THISTLE BE A GREAT WAY TO HELP FANS
Surprise phone calls cheer up season ticket holders
PARTICK Thistle changed their FC from “football club” to “family club” last month – and have lived up to the name with first-team players and management making personal phone calls to all 1800 season ticket holders.
The Maryhill club temporarily tweaked their name after the football shutdown to make clear their intention to care for their full family of supporters – and the gesture delighted fans.
Thistle chief executive Gerry Britton said: “As soon as it became clear the scale of what was happening, our thoughts turned to the fans.
“We weren’t going to be playing football for a while but life was going to get difficult for them, so lots of ideas were produced as to what could we do safely for all involved?
“Our fans have been amazing to us, donating more than £50,000 to the club through independent fundraising initiatives, while the Partick Thistle Charitable Trust is delivering 200 meals a day from the stadium to local households who need it most.
“We know we are part of fans’ lives, so we took it a step further and made calls to all season ticket holders, and some other fans in need, at the end of March simply to offer help or just have a chat.
“The reaction was incredible and only helped strengthen the connection between the management and players with the fans. It was a small thing but if we can give fans a wee lift, that’s our role right now.”
In one of his weekly messages to supporters published every Saturday, Jags manager Ian McCall said: “The players and I have made phone calls to supporters, to keep in touch, in recognition of the fact that we are all in this together.
“On this note, I must apologise to Mr Lawson Spiers, who I phoned back in late March. I was expecting to speak to a 12-year-old but he informed me that he was a little bit older, born in the 50s!”
Fan Matt Greer wrote: “Just off the phone to Brian Graham checking I had all my messages for the next few weeks. All I can say is, what a football club.”
Fergus Shaw tweeted: “A special thanks to @Rwilliamson7 for the call to my daughter and her brother earlier this evening. Both were starstruck and almost speechless. Ryan was first class.”
And Julie Boardman was thrilled her son’s birthday was made extra special by a phone call, posting: “Shea Gordon, thanks for calling my boy today, you made his day.”
In a further feel-good initiative, the club’s charitable trust has been feeding 200 local, vulnerable people for free.
Trust manager Paul Kelly said: “It’s in the DNA of the trust to support our communities but never has that been more important than it is right now.
“We’re pleased to have been able to help with the daily delivery of meals from the stadium to local homes, as part of the Holiday Hunger programme in partnership with Glasgow City Council.”