Are Ptfc

[twinny]

I have just for some reason received an email from Dundee FC trying to recruit volunteers for their Freshers stall at (presumably Dundee University's) Freshers Fair. I'm not sure what we could do with a freshers stall, as students are mainly looking for free goodies, perhaps offer free entry to the Friday night game vs Morton for freshers on production of a matric card valid from 2011 (staff would need to actually look at the cards dates and check if it is actually the card of the person presenting it), and maybe Greaves would want a stall, though I'm sure they aren't in the business of giving things away.

 

And before the old fuddy duddies start moaning that students get too much for free, remember that students receive a great deal of money in their student loan that is usually wasted on shite, so why can't we encourage them to spend it on us. If they enjoy the one game they may well return, and opening it up only to freshers would mean it is unlikely to be abused.

[Allan Heron]

And before the old fuddy duddies start moaning that students get too much for free, remember that students receive a great deal of money in their student loan that is usually wasted on shite, so why can't we encourage them to spend it on us.

 

I agree - we're a much better class of shite

[Vom Itorium]

Should the topic of this not have been...

 

'Do PTFC have any people to do something at the Freshers Fairs at Glasgow or Strathclyde Uni?'

 

This has been discussed season after season and the answer remains the same... WE DO NOT HAVE THE MANPOWER!

 

If we had a credible Jags Trust then this would be an ideal thing for them to take onboard in conjunction with the Club but when they'd rather piss in from the outside then that ain't gonna happen now is it? For something like this to happen, and it IS a really good idea, people have to take it onbard themselves, approach the club and make it work that way.

Edited September 6, 2011 by Vom Itorium

[B.C.G. JAG]

Should the topic of this not have been...

 

'Do PTFC have any people to do something at the Freshers Fairs at Glasgow or Strathclyde Uni?'

 

This has been discussed season after season and the answer remains the same... WE DO NOT HAVE THE MANPOWER!

 

If we had a credible Jags Trust then this would be an ideal thing for them to take onboard in conjunction with the Club but when they'd rather piss in from the outside then that ain't gonna happen now is it? For something like this to happen, and it IS a really good idea, people have to take it onbard themselves, approach the club and make it work that way.

 

I don't think anyone prefers pissing in from the outside. The Trust may be a lot of things, but that's just a ridiculous assertion and I don't think it helps The Trust, The Support, The Club or the BOD (well maybe the BOD) to suggest that the Trust chose to unseat themselves from the board. You can't blame The Trust for everything!

[Balloch Jag]

what friday night game v morton

[Allan Heron]

what friday night game v morton

Wake up at the back there.

 

The scheduled match on 1/10 will now take place on the evening of 30/9

[Allan Heron]

Was there not a Thistle group set up at Glasgow a year or so back? Has this fallen into disrepair?

[Balloch Jag]

Wake up at the back there.

 

The scheduled match on 1/10 will now take place on the evening of 30/9

 

since when ?

[Vom Itorium]

I don't think anyone prefers pissing in from the outside. The Trust may be a lot of things, but that's just a ridiculous assertion and I don't think it helps The Trust, The Support, The Club or the BOD (well maybe the BOD) to suggest that the Trust chose to unseat themselves from the board. You can't blame The Trust for everything!

I'm not blaming the Trust for everything. I'm merely pointing out that when there is something constructive to be done, like manning up a Freshers week stall and trying to entice along new support to the club the Trust are nowhere to be seen.

[B.C.G. JAG]

I'm not blaming the Trust for everything. I'm merely pointing out that when there is something constructive to be done, like manning up a Freshers week stall and trying to entice along new support to the club the Trust are nowhere to be seen.

Not disagreeing there, it was just the bit in bold that was a bit, erm, bold...

[Vom Itorium]

Not disagreeing there, it was just the bit in bold that was a bit, erm, bold...

I don't think it is. We've seen all sorts of shambolic decisions being made under the previous Firhill regime yet the Trust chose to sit on the fence or even abstain. As soon as there's new people at the helm, real business people might I add, there's a sudden interest to sit in wee cliquey communities at EGMs and vote things down.

[Allan Heron]

I don't think it is. We've seen all sorts of shambolic decisions being made under the previous Firhill regime yet the Trust chose to sit on the fence or even abstain. As soon as there's new people at the helm, real business people might I add, there's a sudden interest to sit in wee cliquey communities at EGMs and vote things down.

 

Actually, it might look like italics to you but it's bold to the rest of us ;-)

 

And just because they are "real business people" doesn't exempt them from proposing things that should be voted down. I'd refer you to stolenscone's excellent summary note which acknowledges that no right-minded shareholder should vote for the changes as proposed.

 

The Trust were right to vote against - the brief they received from the members who turned up at their own AGM on Thursday was to support a deferral for further discussion or vote against. Putting to one side who else you might end up voting with, that was the sensible line to take.

 

If the club board propose something that meets their requirements AND retains provisions appropriate for a community-based football club then there'll be no reason to oppose it. That would leave those with a further agenda no option but to either support an otherwise reasonable proposal or make their own real intentions quite clear.

[Vom Itorium]

Actually, it might look like italics to you but it's bold to the rest of us ;-)

 

And just because they are "real business people" doesn't exempt them from proposing things that should be voted down. I'd refer you to stolenscone's excellent summary note which acknowledges that no right-minded shareholder should vote for the changes as proposed.

 

The Trust were right to vote against - the brief they received from the members who turned up at their own AGM on Thursday was to support a deferral for further discussion or vote against. Putting to one side who else you might end up voting with, that was the sensible line to take.

 

If the club board propose something that meets their requirements AND retains provisions appropriate for a community-based football club then there'll be no reason to oppose it. That would leave those with a further agenda no option but to either support an otherwise reasonable proposal or make their own real intentions quite clear.

Do you honestly believe a 'community-based football club' would ever work for PTFC Allan? We are as disjointed a support as you can find, as the many guises of the Jags Trust proves and the reasons for the many ins and outs that have occurred within that body. The apathy amongst the Thistle support shows me nothing to suggest that this model for a football club would in any way work for us.

Edited September 6, 2011 by Vom Itorium

[Allan Heron]

Do you honestly believe a 'community-based football club' would ever work for PTFC Allan? We are as disjointed a support as you can find, as the many guises of the Jags Trust proves and the reasons for the many ins and outs that have occurred within that body. The apathy amongst the Thistle support shows me nothing to suggest that this model for a football club would in any way work for us.

 

We ARE a community-based football club regardless of anything else. We are not a business in the same way that either David Beattie or Billy Allan's own companies are - we don't have customers, we have fans. We are inclined to be subjected to shit service and all sorts of other things you wouldn't put up with as a mere customer when there's always somewhere else to go, albeit that each successful shovel of shit increases the resentment towards those steering the ship and/or seeking to assist.

 

The apathy you describe is a challenge to work and resolve (however that might be achieved), not something to ignore.

[twinny]

Was there not a Thistle group set up at Glasgow a year or so back? Has this fallen into disrepair?

 

I believe it was at Strathclyde. Steven H and Ronaldinho know more than I do about it as I think they were both involved.

 

Can we avoid a trust bashing thread please, there are other threads near the top of the forum doing just that already. It is right that the trust should be involved in something like this, however the club board would need some involvement otherwise there would be nothing to actually offer the students. Are the 3-5 game ticket books still available? If so this would be pretty useful in conjunction alongside a free ticket for one match offer.

[Allan Heron]

I believe it was at Strathclyde. Steven H and Ronaldinho know more than I do about it as I think they were both involved.

 

Can we avoid a trust bashing thread please, there are other threads near the top of the forum doing just that already. It is right that the trust should be involved in something like this, however the club board would need some involvement otherwise there would be nothing to actually offer the students. Are the 3-5 game ticket books still available? If so this would be pretty useful in conjunction alongside a free ticket for one match offer.

 

Thanks for the info - one university's much the same as the other to an old codger like me.

 

A good and valid point about needing the input of both the Club, the Trust and (dare I say it) volunteers to make these things work. If any one of these is missing, then the risk is that things tend not to happen at all

[Vom Itorium]

I believe it was at Strathclyde. Steven H and Ronaldinho know more than I do about it as I think they were both involved.

 

Can we avoid a trust bashing thread please, there are other threads near the top of the forum doing just that already. It is right that the trust should be involved in something like this, however the club board would need some involvement otherwise there would be nothing to actually offer the students. Are the 3-5 game ticket books still available? If so this would be pretty useful in conjunction alongside a free ticket for one match offer.

That's exactly why it is going to have to be 'others' that take this on board and try to make it happen. The relationship between the Club Board and the JT is non-existent. The WeAreThistle website has been set up so that fans can get off their arses and do something if they have an idea. There's areas to look for volunteers and promote fundraising ideas. If I'm not mistaken the guys at WAT set this up due to the lack of fundraising initiatives coming out of the JT. That's not a bash the JT statement, it's fact.

[MerryHell]

That's exactly why it is going to have to be 'others' that take this on board and try to make it happen. The relationship between the Club Board and the JT is non-existent. The WeAreThistle website has been set up so that fans can get off their arses and do something if they have an idea. There's areas to look for volunteers and promote fundraising ideas. If I'm not mistaken the guys at WAT set this up due to the lack of fundraising initiatives coming out of the JT. That's not a bash the JT statement, it's fact.

 

Can we kick this off then by asking if anyone knows the dates of the relevant Freshers Fairs (Strathclyde, Glasgow, Caledonian)?

 

Does this need to be instigated by somebody 'inside' the Uni, or can any outside agency arrange to have a stall, turn up and advertise?

 

Is there a cost?

 

Who to contact?

 

I can't do it on my own, but if we at least have answers to the above, we can look at moving forward and seeing who is willing/able to do what.

[Col]

Just to say that the main reason we set the fundraising website up was to give fans a place to promote fundraising ideas and organise events with other fans. The website isn't finished but when it is we hope that it will list the latest fundraising events, provide the functionality to these fundraisers to be able to collect donations and let fans give donations, let these fundraisers and the club advertise for volunteers, provide downloadable resources (things like sponsorship forms, fundraising packs etc.) to help people set up their own events, info on the sponsorship fund, a directory for businesses that offer a discount to jags fans, online shop to sell stuff and let other people sell stuff, there will be an auction site and the predictor will be moved there.

 

We will try and put on a few events, but due to lack of money we can't do much. Any initial costs for an event or something would have to be covered by us personally. We are thinking about maybe using the money raised through easyfundraising to try and put on an event at the end of the season but at the moment we only have about £30.

 

On the freshers week stuff, the dates are:

 

Glasgow - 12th-16th

 

Strathclyde - 17th-25th

 

If you want to give this a plug on the fundraising website please just let us know. We can make up a page, registration form etc. and give you somewhere to point students to find out more information.

 

Cheers

[Guy Incognito]

Can we kick this off then by asking if anyone knows the dates of the relevant Freshers Fairs (Strathclyde, Glasgow, Caledonian)?

 

Does this need to be instigated by somebody 'inside' the Uni, or can any outside agency arrange to have a stall, turn up and advertise?

 

Is there a cost?

 

Who to contact?

 

I can't do it on my own, but if we at least have answers to the above, we can look at moving forward and seeing who is willing/able to do what.

A few weeks ago, before the Celtic game I think, flyers were handed out inviting people to register with the club, via its website, as 'volunteers' for future, unspecified tasks. Surely this is exactly the kind of event for which that message was intended, yet I haven't received any contact from the club.

 

Personally speaking, if anyone is looking for a volunteer to attend Glasgow and/or Strathclyde Uni freshers week, drink beer and "network" with attractive female undergraduates (with a view to increasing numbers at Firhill, obviously), then count me in.

[B.C.G. JAG]

Fresher's stalls cost money, and student's expect freebies from them. This would obviously then require the Club and probably Greaves to be involved. Given how the Club decided not to continue community projects or maintain a relationship with the Supporter's Association, it might be an uphill struggle to arrange much this year. There has been criticism of The Trust on this thread for not doing this kind of this thing - I agree, it should be doing it. But it requires more than 5 middle aged people with day jobs, with feck all to sell or give away. Time to stop complaining that The Trust doesn't do stuff and actually get in there and make it happen. You're not representing The Trust, you're representing Thistle. The Trust has hundreds of email contacts. If you think this is worth doing, then just whinging on here about the lack of action by others won't do much...

[Vom Itorium]

Fresher's stalls cost money, and student's expect freebies from them. This would obviously then require the Club and probably Greaves to be involved. Given how the Club decided not to continue community projects or maintain a relationship with the Supporter's Association, it might be an uphill struggle to arrange much this year. There has been criticism of The Trust on this thread for not doing this kind of this thing - I agree, it should be doing it. But it requires more than 5 middle aged people with day jobs, with feck all to sell or give away. Time to stop complaining that The Trust doesn't do stuff and actually get in there and make it happen. You're not representing The Trust, you're representing Thistle. The Trust has hundreds of email contacts. If you think this is worth doing, then just whinging on here about the lack of action by others won't do much...

I don't think you're grasping the feeling with which a lot hold the Trust. I fully understand it's not about representing the Trust it's about Thistle and there's ways of doing this ie Firhill Fun Day, Join the Jags and the WeAreThistle Fundraising website and player sponsorship that has achieved far more than the Trust ever has on the Fundraising front. the Trust had a Meet the Manager night last week that I imagine hardly anyone knew anything about. Not everyone buys a programme, the Trust website has been pitiful and there's hardly any comment on here from the Trust unless they're taking one for the team.

Read the other thread about the Trust and what people want from it. From what I see the general feeling is that people want not a lot to do with it. Did you not become co-opted to it in the first place because you were attempting to overthrow it like it had been to reincarnate it in the first place?

Edited September 6, 2011 by Vom Itorium

[MerryHell]

Right - Glasgow Uni Freshers Fair is next Tuesday/Wednesday, costs £750 for 1 Day or £1350 for both days, and required you to register by 26th August. So that's probably out, on so many levels.

 

Strathclyde and Caledonian are likely to be similar and cost alone would probably rule us out of them, if timescales haven't already.

 

My work have been talking about targeted bluetooth advertising around the Universities, to get the Students in. Anyone have experience of this? I'd ask my boss, but i'd just sound like a moaner - 'How much are you spending on this when you've cut overtime, frozen wages, made colleagues redundant etc. etc.'

[twinny]

I don't think you're grasping the feeling with which a lot hold the Trust. I fully understand it's not about representing the Trust it's about Thistle and there's ways of doing this ie Firhill Fun Day, Join the Jags and the WeAreThistle Fundraising website and player sponsorship that has achieved far more than the Trust ever has on the Fundraising front. the Trust had a Meet the Manager night last week that I imagine hardly anyone knew anything about. Not everyone buys a programme, the Trust website has been pitiful and there's hardly any comment on here from the Trust unless they're taking one for the team.

Read the other thread about the Trust and what people want from it. From what I see the general feeling is that people want not a lot to do with it. Did you not become co-opted to it in the first place because you were attempting to overthrow it like it had been to reincarnate it in the first place?

 

What he's saying is that the JT themselves have nothing to offer at a freshers fair, which is true. We would need the club and/or Greaves to be involved in order to have something to offer students, and with the relations between the JT and BoD as they are I wouldn't expect much. A JT with more power (i.e. more fans actually supporting it) might be more likely to get something from the BoD, however the JT probably does deserve the low level of support they have, so the BoD are justified in ignoring them so the JT might as well say nothing. It's a terrible situation, but when Bob wanted to move for no confidence in the JT board not enough people backed him, so what does that tell you?

[B.C.G. JAG]

The point I'm trying to make is that an awful lot of people do want it to change, but prefer to sit outside the room and I don't seen how anything will change that way. It's great that there are other opportunities to promote fundraising, but it just seems a shame that such a small support, of which there is an even smaller active 'willing and able' support, seems so divided - which can do little to help either the Club or themselves. The Trust is a Supporter's Association, therefore if the Support want it to behave in a particular way they have to direct it to do so. If all the people on here who say they'd like change actually showed up and directed that change then we wouldn't be having this conversation.

 

Apathy is rife in our support, and true, good leadership might cajole a few more out of that state, but I think it's pointless to make assertions such as 'The Trust prefer to stand outside pissing in'. DB promised a new era of listening and communication, but how much communication can he do with fans when he shut the door on their representation?

 

I myself proposed some fundraising possibilities direct to DB but The Club didn't seem that interested and without them the ideas simply wouldn't go anywhere. I also tried volunteering for The Club on matchdays and it was so badly administered it was offensive. I recall several months ago there was some folk looking to use the Aiken Suite for some fundraisers and clearly those events fell through. It's not just The Trust which is understaffed and lacking the initiative to grasp the thistle. That could change if The Club were willing to open the door to it's Supporter's Association, or even a Supporter's Club - I'm not fussy - but they have to value the contribution some fans could and want to make. Despite all the talk of a new era, it feels pretty much like same old same old.

 

This might all sound a bit cynical, but to be honest it feels like you just can't help Thistle sometimes. I'm leaving the country in a few weeks and do so with quite a heavy heart as I see a crippled football club and an apathetic and divided support. It's a poisonous recipe. However, if you wanted to do freshers stalls, and The Club are willing to put up some support in terms of materials, then use this website AND the Trust's website / mailing list / programme page to find the volunteers. We're too small a support to limit ourselves to cliques, be they Trust ones or Anti-Trust ones.