Fellow Traveller

Like people say, it can't be easy drumming up support for a scheme like this in tough times with bigger clubs nearby. I guess that's why they give a car away in April and October. That's a fantastic way to get some good publicity. There's actually no other reason to have such a huge prize except for the terrific publicity that it can get for your scheme and the new members it might attract. So a special prize for anyone who can find a mention anywhere of April's winner. Try the club's website and the CF website for a start. Try the list of April's prizes.

I tweeted "There's a stooshie about comps on the forum". I'd hardly class that as giving more background. And since I wasn't there, all I suggested was that you listen to the people who were and see how they feel about it. Which you told me you do. So that's great.

We can play a reserve team. It's traditional.

If we go into the meeting committed to getting an equal share of any TV revenue generated, there's certainly no harm in it.

Championed by our chairman a month ago as part of the grand plan. Considering the disdain shown by OF clubs for the Glasgow Cup that led to it being recast in its current form, you have to laugh at this being touted as a lifeline for one of them now.

I'm getting old and my memory's slipping. I knew it was something about somebody involving a problem with something else. Amazed I got as close to it as I did. Good to see you again, even if you're under some form of house arrest.

Wasn't it stickers curling up on the backs of the seats that brought us the last sighting in the wild of the Moaning Git? You wouldn't want to be around if he turned up and found his nameplate had a screw loose.

I've got a lot of sympathy for Capital Jag's view that even allowing newco into SFL3 has been a real con and they've still managed to bypass proper procedures, but this is probably as good an outcome as could be achieved, considering the huge pressure being applied. A qualified victory for the fans. Let's just hope we all manage to complete our fixtures this season.

I thought I'd said what I hoped and expected from the club. But it's their income and their problem and I'll happily leave it in their hands. I reserve the right to draw my own conclusions from how eagerly they pursue this, but probably not here.

I'd have thought this had more potential to be reputationally damaging this season than some old cobblers about Mark Walters, but if people are relaxed about it, that's cool. Do whatever brings you serenity, FT, and if that's shutting people up, go for it.

Someone compared it to the Aamer Anwar error a few weeks back and that's a pretty good precedent. The club were quick to get a correction and apology on that occasion, which I think made us all happy, and I'm sure they'll be just as keen to correct the record (boom-tish!) this time. Good on them!

Do you think they'll still want to devote time and effort to it, though, D? Got to think there's going to be some really short-term panic moves from these clubs now to cut back to core activities.

Yeah, he carried it TO the meeting, but then what...? Joking. Good to finally get that cleared up.

Dundee Utd have come out in the meantime and at least shown they will stick to their guns and fight any effort to create SPL2. SPL clubs going to turn on each other now.

What a lot of hooey getting spouted now. The meeting yesterday was exactly as billed - the single most important vote in the history of the Scottish Football League. Anyone who proposes to argue that it's not appropriate, relevant, sensible or downright essential for the club to make it crystal clear to its own supporters which way it voted on their behalf is a blithering idiot. No offence intended, obviously, but there it is. Edit: and since someone has already just asked me - if any individual feels the voting issue is of no personal interest to them and has no impact on their decision to attend games etc, they're perfectly entitled to that view. But it will affect other fans and fans of other clubs and, ultimately, hurt Thistle so whether you turn a blind eye/deaf ear/whatever to it or not, the little football world is changed by these things and it's idiotic to pretend otherwise.

A mistakenly reported yes is financially damaging to the business and we're all about the business. So get it corrected if it isn't true. And I'll try not to be worried by Mr Beattie's track record of commenting in the press in a way that covers his tracks after a vote. (See JJ's removal from the club board for a very similar pattern of comments to the ones credited to him yesterday.)

Not conclusive proof of anything, but print Record definitely names us on page 4 as was said above: "It's understood Falkirk, Partick Thistle, Hamilton, Queen of the South and Brechin were the clubs who voted against." If that's incorrect, the club have to respond.

Accies fan forum looking a lot like ours today: http://www.setbb.com/acciesworld/viewforum.php?f=1&sid=59621672ea55e2fdb7aa333ed7d1c5e3&mforum=acciesworld

Apart from the guys who quite rightly object to newco getting into the league at all, we're all a bit tainted by compromise. I can just about live with the idea of them getting into Div 3, but I know that isn't a very pure decision. It lets football continue and most people won't walk away with that outcome and that's about all you could say to feebly justify it. But if it did emerge that we were a yes vote, that would matter - to me, to a lot of our fans and to a lot of fans at other clubs who would choose not to visit Firhill ever again. It could have major ramifications for the club and that's why it needs to be confronted and dealt with. If we were a no, scream it from the rooftops. If it was a yes, Beattie should prepare for trouble ahead, from all directions.

We've all seen enough football chairmen over the years at our club and others to know they don't do the sharing thing very well. The input from the fans wasn't particularly welcome and rushing out of the meeting to reassure everyone how he voted might be viewed by some football chairman types as a sign of weakness. It sounds daft, but reminding people who's boss is a big thing in some circles. Just ask yourself what you think Mr Beattie, in his heart of hearts, would want more in his life: newco in Div 1 or an angry brigade of fans telling him what to do? The answer's pretty obvious. It doesn't tell you how he voted, but it would help explain his disdain for sharing the info with us.

I can't explain their conduct, but I'm trying to be as fair as possible until they sort themselves out. They may have some weird explanation for how they've chosen to handle it. But, as I say, if it was a yes that would be unforgivable bearing in mind assurances given.

Still leaning towards it having been a no vote followed by just another stupid, ill-thought out statement. His private responses have been so clear about voting no that to have done anything else would finish him.

Will, everyone knows fans across the country have been crying out for a no vote. The club has been told umpteen times by all kinds of people that a no vote is the key to unlocking their cash. So if we voted no, and we may well have done that, it's insane on every level to refuse stubbornly to confirm it. Emotionally, financially, strategically. Mad. Probably not the moment to ask where we stand on SPL2...

If that's what happened, and things seem to be getting kept deliberately fuzzy, we're just in the same boat as Killie fans last week. The shame would be David Beattie's and his alone.

I'd wager there's been a lot of internal debate since any board meeting last week. This can and should be cleared up quickly and decisively. There's no possible sense in leaving any doubt in the air.