Herald Article Today

[ayrshire jag]

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/more-scottish-football/all-change-again-behind-the-scenes-at-firhill-1.1067685

[B.C.G. JAG]

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/more-scottish-football/all-change-again-behind-the-scenes-at-firhill-1.1067685

 

The thing that strikes me most about the article is the way Ronnie Gilfillan talks about David Beattie and Billy Allan as if they are brand new to the board. Haven't they been here for a number of years? Is this a way to try and distance themselves from the collective responsibility of past mistakes by the BOD or were they just silent partners in the past?

[lady-isobel-barnett]

The thing that strikes me most about the article is the way Ronnie Gilfillan talks about David Beattie and Billy Allan as if they are brand new to the board. Haven't they been here for a number of years? Is this a way to try and distance themselves from the collective responsibility of past mistakes by the BOD or were they just silent partners in the past?

I was looking at the article from a slightly different angle. I was thinking that Ronnie G could easily have phrased things differently to limit the use of the we in the past tense. That might have deflected blame somewhat onto the parting directors even if in truth the voting arithmetic wouldn't have stacked up. Either way I assume the principal value of the article is to reassure our suppliers, business partners (Greaves, Warriors, Citroen), sponsors etc. that we're not about to go tits up.

[uberteeb]

"...he added confidently. “I think we have one of the best managers in Scotland and I, personally, would support Ian until the cows came home. He has limited resources to work with but doesn’t bleat or complain about his budget. He understands how the club works.”"

 

Sack the board.

[Jaggernaut]

I feel reassured (but not complacent) about the club's ability to move forward having read that article. We're lucky in that we have Thistle supporters on the board, rather than just folk who want to attach themselves to a club for the kudos. We're unlucky in that none of them has been crazy generous enough to wipe out our debt completely, but at least the article settles things: our debt is around £700K, which is a lot less than many other clubs, including clubs with no assets whatsoever.

 

I reckon that more efforts should be made to develop a fund that is entirely aimed at clearing the debt: lotteries, prize draws, concerts/events (I've never seen the famous Thistle play, but would definitely pay to go to see it). Why not a bumper Thistle-hamper/hospitality/season-ticket Christmas draw, for example? Would cost the club almost zilch, but a lot of folk would throw in a couple of quid.

[The Incredible Adam Spark]

our debt is around £700K, which is a lot less than many other clubs, including clubs with no assets whatsoever.

I'd like to know who that debt is owed to. That's the crucial point, in my opinion.

[Vom Itorium]

I'd like to know who that debt is owed to. That's the crucial point, in my opinion.

Bank of Scotland predominantly I'd imagine.

[Alan Murray]

Ronnie Gilfillan "So you can start to see some of the benefits arising from having business guys on board instead of just accountants and lawyers.”

 

Who could he be talking about?

[northernsoul]

Some strange comments from Gilfillan.

[Steven H]

Some strange comments from Gilfillan.

 

Which ones?

[The Incredible Adam Spark]

Looking at it again. Throws up more questions than it does answers, for me.

[Martin]

In my humble and honest opinion this article is about one thing - preparing us for a financial crisis followed by a move away from firhill. Been going to matches at firhill for 30 years but would not miss it if we moved somewhere with a hint of atmosphere

[northernsoul]

Which ones?

 

"So you can start to see some of the benefits arising from having business guys on board instead of just accountants and lawyers."

 

On board or in charge? They've been there for a while now and their expertise have not been utilised enough for the benefit of the club.

 

"But if some utter catastrophic situation arose and push came to shove, we know we have the assets.

 

Do we though? even with half the stadium sold off?

 

"I predict we will be in the top half come the end of the season"

 

McCall has already stated this season we will win more games than we will lose. Senior figures at PTFC in the past have a pretty crap habit on not keeping their promises or predictions.

 

"I think we have one of the best managers in Scotland and I, personally, would support Ian until the cows came home."

 

If he was one of the best managers we wouldn't be where we are right now in the table.

 

Lets say for instance we're bottom of the league come christmas/New Year/Spring several points behind 9th position would he still support him then?

 

"You’ve got to be optimistic as a Partick Thistle fan or you would slit your wrists!"

 

Justs reminds me something Cowan would hit out with.

Edited November 12, 2010 by northernsoul

[Yellow & Redneck]

McCall NEVER complains about his budget...REALLY!

[Ember]

Looking at it again. Throws up more questions than it does answers, for me.

 

 

In my humble and honest opinion this article is about one thing - preparing us for a financial crisis followed by a move away from firhill. Been going to matches at firhill for 30 years but would not miss it if we moved somewhere with a hint of atmosphere

Graeme who wrote the article is a mate and we've been discussing this article for a while now. He also talked to Ronnie about a couple of other issues (which would be of most interest to Thistle fans but not to a wider audience so, given space constraints, those lines were left out of the article) namely that they are considering a share issue and apparently they want to keep it a 4-sided stadium but 3 of the sides will have very little seating, or as he put it, similar to what's on the north side at the minute. I know he's not a regular at Firhill, but he was in the North Stand for a mutual friend's stag night last season. This might explain why he can't remember how big that stand is

[Jaggernaut]

In my humble and honest opinion this article is about one thing - preparing us for a financial crisis followed by a move away from firhill. Been going to matches at firhill for 30 years but would not miss it if we moved somewhere with a hint of atmosphere

I can see an eventual move, but somewhere that will have atmosphere, don't think so.

 

IF it had 4 wee stands they'd be of the Lego variety, with huge gaps at the corners; no atmosphere.

 

The only recently constructed ground that might have been good for atmosphere is Livingston's, but they killed the atmosphere stone dead by having a roof that only comes about half-way down the stands. A total nightmare.

[twinny]

I can see an eventual move, but somewhere that will have atmosphere, don't think so.

 

IF it had 4 wee stands they'd be of the Lego variety, with huge gaps at the corners; no atmosphere.

 

The only recently constructed ground that might have been good for atmosphere is Livingston's, but they killed the atmosphere stone dead by having a roof that only comes about half-way down the stands. A total nightmare.

 

Here's a recently built stadium with a decent atmosphere, well, that is when the game is decent and you're in the terraces, particularly the away terrace in the final photo. If a new stadium was to be built I'd hope for something like this, with a slightly larger stand, or two stands, kind of like Frihill a little over 10 years ago...

 

If only terraces were allowed

 

Edit: Apologies for taking this off topic. I'm not really sure what to take from the article, as said above there are lot's of questions to be raised from it, and the probability of it being there to reassure our business partners as LIB says seems likely.

Edited November 12, 2010 by twinny

[northernsoul]

Graeme who wrote the article is a mate and we've been discussing this article for a while now. He also talked to Ronnie about a couple of other issues (which would be of most interest to Thistle fans but not to a wider audience so, given space constraints, those lines were left out of the article) namely that they are considering a share issue and apparently they want to keep it a 4-sided stadium but 3 of the sides will have very little seating, or as he put it, similar to what's on the north side at the minute. I know he's not a regular at Firhill, but he was in the North Stand for a mutual friend's stag night last season. This might explain why he can't remember how big that stand is

 

I'm confused by this.

[Ember]

I'm confused by this.

Why? As I said, Graeme seems to have got himself confused about the North stand. Not surprising really; he's just a St Mirren fan.

[northernsoul]

Why? As I said, Graeme seems to have got himself confused about the North stand. Not surprising really; he's just a St Mirren fan.

 

Right so he got confused by the size of the north stand.

 

Does that mean the ground (if this plan actually happened) would just look like the layouts shown back at the Propco meeting back in April?

[Mediocre Pundit]

Right so he got confused by the size of the north stand.

 

Does that mean the ground (if this plan actually happened) would just look like the layouts shown back at the Propco meeting back in April?

I'd like to know this too. As if they were all a similar size as the North Stand we'd have a pretty awesome (but 12,000 capacity) stadium!

[The Incredible Adam Spark]

I'd like to know this too. As if they were all a similar size as the North Stand we'd have a pretty awesome (but 12,000 capacity) stadium!

Q&A. It's the way forward.

[Ember]

Right so he got confused by the size of the north stand.

 

Does that mean the ground (if this plan actually happened) would just look like the layouts shown back at the Propco meeting back in April?

Correct. Like I said, Graeme was far from sober the last time he was in Firhill.

[PaleGreySky]

So when is the development meant to go ahead for Propco? I remember being told January 2011. That's not a long way off. What's the latest with planning permission etc? Are we still waiting to hear back?

[The Incredible Adam Spark]

So when is the development meant to go ahead for Propco? I remember being told January 2011. That's not a long way off. What's the latest with planning permission etc? Are we still waiting to hear back?

I took hospitality for the Falkirk game. Ronnie suggested that the proposed work on the stadium would be complete by the end of next year should permission be granted during his tour of the ground.