Beattie aims to inject heart and soul into Firhill

THE arrival of Partick Thistle’s new management team, with Ian McCall as gaffer and club legend Alan Archibald and Neil Scally both under him, is a chance to not only arrest the team’s slide on the pitch according to chairman David Beattie, but also a chance to put the heart and soul into Firhill.

Beattie believes Thistle’s identity was being eroded away during the period he was away from the club under the stewardship of former chairman Jacqui Low, and he says both he and McCall are set on restoring the culture of the club.

“Ian brings not just gravitas but a lot of experience,” Beattie said. “He’s definitely one of the best managers in the Championship and one of the best I’ve worked with previously.

“And having Alan Archibald alongside him – another guy I hugely respect – is fantastic. Every decision with me is made by the head. It helps that Ian brings the heart with him.

“I’ve only been back at the club a few months now and I felt the soul of the club seemed to have been lost. So, bringing in Ian and Archie, along with Neil Scally who will have a fresh outlook, can only be good for the club.

“It’s hard to put your finger on it but the dynamic was different and that’s down to people. Different people at the

club, different ways of running it but I think slowly but surely we are getting that heart and soul back into the club.”

Beattie says he hasn’t closed the door on former Thistle benefactor Colin Weir, after the EuroMillions winner pulled his funding over concerns for the future direction of the club. “The Colin Weir situation was disappointing in the fact we never got the chance to speak to Colin,” he said.

“I wanted to sit down with Colin and tell him the consortium’s plans and I never managed to get that meeting. That’s hugely disappointing because I’ve got huge respect for Colin. He’s done a lot for this club.

“I would love to have Colin back at the club.”