‘We were all at fault for Thistle relegation’

IAN MAXWELL insists he cannot shoulder all the blame for Partick Thistle’s relegation to the Championship. The former Firhill chief cleared his desk hours after the Maryhill club crashed out of the top flight following defeat in the Play-off final to Livingston.

Unrepentant over the decision to remain loyal to Jags manager Alan Archibald (below), the new SFA chief executive claims he would do exactly the same again.

And Maxwell insists has no regrets despite the mild embarrassment of becoming the new figurehead of Scottish football the day after his old club went down.

‘The timing couldn’t be helped,’ he said. ‘Everybody knew I was starting this job on the Monday and the Play-off game was on the Sunday. If it went one way, it was the perfect day to leave. And if it went the other way, then it was the worst day to leave.

‘Unfortunately, it was the worst day.

‘Yes, I was heavily involved at Thistle. But the thing I’d say is it’s a collective responsibility.

‘Everybody is in it together — the board, the manager, the players and the staff. Everybody knows what they’re for and what we’re trying to achieve.

‘As a group, everybody takes an element of responsibility for what’s happened.

‘I would love nothing more than to see them bounce back at the first attempt. Hopefully, they can do it.’

A former Thistle player, Maxwell first made the leap to general manager then chief executive as the club claimed a top-six finish last season.

Addressing concerns his reputation as the man to take Scottish football forward has been damaged by Thistle’s demise, he holds his hands up.

‘I get that,’ said Maxwell. ‘I think if you’re involved in football at that level, then the performance on the park is a big part of it.

‘I think you have to take that responsibility. I don’t have any regrets. The decisions we made during the season were the right ones for those particular times. If I had to do it again, I’d make the same decisions.

‘Ross County changed their manager twice and still got relegated. There’s no right or wrong. You have to do what your gut tells you. Traditionally, we — sorry, I keep saying we — Thistle have started poorly.

‘The season we finished sixth, I think, on Christmas Day, we were bottom of the league. So, Alan had earned the right to try to keep us in the division.

‘I don’t have any regrets with the decisions made, but, unfortunately, it didn’t work out as we’d hoped. But that’s the nature of it.’

The 3-1 aggregate defeat to Livingston ended the Maryhill club’s five-year stay in the Premiership, leaving Maxwell despondent.

‘It was horrible,’ he admitted. ‘Everybody at the club was devastated. It’s the only real low point we’ve had in the time that I’ve been there. It’s one of those things. It’s just the nature of the game — teams get relegated.

‘If you go from St Johnstone in the Premiership down to Raith Rovers in League One, we’re all very similar. There’s not a huge amount between any of the clubs.

‘Dunfermline, Falkirk, St Mirren, Motherwell, Killie. We’re all very similar in size. ‘We managed to get promoted five years ago and had stayed in the division. You get everything that comes with that, in terms of driving the club forward and making changes.

‘The good thing is that I’m leaving the club in a good place structurally.’