3 boards, 3 bosses, 1 battle to own the club and now this!
We can deal with the lack of income a hell of a lot better than some clubs
IF a scriptwriter had pitched the story of the past couple of seasons at Partick Thistle, the chances are it would have been rejected by film studios on the grounds of it being too fanciful.
It has been a tale of many colourful chapters; like the return of Ian McCall last September to replace the sacked Gary Caldwell.
The latter’s reign seemed to involve one calamity after another, including the decision to have his squad kidnapped by the SAS during a morale-boosting team-building event which saw one player break down in tears and another run off into the hills before being recaptured.
McCall’s arrival for a second time in Maryhill came against the backdrop of bitter boardroom battles as Chinese-American billionaire Chien Lee — owner of a controlling stake in Barnsley — wrestled for control with multi-millionaire lottery winner
Colin Weir. Thistle fan Weir, who had pulled the plug on his financial backing of the club as the Jags’ talks with Lee continued, duly won the day and bought a controlling stake last November, setting in motion a process to gift the club to the supporters.
But tragedy followed a month later when the 71-year-old died following a short illness.
Now has come the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, grinding all sport to a halt worldwide.
For Gerry Britton, the cumulative events of the past couple of years have been unparalleled in the club’s proud yet occasionally rocky history.
But the Jags chief executive is focusing on the positive and says the generosity of the late Weir — and his ex-wife Christine — has left his beloved Thistle better placed than most to ride out the financial storm that threatens to push clubs to the wall.
‘In the past couple of years, we’ve had three boards, three managers, a potential takeover, then the share transfer to the supporters — and, to top it all off, this current situation is unprecedented,’ said Britton.
‘For Colin Weir to be taken so soon after he set up fan ownership for us was another body blow that none of us could have foreseen. But the financial backing and support the Weirs have given us since 2013 has really put us where we are today.
‘Despite going into this uncertain period and despite being relegated from the Premiership two years ago, we are still a debt-free club.
‘And despite not having the season we all hoped for on the park in the Championship, we were still working towards a balanced budget — even after severe backing from the board to invest in the squad in January.
‘The coronavirus has derailed that somewhat but, again, given the solid financial base that we had, we feel we are in a position to deal with the lack of income a hell of a lot better than some other clubs as we work towards what would have been the end of the season.’
Due to the financial implications of the shutdown, Hearts have asked their players and staff to take a 50-per-cent wage cut.
Thanks to the generosity of the Weirs, Thistle are in a position to pay their staff as planned until the end of the season. But financial problems lurk on the horizon the longer the coronavirus crisis plays out.
‘If there is a continued period of uncertainty then we are the same as any other business and it gets harder and harder to forecast,’ said Britton.
‘You have a spike when you hit the close season in terms of income through season tickets. Any alteration to that in terms of your financial forecasts is going to throw you askew.
‘It’s all about cash flows and we are in a good position to deal with it. But it will cause problems if the uncertainty continues.
‘I can’t even remember what I was worrying about two weeks ago now. This situation is so fast-paced.’
In response to the pandemic, the Jags have temporarily changed their name to Partick Thistle Family Club.
Management and players have been making regular calls to check in on the vulnerable, the elderly, the isolated and the worried — both old and young — among their fanbase.
A former striker and manager of Thistle who now finds himself in charge of safeguarding the club’s future in choppy waters, Britton says it is the enduring loyalty of fans that gives him cautious optimism about what lies ahead.
‘The important thing for us — and I’m sure it’s the same for every club — is that we come out of this,’ he said. ‘I’m privileged to have been involved with Partick Thistle for such a long time.
‘And I will do everything within my power to make sure we come through the other side of this in as good a position as possible.
‘There will continue to be challenges over the months to come — but we feel confident when we know we’ve got the type of fanbase we have. They might not be as large in number as the other two big clubs in the city but they will back us to the hilt and we will do everything we can to repay that support.’