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He could be on to something here - It may be the only way people can see top flight football at Ibrox next season...

The leisure centre being shut this weekend was nothing to do with the number of spectators. There were nearly 200 players involved in the event, who all need room to warm up/change/relax between fixtures etc, etc. And that's not to mention the support staff, international media, youth teams and so on. There will only be 50 players involved in Glasgow matches, and with only one fixture, they will arrive - warm up on the main pitch, play on the main pitch, eat in the Main Stand, and leave. For our matches, the only facility other than the actual stadium that we will be using is the 3G pitch - which it is intended will be used for a club or school match before our own game. The leisure centre will not be affected from what I understand. The rest of the facilities we are using will be contained within the actual stadium, and from what I hear there wont be parking available within the ground for spectators (though how they will enforce this I don't yet know). I would also point out the disruption caused by the sevens at the weekend is far less than that which will be caused by the Commonwealth Games in 2 years time, and that hosting events there is kind of necessary in order to justify the expense of redeveloping the ground a few years ago.

Can put in temporary stands (not the same ones for the 7's - capacity of around 8,000 I believe) 4 times next season - and if we can prove to the locals we aren't going to be a nuisance then we could be allowed that more the year after. 5,000 is probably about right for us right now - if you take out the Edinburgh game this season, we have been averaging just over 4,000 - and only broke the 5,000 3 times. So at least we will be playing in a stadium that is pretty much the right size for us right now. Where a slight worry comes in is that it doesn't leave much room for growth - so hopefully we can win the residents over sooner rather than later! But if we could have the same set-up as this weekend, we have a ground big enough to host a Heineken Cup quarter final, and it's not far off being big enough for a Pro 12 final. As for not being able to cope with crowds of 5,000 - there was 13,500 there on saturday, and it coped fine (though the free buses into the city centre helped with that). Most supporters are aware there isn't much parking nearby, and have looked into public transport - there are good bus and train links, so not bringing the car should be relatively simple! (As far as I know, the club are also in talks about finding a car park nearby) The car park at the ground will probably be reserved for club employee's and leisure centre users - but people wouldn't have been allowed in this weekend as the 7's took over the entire complex, with the car park being used for bars, food outlets ect.

Well, that was a great game to leave with. 5,300 in (both JHS and Main Stands looked relatively full), a 24-3 win and the place was absolutely rocking!! Now, onwards to Dublin and a semi-final. As I say, have some great memories of Firhill, and tonight will certainly be added to them. Thanks a lot for having us, it's been a great home to us over the years. Sad to leave the place really...

Since the original question has already been answered, might as well use this thread instead of starting a new one. As sigesige has already said, saturday night will be the last time we play a home game at Firhill. With that in mind, I would like to thank you all for having us over the last 5 seasons, and wish you luck for the future. Firhill has been a great home for us, no doubt helped since our stay here has coincided with our most successful period on the park, with it having seen great victories over the likes of Biarritz, Wasps and Bath (and that's just the european games), and hopefully come FT on saturday it will have witnessed our second league semi-final in 3 seasons. Hopefully we will be equally successful playing at Scotstoun, but I will still take some great memories of Firhill. Saturday is sure to be a strange, and no doubt emotional, game - last game at Firhill, a win and we are in the semi-finals, but also the last home game (barring some big upsets) for 9 players, and for 2 of our coaches. On top of that, we have also sold more advanced tickets than for any other league match (except for Edinburgh), with Main Stand tickets having been on sale since last week Add to that, I will be spending most of the day at our new home watching the Glasgow 7's - the ground looks fantastic for that event, shame it's nothing like how it will look for Glasgow games... Best of luck to you guys, hope to see Thistle playing top flight football again soon, and hopefully still playing at a decent Firhill. Glasgow needs a strong 3rd 2nd team!

And, whilst admittedly not Scottish, Milan and Inter have apparently agreed to install one in the San Siro... So it's good enough for one of European football's great grounds, but not the SPL??

Eh, no thanks... Last summer I would have taken him, perhaps, but not now. How many 'last chances' does a man need? Seriously - the fact he has been at 4 clubs in the last year says a lot really. OK, he may have been harshly dealt with this time, but it wasn't for nothing he was asked to leave Saracens or Toloun. It's also the same reason that he was only given a short term contract at Cardiff, he was always going to be out the door at the first mistake*. But you do have to ask why he was out getting hammered after his side were torn a new one by Glasgow, and just a week before a season defining match in Dublin. I'm all for rugby players enjoying a drink when the time is appropriate, but friday was certainly not appropriate... *But the welsh regions are seriously struggling, with Cardiff - committed to paying Cardiff City a hell of a lot to play at a ground they have never come close to filling - sinking far faster than the rest. I'm sure that will have played a part too... As for the suggestion he should jump on the plane back - he can't, he's been banned from flying!

Main pitch is being torn up in the next few weeks anyway (to install undersoil heating, drainage ect) - I don't know for sure, but I would be surprised if the new pitch isn't grass though. Think the one talked about above is the one we use for training, to the west of the main pitch. And fitting 8,852 into Scotstoun - can raise the capacity to 15,000 if need be (will hold 15,000 for the IRB 7's in May). And I wouldn't be surprised to see another crowd larger than the current capacity of Scotstoun on sunday coming

Loads of empty ones in all 3 - because we use unreserved seating we are restricted to just under 9,000. Which is ridiculously low IMO, but there you go. (Leinster use unreserved seats too, but are allowed to sell every single one!) Attendance was announced as 8,852 Anyway, dour game, but Glasgow seem to have forgotten how to loose. (only lost once since September - and that was away to the reining European Champions as they kicked off their title defence) And 3 1872 Cup wins in a row too

Game is now SOLD OUT. Will be live on BBC Alba from 5.30 though for anyone who want's to watch, or just want's to see Firhill on TV.

For the benefit of anyone who is considering heading along on sunday http://www.glasgowwarriors.org/content/view/5136/47/

Not this week, but will be open against Edinburgh on new years day, and maybe the final HC game too (against Leinster in january)

Just out of interest, for those who support leaving Firhill... How about following your current tenants to Scotstoun? Still inside Glasgow (and not all that far from Partick), 6,000 is quite a good capacity for Thistle right now, and Scotstoun will (starting from next may) be able to hold 15,000 if the demand is there* (so allows for cup games against the OF ect.) A venue worth considering? *Details announced today by the SRU/Glasgow City Council, with the news the IRB sevens tournament is coming to Glasgow. Artists impression of the ground available here http://www.glasgow7s.com/buy-tickets

A wee bit more here - but again all about Donald.. And Richie Gray http://www.3news.co.nz/VIDEO-Stephen-Donalds-penalty-not-enough-for-Bath/tabid/317/articleID/232687/Default.aspx

Not strange at all - Have Thistle paid us to advertise at our games?? Apparently not, so why would we allow you to advertise for free? Would be a fair kick in the teeth to our sponsors who have paid good money to advertise at our games! (particularly one of the games with the biggest exposure - live on tv against the biggest welsh side.) Mind you, we do allow the sponsorship along the front of the JH stand to remain.. Maybe we just can't reach that I suppose? :s

Furious about this - fail to see how this is a good move for the club, and it has been agreed without any consultation with the fans (of whom very few want to leave Firhill) Thanks to Partick Thistle for having us these 5 years: Have really enjoyed coming to Firhill on a friday night, it will always be a ground that holds a special place in this non-Thistle supporters heart. Might even try and get the occasional trip along to watch you guys. Best of luck to you lot in the future - hope to see you back in the SPL in the future, preferably still playing at a Firhill I might recognise! Oh yeah, and I leave in the knowledge we have reminded you what the place looks like full

Been busy recently (ie. about the last 6 months), so not had time really to post on here. Not helped by the fact it's been such a depressing season on the field, and far far worse off it. But finally a bit of great news the other day - Gordon McKie, who has single handedly been trying to destroy the game in this country, has finally quit as SRU CEO! A long summer of power struggles no doubt awaits, but provided we get the right man in then we could finally see the game in Scotland start to recover... Or we get the wrong man and the game dies for good And to try and anticipate the first question that will be asked, I believe the SRU have commitments to maintain the 2 pro-teams until 2014 - so we shouldn't be going anywhere for now. http://www.scottishrugby.org/aboutus/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=746&Itemid= Also, something that may be of interest, next seasons HC draw has paired us with defending champions (again) Leinster. Who, unlike Toulouse, would be expected to bring a very sizable away support to Firhill. If we get that fixture early on, we could very easilly get 7-8 thousand along to Firhill (unfortunatly, with Bath and Montpellier also in the pool, we shaln't be playing any quarter finals)

Just seen this thread. Just to clear something up - the 3,870 crowd on friday is no reflection on how our crowds are holding up. We only had 1,500 for the visit of Treviso last month, and that was with a large group of Italians (granted, Thistle's crowds would also be pretty shit if all your players were playing for Scotland the next day, but still) Think friday was actually our second best sttendance of the season (after the Edinburgh game), and can almost entirely be put down to the fact that several key players who have been great servants of the club were playing their last game - and so people wanted to both say goodbye, and also make a point to the SRU about what these players meant to them. (of the 6 that are leaving, 1 is going for family reasons - which you have to respect - and the other 5 wanted to stay but were not offered a contract. 1 of them is even a 25 yo who has been our best player recently, and is leaving without a club to go to!) Crowds are going to plumet from now on until Gordon McKie (SRU CEO) is finally ousted from his post and the SRU start taking professional rugby seriously.

TBH, iv'e lost track of who plays on astroturf these days - there msut be a few who used to play on it then? (Hamilton and Dunfermline are the obvious ones) Pretty sure Newcastle play on grass - although now you mention it, I think there is some conection to artificial turf there.. Possibly the first team to train on it regularly? (quite a few teams are in that position now though - Glasgow included)

Sarries are playing on an artificial pitch from next season (think that is all set in stone - although HC games are likely to be on grass at Wembley, but that is entirely through choice). Will be interesting to see how it affects games, since most rugby fans have never seen a game on plastic. Racing Metro are the other club going to astroturf, but not for a few years yet (that is so they can host concerts in their new ground without damaging the pitch) I also mentioned the russian clubs - but im not 100% sure on that one. Im not sure how the SRU would see it, but personally I would be quite happy with an artificial pitch being installed at Firhill. Playing on a surface that no other club in the league (and only 1 other in the HC) is used to playing on could become a massive home advantage (obviously in thistles case there are a few others).

I was merly trying to point out the fatal flaw in the OP's plan - ie. what happens if you kick us out and the pitch doesn't improve. And do you? care to tell me what that is? Right now, I am hoping we still have a pro team in Glasgow when the current deal for Firhill expires - something that isn't exactly certain at the moment No reason why you can't have both - several russian rugby clubs already play on artificial turf, and Saracens will become the first Heineken Cup team to play on the stuff next season. (Racing Metro of Paris are also planning to install astroturf when they move into their new ground in a few years)

sorry, no can do. He is hitting the gym right now so that he is ready to play for us next season while our internationals are at the World Cup (actually, im not going to joke about that. I wouldn't put it past that clown McKie..)

A couple of points about this: 1) How bad is the pitch, really? It's not the worst ive ever seen it, and I have only been going to Firhill for 4 years.. Also doesn't look anywhere near as bad as Fir Park in previous seasons (not seen it recently), and McDiarmid looked far worse last time I saw it aswell. 2) Why do people think the pitch will suddenly resemble the Emirates or Old Trafford, simply by kicking the Warriors out? These grounds have fantastic pitches because their owners spend millions of pounds to keep them fantastic, not because they don't host rugby matches (infact, OT does host rugby - albiet not as frequently as Firhill). If it was that simple, why does Hampden not have a perfect surface (despite probably spending far more on maintainance than Thistle/the SRU do)? or any other ground in Scotland for that matter. the poor pitch is caused by the hard winter, not what sports have been played on it. Granted, the extra strain of 15 rugby matches on top of Thistle games will not have helped the pitch, but it is playing games (rugby or football) after extended period of bad weather that have led to its current state. I have been at ever Glasgow game this season, yet on several occassions this season I have noticed the pitch looks significantly worse than when we last left. That suggests the football is doing a fair amount of damage to the pitch aswell. Look at the season before last - when the pitch held up fine. Rugby was played on it that season aswell, so what is the difference? Oh yeah, we had nowhere near as hard a winter... 3) in relation to other clubs not having rugby clubs as tennents - that is almost entirely because there is only really one team with a need to use a football ground (and only 1 ground that is suitable for that matter - so consider yourselfs lucky). Strangely enough, Falkirk, Dundee, St Johnstone, Inverness CT and Aberdeen have all accepted SRU cash to host games in recent years (OK, Aberdeen was a full international so worth a hell of a lot more, but the others are U20 or 'A' games), and I am fairly sure that if the SRU were to revive the Caly Reds then Dundee would bite their hands off for the chance to bring in an extra £100k a year. So far as I know, the only football club to turn down the SRU in recent years is Hibs. Infact, to the best of my knowledge, the only other club in the world to have turned rugby down is Barcelona - and even there it was approved by the board and only vetoed by Guardiola. Im pretty sure if the Olympic Stadium pitch holds up fine next month then that one will happen next season. If the state of the playing surface is so important to the number of 'supporters' that turn up, then why not pressure the club to change something that will make a real difference? push for summer football, for example? (even with the same pitch, that would possibly get you your 300 fans AND keep the £100K from us!) Or even install an artificial pitch? (again, best of both worlds - although I would be amazed if crowds suddenly shot up!)

As I said, none. I have seen Basque flags at Celtic games recently, and while guessing it was some sort of political statment hadn't quite made the connection to ETA (probably because all the Basques I have ever met have also been proud frenchmen totally against Basque independance) Just out of interest, what would opinions be if someone turned up with a Catalonian flag? the independance movement (and ETA) is far bigger there than at the other end of the french-spanish border, but it is a red and yellow flag...

What's wrong with Basque flags? Iv'e got one up on a wall in my room... (and come to think of it, I was given it at Firhill!) *not that I see any relevance in taking one to Firhill, mind*