Weir to fund academy and women’s team again
FOLLOWING Euromillions winner Colin Weir’s takeover of Partick Thistle, the club have announced that the new owner will restart his funding of the club’s youth academy and women’s team.
Weir pulled his funding of the Thistle Weir Youth Academy earlier this year after being unimpressed with the club’s direction under their prospective owners New City Capital.
But the Firhill club’s owner will now resume funding of the academy up until 2021, as per the original agreement betwen him and Partick Thistle.
Scott Allison, who leads the Academy, said: “This is very welcome news. It allows us to carry on with our programmes as planned but more importantly, it gives us stability after a period of uncertainty
“I am grateful to Colin for continuing to support us and we will ensure his belief in us is repaid with ongoing success.”
Beth Adamson, joint coach for the women’s team, added: “Colin’s offer of funding came out of the blue and will transform our next two seasons.”
Weir completed his takeover of Partick Thistle last week and has promised to transfer his majority shareholding to fans by March 2020 free of cost.
Falkirk
FALKIRK’S disastrous relegation season from the Championship came at a cost after the club posted significant losses of £693,000 for the year to May 2019.
That period takes into account a high turnover of players, with then boss Ray McKinnon recruiting 12 and releasing just as many in January after replacing Paul Hartley in August 2018. But the change of personnel in the dugout and on the pitch did not pay off as the Bairns finished bottom of the second tier.
The club’s bank balance appears to have absorbed much of the deficit, falling from £631,000 in 2018 to £135,000.
Falkirk had posted a £163,000 profit for the previous year, although that was largely helped by the £550,000 in add-ons from Stephen Kingsley’s move to Hull City and Tony Gallacher’s £200,000 switch to Liverpool.
The lack of player sales is also behind operating income dropping some £772,000 in the space of a year.