Britton praises the family values that fully define Thistle
FAMILIES are supposed to look after each other, that’s how it should be. Especially when life becomes tough and the path forward looks uncertain.
Partick Thistle have taken that simple principle to heart. Left humbled by the response of their supporters to the financial fears afflicting football amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Firhill outfit felt compelled to try and give something back.
A temporary name change to Partick Thistle Family Club explains the direction being taken. But the measures are more than cosmetic. Like a number of other Scottish clubs, Thistle are determined to do all they can to aid their fans and local community as society enters a period unprecedented in modern history.
In practical terms, that means looking at ways to stay in touch as isolation measures take hold. Players will make direct calls to elderly supporters confined to their own homes, with a plethora of other initiatives being formulated to increase online engagement.
Whether through screening past games, delivering community information or providing keep-fit tips, Thistle want those who usually fill seats on a matchday to know they remain very much in their thoughts.
‘To be honest, it came about through the fans,’ chief executive Gerry Britton explained to
Sportsmail.
‘We were overwhelmed by the fact that, despite what everyone is going through at this time, we have been inundated since last Friday by supporters asking how they can help — can we buy a season ticket for next year? Can we buy a ticket for games that are cancelled? And so on.
‘On that back of that, a conversation was created. If we are not going to be playing football for the next couple of months, what are we going to do?
‘We are a family. So we wanted to try and show that to the people who matter most to us. They can often be pushed to the side when we talk about the game but they are the lifeblood of it.
‘We’re going through our seasonticket list so we can give players a group of fans to be in touch with.
‘Because we don’t know how long this is going to last. Will it be weeks or months? A fair bit of the demographic of our support is older. So there will be a lot of them in their houses for a long period of time. If we can do anything to keep them in touch with the club and community, then we are happy to do that.
‘Online stuff will be a godsend for a lot of people. We will be able to put content out there and, hopefully, there will be a re-engagement with social media, even maybe with the older demographic who might see there is a positive element to it. We’ll aim to play on that with the content we offer.’
A former Thistle player and manager, Britton spent five years as a criminal defence lawyer before returning to Firhill and becoming chief executive when Ian Maxwell departed for the SFA in 2018. He needs no lessons in the financial realities of football, but insists clubs cannot be measured solely by their balance sheets.
The 49-year-old points to a UEFA pilot report that showed Ayr United and Spartans generated a combined £13.8million of benefits to their local communities in areas such as infrastructure use, subjective well-being, improving mental health and educational attainment.
‘The most important thing for us as a football body is to come out of this with the clubs still there,’ stressed Britton.
‘They all have an inpact on local people’s lives. Our charitable trust are involved with programmes for homeless people, amputee football, memory class, walking football. These initiatives show how much people want to be involved with their local club.
‘So we are keen in these strange times that there is still something that keeps that link going.’
Britton believes scrapping the remainder of the season would cost Thistle around £150,000. It’s a financial hit they could likely absorb, but the longer-term picture is not clear for anyone.
‘We are fortunate as we are debt free,’ added Britton.
‘We work towards a break-even budget. Without this situation, we would have got there again this season.
‘But it will be a challenge. Three months without income for any business is a tipping point. We are no different from anybody else.
‘The stat that shows 43 per cent of income is dependent on people through the gates says it all. Without fans, we are nothing. If this gives clubs a wee reminder of that, then it might be a positive to take from this worrying time.’
What division Thistle will be in when football starts again remains unknown. Ian McCall’s side are two points adrift at the bottom of the Championship but have a game in hand over ninth-placed Queen of the South.
It would be a bitter pill to face relegation if the joint response group of the SFA and SPFL decide the final league positions are called as they stood.
‘I think the league have to wait for government direction on this,’ added Britton. ‘UEFA has said they can see games being played before the end of June and I see the English league have come out and put a date of April 30 on it.
‘You don’t need to be an expert to surmise than neither of them are going to be possible based on the information coming from medical people.
‘Once the government white paper goes through and gives some direction, the league will be able to work out where we go next.’