Sinistar Posted October 5, 2014 Report Share Posted October 5, 2014 Here's a picture of an empire biscuit...made with buttery shortbread biscuits, just the right amount of tangy jam inside and sweet melt in your mouth icing. And it has the Thistle badge on the front of it made from edible icing! It also tastes amazing. Can you buy this scrummy treat at Firhill on match day? No of course not, you need to go to Rugby Park in Kilmarnock to get one! Their fake pitch may be crap but they make an effort with the food on offer. Not perfect, but better than any other ground I've been to in recent years. Why can't we do stuff like this? I'm totally scunnered with the £2.20 "cheesy bean" pie I get every week. Not as bad as the St Mirren one granted, but it's still cack. Surely it wouldn't be that difficult to offer something a bit nicer or different to the norm. Seem to remember our Chairman apologising for the skanky fare on offer in a match programme a couple of seasons ago and giving us his utmost assurances that it would be sorted out. Thanks David! It might not seem that important but I believe if you improved the match day experience for punters, they will come (and pay their £22) It's not just the food either - I keep thinking about this brilliant eye opener of a post regarding the recent cup match from kji7 - Shit attendance was expected, £18 a ticket is a joke, it's no wonder attendances across Scotland are so poor. Just for a wee comparison, I was in Munich in March and watched TSV 1860 in the Allianz Arena for 14 euros, I was able to drink proper German beer in the stadium at 3 euros a pint and the ticket also got me free transport anywhere in the city on matchday. Also the atmosphere was sensational, one of the best I have ever witnessed. We are getting it badly wrong in Scotland. I can have a drink if I go to a gig, the theatre, a pub or a club. I can have a drink at English football matches or if I wear a suit and pay hospitality prices at Scottish football. Why can't normal punters have a drink? Half the crowd (if not more) are in the pub immediately prior to the game anyway. Also agree with the recent points made about the stadium being neglected. Why do VIP areas get improved but not those of the paying punters? Value for money and good facilities is crucial for any entertainment on offer in the current financial climate and kji7 is spot on- football clubs are getting it so badly wrong at the moment 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Devil's Point Posted October 6, 2014 Report Share Posted October 6, 2014 I thought the best shout on Saturday was a guy exploding 'you need another hobby Madden'. Facilities matter I suppose, but three points for Thistle is better than any catering. The walk down the drive, god's walk, doesn't work without the points. No pie or fancy seat can replace that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindau Posted October 6, 2014 Report Share Posted October 6, 2014 Here's a picture of an empire biscuit...made with buttery shortbread biscuits, just the right amount of tangy jam inside and sweet melt in your mouth icing. And it has the Thistle badge on the front of it made from edible icing! It also tastes amazing. Can you buy this scrummy treat at Firhill on match day? No of course not, you need to go to Rugby Park in Kilmarnock to get one! Their fake pitch may be crap but they make an effort with the food on offer. Not perfect, but better than any other ground I've been to in recent years. Why can't we do stuff like this? I'm totally scunnered with the £2.20 "cheesy bean" pie I get every week. Not as bad as the St Mirren one granted, but it's still cack. Surely it wouldn't be that difficult to offer something a bit nicer or different to the norm. Seem to remember our Chairman apologising for the skanky fare on offer in a match programme a couple of seasons ago and giving us his utmost assurances that it would be sorted out. Thanks David! It might not seem that important but I believe if you improved the match day experience for punters, they will come (and pay their £22) It's not just the food either - I keep thinking about this brilliant eye opener of a post regarding the recent cup match from kji7 - I can have a drink if I go to a gig, the theatre, a pub or a club. I can have a drink at English football matches or if I wear a suit and pay hospitality prices at Scottish football. Why can't normal punters have a drink? Half the crowd (if not more) are in the pub immediately prior to the game anyway. Also agree with the recent points made about the stadium being neglected. Why do VIP areas get improved but not those of the paying punters? Value for money and good facilities is crucial for any entertainment on offer in the current financial climate and kji7 is spot on- football clubs are getting it so badly wrong at the moment I was in Berlin last November and we took in the Hertha v Bayer Leverkusen game. 23 euros for a top Bundesliga game (less than 20 quid) and that included free travel across the city on the day of the game. Drink and fantastic food available outside and inside the ground. 4 euros for a pint and a roll and German sausage, around the equivilent of buying a pie at any ground in Scotland. Crowd of 48,000 at the game. Both sets of fans drinking and eating outside the Olympic Stadium. Sadly because of the antics of the Neanderthals from the new club in the South Side and the old club from the East End, the rest of us have to pay a heavy price. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lady-isobel-barnett Posted October 6, 2014 Report Share Posted October 6, 2014 Selling alcohol at matches is a strange one in so much that on principle I'm in agreement but think in practice it would provide an unwelcome headache. Reasons for my scepticism are threefold. Firstly at Firhill, and in fact most other grounds to some extent, we struggle to reach a bare minimum satisfactory level of service selling pies etc never mind introducing another stall and all that would entail. Secondly with relatively low crowds purchasing power will be poor. I can't see any profit in selling beer unless the punters are charged night club prices. Ironically the two clubs who would benefit from beer sales are the very two clubs that should have no right to sell alcohol. Thirdly it would take a major swing in policing and stewarding attitude. I can't see that happening and an environment of guilty till proven innocent that prevails as it is would be even more intolerable. All we'd hear about is the one drinker in a thousand who's been out of order rather than the nine hundred and ninety nine who've conducted themselves in a perfectly acceptable manner. There is actually a fourth reason I wouldn't like to see alcohol sold at games as it would work against other pubs reliant on matchday sales. If of course a club like ours could generate significant profit then that's fair game but that is imo extremely unlikely. Hate to see any football friendly business close due to some ultimately doomed venture elsewhere. I am all for bringing Scottish football into the 21st century and making it a competitive attraction with other entertainment areas. Don't think that's possible while it's under the stewardship of the likes of Mssrs Regan & Doncaster. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cup Posted October 6, 2014 Report Share Posted October 6, 2014 I'd much rather have 3 points than any piece of merchandise but it's indicative of Partick Thistle being ran at the top with a small club attitude. Quite frankly the shop is no better than you'd find at League 1 teams. Guys like Elliott and Craigen who have made the massive leap from the amateurs have found their feet in the top flight more easily than the board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Passenger Posted October 6, 2014 Report Share Posted October 6, 2014 (edited) The catering's been excellent this season and giant steps have been taken to improve the supporters' bar. Edited October 6, 2014 by Dark Passenger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allyo Posted October 6, 2014 Report Share Posted October 6, 2014 The catering's been excellent this season and giant steps have been taken to improve the supporters' bar. How dare you challenge the accepted wisdom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billko Posted October 6, 2014 Report Share Posted October 6, 2014 (edited) Pricing at the football is all wrong Asked the missus if she wanted to go to Firhill the other week but at £44 for the two of us to get in and this is without food/ drinks etc it wasn't going to happen. I know season tickets etc work out better value but for going to the odd game the matchday experience at the football these days isn't value for money and folk won't go to it. If you had to count the cost of food and beverages etc you would be cheaper going out for a good meal somewhere. Don't know if it could work here like Germany but we really need to look at attendances at all grounds and wonder why football is losing it's customers and then find solutions to the problem. Edited October 6, 2014 by billko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collins Out! Posted October 6, 2014 Report Share Posted October 6, 2014 I had two Cheesy Bean pies on Saturday. They are the way forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mediocre Pundit Posted October 6, 2014 Report Share Posted October 6, 2014 There's many problems with bringing in a more sensible structure/experience at Firhill - however it's mainly down to money. Ideally we would price different seats differently - you should be able to get into the game for a tenner (standing behind the goal) but be able to pay £15 for a seat, and maybe £20 for a seat on the halfway line, some more for semi-hospitality (buffet, pie at half time, pay bar throughout) and more again for full hospitality, and maybe more again for a box. There should be enough catering/stalls/outlets within the stadium to make the most of a captive market and increase average spend (with stuff people actually appreciate - food and drink, both serving people quickly, photos with players/ex-players, face painting, beat the goalie, tour of a club museum (which should be built into a refurbished Main Stand) etc...) and other activities to encourage people to turn up early and be around the stadium for longer. It's easy to say and it's aligned to what big clubs (in Germany, currently being attempted by Manchester City) are doing, but it would require significant construction and re-modelling of Firhill to create an environment where it could be replicated, plus an injection of working capital to allow the club to experiment with pricing until it gets the business model right. For both of those reasons it will never happen... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falklandal1 Posted October 6, 2014 Report Share Posted October 6, 2014 Must admit that the Catering has improved this Season,okay I only have Sausage Roll and a Bovril but it has been served in a pleasant and cheerful manner,and the Stalls have been freshly decorated which has helped.If you go to the Development games the one Stall is open,hang on to the end and you will probably get a Pie for a Pound!!!!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian_mac Posted October 6, 2014 Report Share Posted October 6, 2014 Can only comment on the North Stand as I haven't been to the JH in over 2 years. But, the catering has improved this season, in my opinion. The queues are moving a lot faster, the quality of product seems to be better and the staff aren't being recruited via the work programme, which I think is a good thing for the image of the club. That said, I think the operation at Rugby Park demonstrates that we still have a long way to go. But Rome wasn't built in a day. For the moment I think we should be happy that progress is being made. Those Empire Biscuits are outstanding by the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
read'n'yell Posted October 6, 2014 Report Share Posted October 6, 2014 Bit of an idea but why not remove all seats from the top half of the North Stand, add safe standing zone with new style terrace bars. Use the old seats in the new stand at the city end - whenever that gets done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stillresigned Posted October 6, 2014 Report Share Posted October 6, 2014 Bit of an idea but why not remove all seats from the top half of the North Stand, add safe standing zone with new style terrace bars. Use the old seats in the new stand at the city end - whenever that gets done. Far to senmsible for both Thistle and Scottish football im general- how sare you start thinling for yourself!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian_mac Posted October 7, 2014 Report Share Posted October 7, 2014 Bit of an idea but why not remove all seats from the top half of the North Stand, add safe standing zone with new style terrace bars. Use the old seats in the new stand at the city end - whenever that gets done. Would love for that to happen but it certainly won't be any time soon. Celtic have just been knocked back for a safe standing area by the council. If Celtic can't get the council on side then no one can, we all know who they support in there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fawlty Towers Posted December 7, 2014 Report Share Posted December 7, 2014 Don't know if it was just because we were playing Killie but I did see iced biscuits with the Thistle logo on them on sale in one of the stalls in the JHS yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fawlty Towers Posted December 21, 2014 Report Share Posted December 21, 2014 Here's a picture of an empire biscuit...made with buttery shortbread biscuits, just the right amount of tangy jam inside and sweet melt in your mouth icing. And it has the Thistle badge on the front of it made from edible icing! It also tastes amazing. Can you buy this scrummy treat at Firhill on match day? No of course not, you need to go to Rugby Park in Kilmarnock to get one! Their fake pitch may be crap but they make an effort with the food on offer. Not perfect, but better than any other ground I've been to in recent years. Why can't we do stuff like this? I'm totally scunnered with the £2.20 "cheesy bean" pie I get every week. Not as bad as the St Mirren one granted, but it's still cack. Surely it wouldn't be that difficult to offer something a bit nicer or different to the norm. Seem to remember our Chairman apologising for the skanky fare on offer in a match programme a couple of seasons ago and giving us his utmost assurances that it would be sorted out. Thanks David! It might not seem that important but I believe if you improved the match day experience for punters, they will come (and pay their £22) It's not just the food either - I keep thinking about this brilliant eye opener of a post regarding the recent cup match from kji7 - I can have a drink if I go to a gig, the theatre, a pub or a club. I can have a drink at English football matches or if I wear a suit and pay hospitality prices at Scottish football. Why can't normal punters have a drink? Half the crowd (if not more) are in the pub immediately prior to the game anyway. Also agree with the recent points made about the stadium being neglected. Why do VIP areas get improved but not those of the paying punters? Value for money and good facilities is crucial for any entertainment on offer in the current financial climate and kji7 is spot on- football clubs are getting it so badly wrong at the moment For the last couple of games there has been some sort of iced product (not sure if it is an empire biscuit) with the Thistle logo on sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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