As Chairman, All Things Considered, Would You Ban The Celtic Fans From Firhill?

[The Jukebox Rebel]

We've read the forum threads, the website statement, the press reports.

 

I ask you to assume that the facts we have been given are true (via David Beattie on ptfc.co.uk and Jim Alexander on wearethistle.co.uk), and to therefore conclude that there are now only 2 options that are left open to us.

 

Police and council directives have effectively dictated that fans of Celtic must be housed in the North Stand at Firhill.

 

Objection from PTFC has been futile.

 

All alternative suggestions have been deemed, for one reason or another, unworkable.

 

As Chairman, you are now faced with an awkward dilemma to which there only two solutions.

Either

i) You explain to Celtic that, regretably, due to Police / Council advice you will be unable to offer a ticket allocation for their visits to Firhill.

Or

ii) You ask the Thistle fans to move from the North Stand to the Main Stand to accommodate.

 

Banning the Celtic fans would, of course, have pros and cons...

 

Main Pros

• Thistle will gain a footballing advantage via a partisan home support.
  
• Thistle win a moral victory which will be enjoyed by Thistle fans and football fans in general.
  
• Customer satisfaction is ensured.
  
• The sense of "One Thistle" would be absolute between board, players and fans, which would bode very well for the future health of the club.
  
• A clear and unambiguous precedent is set for Partick Thistle - a club of standards beyond reproach.
  

Main Cons

• Thistle will lose a fair bit of money over the 2 games, est. £90,000.
  
• Some Celtic fans may ignore the ban and buy tickets for the home end anyway.
  
• A precedent would be set which could repeat the financial loss (e.g. we draw Rangers at home in the Cup and are faced with a similar dilemma).
  
• Thistle are likely to receive more negative than positive press on the issue.
  
• Thistle could be viewed politically as troublemakers by the new SPFL board.
  

 

It's your call...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

p.s. If you can spare a minute, Rab needs a hand with his petition...

http://www.wearethistle.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/8109-petition-to-create-respite-facilities-for-disabled-young-adults-with-life-shortening-conditions/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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↓ The A to Z of Independence - Sorting myth from fact ↓

http://www.newsnetscotland.com/index.php/scottish-opinion/4341-a-unionist-lexicon-an-a-z-of-unionist-scare-stories-myths-and-misinformation

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[Jaggyman]

If I were chairman and it was up to me I would poll the fans( not sure how though) but if it was my personal decision ( no interference from plod) Jags fans would be in the North Stand. I would allocate Celtic 1500-2000 seats in the JHS much the same as Morton and Pars had thus giving the Jags fans the rest of the stadium to fill if however there was a poor home turnout then I would open the North Stand for celtic on their next visit

[Guy Incognito]

If I were chairman and it was up to me I would poll the fans( not sure how though) but if it was my personal decision ( no interference from plod) Jags fans would be in the North Stand. I would allocate Celtic 1500-2000 seats in the JHS much the same as Morton and Pars had thus giving the Jags fans the rest of the stadium to fill if however there was a poor home turnout then I would open the North Stand for celtic on their next visit

You're far too sensible to be a football chairman!

[Mediocre Pundit]

Stupid poll. What Jaggyman says is spot on - if we can't trust Celtic in the Main Stand then they get the usual away allocation in the Jackie Husband and that's their lot. Keep the Main Stand closed unless there's a need for home fan overspill, which I severely doubt.

 

Lose a bit of cash, win a lot of support from your own fans. Easy.

[Dougie T]

Stupid poll. What Jaggyman says is spot on - if we can't trust Celtic in the Main Stand then they get the usual away allocation in the Jackie Husband and that's their lot. Keep the Main Stand closed unless there's a need for home fan overspill, which I severely doubt.

 

Lose a bit of cash, win a lot of support from your own fans. Easy.

 

It's very simple really. I strongly believe this is what Thistle should do.

[cjptfc]

My opinion on this has never changed.

 

They should not be given an allocation of tickets, on safety grounds.

[Bishopbriggs jag]

Imagine that, a limited company trying to capitalise on a money making opportunity. Scandalous!

 

Even if it weren't for money making reasons, lets just imagine the worst. Say the main stand is given to an away support. And although checks are being carried out, some goon manages to get in with one. Say there actually was a fire and some people were hurt. Imagine what would happen then, especially after advice from the police was ignored

 

Beattie is in a lose lose situation here, but at the end of the day the club has to accommodate the best it can for everyone. If it means moving supporters from one stand into another, so be it but it's an absolutely insane suggestion that the club should ban Celtic fans from entering for firhill

 

Plus I'd like to see Celtic fans watch their side get pumped

[Willjag]

 

Plus I'd like to see as many Celtic fans as possible watch their side get pumped

This with a little addition of my own!

[allyo]

Would have preferred a straight yes/no (but it's not my poll). But the answer is of course not. Anyone who says yes really needs to get a life.

[Firhillista]

Okay, I get that we don't like the Old Firm or their fans, but get a grip. The unpleasant reality is that they've dominated Scottish football for over a hundred years and there's no sign of that changing. Rangers are getting enormous crowds in the lower division playing rank rotten football. I wish it wasn't true, but there's no getting away from the reality that a huge number of our fellow football supporters want to watch these two. And now we're really suggesting that we should ban the fans of Celtic from Firhill? So, should all the major European clubs that Celtic will play this season do the same? It seems ro me that Thistle weren't given a whole lot of choice in this - the cops said this was what was to happen and it was end of story. Another close season drama that'll mean the sum totall of feck all when the season starts. Which can't come soon enough...

[allyo]

Wow. Just saw the results. This is what it's coming to? That a "majority" of our fans (or eleven, depending on how you want to see it) would like to ban the fans of one of our oldest local rivals, and a world famous football club, rather than move over from a stand on police advice and watch the game from a different angle. Coz that's all it is. That and making a petty point. I actually don't believe the fans who say yes.

On this evidence I'm not surprised the board take no notice, they'd be mugs to.

Edited July 2, 2013 by allyo

[Dougie T]

No ban necessary. Just give them the away end of JHS. They may have dominated Scottish football for over a hundred years but that doesn't mean they have to dominate me, Firhill or Partick Thistle.

[The Jukebox Rebel]

Stupid poll.

Why's that then?

 

Would have preferred a straight yes/no (but it's not my poll). But the answer is of course not. Anyone who says yes really needs to get a life.

I added in the wording emphasising the North Stand impact since, essentially, that's what the whole issue boils down to. I thought the words "at all costs" showed empathy with the Yes vote and the word "unfortunately" equally showed empathy with the No vote. Certainly the intent of the opening was to portray a balanced and neutral view...

[The Sunnylaw Jag]

It does seem to me that the more this argument over Celtic fans goes on the more prejudiced and small minded we make ourselves. It's two games in the season and that's all. It's not worth the gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair that's going on. As suggested let's take their money and pump 'em" and the go home and watch the recorded live game on tv and enjoy it doubly!

[Dougie T]

Nothing prejudiced and small minded about trying to make the most of being at home.

[The Sunnylaw Jag]

It is, if you are suggesting a total ban on all Celtic supporters getting the chance to support their team which is the premise of the poll.

[stillresigned]

Wow. Just saw the results. This is what it's coming to? That a "majority" of our fans (or eleven, depending on how you want to see it) would like to ban the fans of one of our oldest local rivals, and a world famous football club, rather than move over from a stand on police advice and watch the game from a different angle. Coz that's all it is. That and making a petty point. I actually don't believe the fans who say yes.

On this evidence I'm not surprised the board take no notice, they'd be mugs to.

Agree, much as my heart says stuff 'em(or something similar) to keep going on and on about this when our club has been virtually dictated to by the cops and the council is to me a touch pointless. Its essentially saying stop the world I want to get off, which whilst being a perfectly valid philosophical position, is not one that I would advise. If people are that concerned I suggest they take it up with the City Council and/or the Scottish government. Not a ball's being kicked and we've already got heated opinions and plainly divided at that.

[Mediocre Pundit]

 

Why's that then?

 

 

Err...read the rest of my post?

[peagreenboy]

Do you like questions with absolutely no middle ground? YES OR NO

[lady-isobel-barnett]

It does seem to me that the more this argument over Celtic fans goes on the more prejudiced and small minded we make ourselves. It's two games in the season and that's all. It's not worth the gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair that's going on. As suggested let's take their money and pump 'em" and the go home and watch the recorded live game on tv and enjoy it doubly!

 

By nature I'm more pragmatic so don't always adhere to principles that rigidly myself but I still can't agree with you with on this. In the Beattie thread there's a post from one of the lads that helped with the North Stand move. I think it's fair to say that the success of the move was/is largely to do with excellent liaison between fans, one thistle and club. Without that liaison the move would either never have taken place or been chaotic.

Now when one of the lads is saying he wouldn't have become involved in the first place if he knew this was going to happen then I feel we should offer support. Further there's two things that sway me. Firstly the "thin edge of the wedge" argument is rather persuasive. Secondly the whole idea of our well behaved fans having to move to accommodate fans of a visiting club simply because they can't be trusted to behave is just morally wrong.

[Dougie T]

It is, if you are suggesting a total ban on all Celtic supporters getting the chance to support their team which is the premise of the poll.

 

I don't think there would be many fans willing to buy into the premise of the poll. But there might be a few more who fancy being the home team in a home match against one of the old firm for a change, or for a first.

[allyo]

I do have some sympathy with the One Thistle view. But this whole argument has turned into a bandwagon of pitch fork waving fake anger. I don't see it as the thin end of the wedge because I don't see any suspicious agenda, just an unpopular decision based on high level advice.

 

[the saint]

I don't know the individuals involved in the North Stand move however they have been particularly vocal on a number of threads and critical of the clubs decision regarding this and their lack of communication with the fans (and supported by a number of other fans). Club chairmen are in a difficult position and sometimes have to make unpopular decisions. It's fairly easy to come on to a forum and say 'ignore the view of the police / council', 'stuff the short term financial implications', 'ban Celtic fans', 'tell the police it's their responsibility to stop flares getting in to the ground', 'i'm not renewing my season ticket', 'search every fan going into the North Stand' etc etc. The Club chairman has to look at the bigger picture (which i believe he is doing). While i agree the North Stand clearly improved the matchday experience for a number of people, you're only being asked to move from a stand that's only been in use for a year and watch your team from the JHS a couple of times a season.

[Lenziejag]

Wow. Just saw the results. This is what it's coming to? That a "majority" of our fans (or eleven, depending on how you want to see it) would like to ban the fans of one of our oldest local rivals, and a world famous football club, rather than move over from a stand on police advice and watch the game from a different angle. Coz that's all it is. That and making a petty point. I actually don't believe the fans who say yes.

On this evidence I'm not surprised the board take no notice, they'd be mugs to.

 

Not really a democratic response. Will give you a vote, but if we don't like the answer we will ignore it ?

 

Anyway, I think that this isn't just about pandering to Celtic, you also need to consider the Chairmans position on what he thinks is the morally right thing to do.

 

 

[Alan Hansen]

Not really a democratic response. Will give you a vote, but if we don't like the answer we will ignore it ?

 

Anyway, I think that this isn't just about pandering to Celtic, you also need to consider the Chairmans position on what he thinks is the morally right thing to do.

 

 

 

It would not happen at Celtic Park full stop so why should it happen at Firhill.This type of thinking is why our sport

in Scotland is dying and if we are really honest is so hopelessly unbalanced due to the ugly sisters.They must be laughing

at us on this.