin Weir has been a long-standing benefactor of the club; Dr Charan Gill, an entrepreneur who owns the Ashoka restaurant, used to sponsor the club's shirt; Ian Dodd joined the Thistle board in 2010; Alan Caldwell is vice-chair of the Partick Thistle FC Trust; Andrew Byron is a current PTFC Trust trustee and former chair; and John Penman is a lifelong supporter. https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/18051092.partick-thistle-announce-interim-board-members-following-takeover/
  5. I'd like that clarified ASAP. The Herald has just announced the composition of the interim board. No Jacqui Low.
  6. The press release referenced in my last post, as taken from TFE's Facebook page: FIRST STEP TOWARDS FAN OWNERSHIP AT PARTICK THISTLE AS COLIN WEIR ACQUIRES MAJOR SHAREHOLDING IN CLUB AND BUYS LAND AT FIRHILL Fan ownership came a step closer today for Partick Thistle with the sale of shares in the Club by its majority shareholding group to Three Black Cats Ltd (TBC). In an associated transaction, Firhill Developments Ltd (FDL) also sold its holding in land at the Club’s ground to TBC, which is a company wholly owned by Jags’ fan and Club Patron Colin Weir. He approached Thistle for Ever (TfE) in early September offering his support for their early stage plans for fan ownership, after a majority shareholders group took control at Firhill, to allow them to consider an offer for the club. TBC has subsequently been working on a linked purchase with both the majority shareholder group and FDL shareholders, with the aim of then gifting the shares to fans. With the sale now completed, TBC will immediately transfer the ownership of the land purchased back to the Club, within seven days. This means that the main stand, known as the Colin Weir Stand, and the undeveloped land to the south of the ground known as “the bing” reverts back to full Thistle ownership after 10 years. TBC will gift the 55% shareholding, that it has acquired, directly to a new fan shareholding entity currently being developed, based on the Well Society model at Motherwell FC. To allow fans time to get the preferred structure in place, with the support of the Thistle fanbase, the shares will initially be held by TBC then transferred to fans no later than the 30th March 2020. However, the substantive difference between this and all fan ownership models to date is that TBC has no requirement for the purchase price of shares to be repaid. That means the new entity will start life debt-free, in line with the current status of the Club. In the meantime, TBC, as the majority shareholder, will replace the current Board with an interim board comprising of a mix of experienced business people and fan representatives. This Board will focus on running the Club over that period while, in parallel, TBC has asked that a separate working group be set up jointly by the PTFC Trust and Thistle for Ever to create the new entity that will be gifted the shareholding. Speaking on behalf of the majority shareholders group, David Beattie said: “We are pleased that our hard work in recent months has resulted in today’s sale. Our aim has always been to secure the long-term future of the Club and we have done this by selling our shares to a man whose support and love for this Club is beyond question. Colin Weir undoubtedly has the best interests of Thistle at heart and, although there were alternatives, we believe that his plan to support fan ownership, with the right mix of experienced business people behind them offers the club a secure future.” Gavin Stewart, Chairman of Firhill Developments Ltd, welcomed the land sale saying: “We set up FDL, as fans, at a time when Thistle needed investment to survive. We could not be happier to see Colin, another fan, now purchase the land and restore it to full Club ownership as it moves on to a new and exciting stage in its history.” Colin Weir, on behalf of Three Black Cats, applauded the shareholders in both groups and thanked the fans who’ve helped him to date, saying: “I am grateful to the majority shareholding group and FDL for working with Three Black Cats to pave the way for the exciting prospect of fan ownership for Thistle. I will ensure that the trust they are placing in me is not misplaced. “Thistle for Ever (TfE) planted the thought of fan ownership as a real option in my mind. From there, TBC has taken the dream and is turning it in to a reality. But this has all happened quicker than anyone might have anticipated. That’s why I have offered a three to four month window for fans to get everything in place before handing over shares. They want to get it right and I want to be sure that when the new entity is operational, there is a structure that will allow for a smooth transfer of ownership. This is a major financial commitment on my part as fan owners will not need to repay a penny – but I believe this gives fan ownership the best possible start. “There will be a further announcement about the members of the interim Board and, subsequent to that, in relation to my funding of the Thistle Weir Youth Academy. “Today is a great day for a Club that means everything to me. I hope that fans can get behind this exciting development. They talk about Thistle being their Club - and now it really will be.”
  7. That's what you wanted, though, isn't it? You said, and I'm paraphrasing here, that Colin Weir should stop pissing around with TFE and purchase the majority shareholding. Money and power and responsibility and all that stuff... So he has. The full statement has now been posted on TFE's Facebook page. An interim board will be appointed featuring business people and fans' reps. A separate group will be established by the PTFC Trust and TFE to create a new fans' entity that will be gifted the shares by the end of March next year. Big questions are: Who's going to be on the interim board? Who's going to be in the working group? And, most importantly of all, what happens if we get to the end of march and the working group hasn't come up with a proposal deemed suitable by the majority shareholder?
  8. I think you've misread my posts. I'm calling on the new owner/interim board to host a Q&A.
  9. Perhaps not, but it can give us an overview of its remit, info on any immediate changes that have been made to the infrastructure of the club and a sense of the actions and timeline involved in the transfer of the shares to the fans. I'm sure folk will have loads of questions. If this is to work then they must start engaging with the supporters now.
  10. Aye, I've gleaned that much from what I've read on the BBC, etc. I'm assuming a full statement was released, though. That's where I think the substance would be. I said on Twitter last night that I'd like to see the interim board referenced in the BBC piece hold a fan Q&A ASAP. The old board did it, so I'd expect it from any movement with fan ownership as its heart.
  11. TFE hasn't bought the shares, Junior. That information needs to come from the entity that's purchased them. A statement was presumably issued last night - I'd like to see that.
  12. ? Why wouldn't it first issue a communication to those who supported it? Those whose email addresses it has? And, correct me if I'm wrong, but TFE hasn't purchased the shares. So what would you expect it to say to the wider fan base?
  13. TBF, people (like me) took that attitude to the proposed takeover by the Lee/Conway consortium. Folk are entitled to adopt that position if that's their gut feeling.
  14. No-one has to apologise for being passionate about their club or their particular point of view.
  15. A player - Shaw, for example - can be considered to have performed legendary acts without having spent a considerable amount of time at the club.
  16. Yep, Hall's been overlooked among the post-match praise.
  17. Can't defend that Miller miss...
  18. allyo isn't old enough to have clear memories of Rough as a player.
  19. Spot on. The only person to blame for Kevin Nisbet being released was Kevin Nisbet.
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