No Thistle will need reminding, or at least they shouldn’t,
that the club very nearly disappeared from existence during the course of season
1997-1998. It was due in no small measure to the efforts of the Thistle fans,
through the ‘Save the Jags’ campaign, that the club stayed alive although there
remained some incredibly tough times on and off the pitch ahead.
That near death experience wasn’t the only time, however,
that Partick Thistle has flirted with an extinction event. Indeed the club’s
history is littered with occasions where the mention of Partick Thistle is immediately
followed by the words “cash crisis”. Season 1997-98 aside the nearest that the
club came to becoming a footnote in the history of Scottish football came 15
years earlier in the latter months of 1982.
On May 15th 1982 a 2-1 home defeat at the hands
of Dundee United meant relegation and the end of a six year stay in the Premier
League for Thistle. At the time of relegation manager Peter Cormack made some defiant
noises about a swift return to Scotland’s top flight and a record points haul. The reality
though was somewhat different despite Thistle retaining a sizeable proportion
of the relegated squad. Thistle just about squeezed through a League Cup
section including East Stirling, East Fife and Brechin City with none of the
crowds in the three home games topping the 1,500 mark. There was no financial
windfall in a quarter-final meeting with Celtic either. The combined attendance
for the two legs, which Celtic cantered to a 7-0 win in, totalled just 14,408.
There wasn’t much joy to be found in the opening months of the league season either
with, an admittedly injury hit, Thistle side suffering defeats at home against Queen’s Park
and Clydebank and reverses on the road at Ayr United, Falkirk and Alloa.
With back to back home games as October slipped into
November against the top two, Hearts and St Johnstone, not all was thought to
be lost but for Thistle to harbour any serious promotion aspirations in the
second half of the season then points would have to be collected on an
altogether more regular basis.
Against Hearts things started well enough with Alex O’Hara giving
Thistle the lead after 11 minutes after Smith had saved an Ian Jardine shot.
Thistle created, and missed, several chances to extend that early lead but
their attacking thrusts were blunted by the early withdrawal, due to injury, of
Donald Park. With just three minutes of the 90 remaining a young man by the
name of John Robertson popped up to net an equaliser for Hearts leaving the
Thistle fans frustrated in the extreme. Despite the improved performance the
league table did not make for enjoyable reading for Thistle fans.
- St Johnstone 18
- Hearts 17
- Clydebank 16
- Raith Rovers 15
- Airdrie 14
- Alloa Athletic 14
- Dumbarton 13
- Partick Thistle 11
- Hamilton 10
- Ayr United 9
- Dunfermline 9
- Queen’s Park 8
- Falkirk 8
- Clyde 6
If that made uncomfortable reading for Thistle fans there
was worse, much worse, to come in ‘The Evening Times’ of Friday November 5th
1982.
On that date Thistle fans didn’t have to turn to the back
pages in the hope of some snippets of news. The front page boldly declared ‘FIRHILL
FOR SALE – THREE MONTHS TO SAVE THISTLE’ with the accompanying story revealing
the full extent of the problems facing Partick Thistle.
Negotiations are in progress for the sale of Firhill, home of Partick
Thistle.
The shock news was given today by the trouble-torn Glasgow Club’s
chairman Miller Reid.
The move comes after the Bank of Scotland gave the club a breathing
space to solve their cash crisis.
Tomorrow’s First Division match with St Johnstone at Firhill was given
the go-ahead only after the bank gave the club an extension of credit at a
top-level meeting earlier this week.
It is understood that after the breathing space the club’s position
will then be reviewed. The sum involved is believed to run into six figures.
So, in effect, Thistle have until the end of January to put their house
in order. If there is no solution by then, they could go to the wall.
In his statement today, Mr Reid (36) said: “the directors of Partick
Thistle are pleased to announce that a loan has been negotiated with the Bank
of Scotland. As a result, the club will continue to operate.”
But the statement warned: “The future of the club depends largely on
the performance of the manager and players. Good performances will encourage
greater support, and it is hoped that many of our armchair supporters will turn
up. For the future, negotiations are in progress for the sale of the stadium
with lease-back facilities to enable to operate efficiently.”
 |
| Cormack (left) and Reid in happier times |
Mr Reid refused to comment on what other parties were involved in the
sale negotiations.
But he said of Firhill: “It’s a big investment which, if ever lost to
the city, would cost millions to replace. I am sure there must be other uses to
which it could be put.”
Twenty four hours later Thistle were reported to be “cautiously
optimistic” that a buyer could be found for Firhill but precisely who that
buyer might be was unclear with both Glasgow District Council and Strathclyde
Region distancing themselves from a possible purchase.
Glasgow District Council
were at least relatively diplomatic with their comments saying;
“Partick Thistle have made an approach, but that is as far as it got.
There are no negotiations or discussions.”
Strathclyde Region meantime were unequivocal with regard to
their position stating;
“We have no interest in Firhill, and it is unlikely we would show an
interest in it.”
Player sales were another way in which much needed money
could be brought into the club and Thistle very quickly made it clear that each
and every player was available for transfer. Alan Rough, who just a few months
earlier has been playing in the World Cup for Scotland, was the most saleable
asset and a £75,000 transfer fee was placed on him with clubs in Britain and,
perhaps strangely, North America notified of his availability. Other players
thought of as possible sales included Brian Whittaker and under 21
international Jamie Doyle.
‘The Evening Times’ article attempted to place the club’s
financial problems into some kind of historical context claiming with
justification that;
The Club’s decline has been hastened by their relegation last season
from the Premier League.
Even there they were finding it increasingly difficult to make ends
meet, and First Division crowds won’t pay the weekly wage bill, far less the
running costs.
In recent years Thistle have spent £600,000 on ground improvements,
many forced on them by the Safety of Sports Ground Act.
Last season it cost £200,000 to put a team on the park in the Premier
League, and Thistle returned a loss of £130,000.
Even in the First Division it costs £5,000 a week to run the club, and
that type of money does not come through the turnstiles.
The news of the club’s problems prompted comment from the
usual sources.
The then Maryhill MP Jim Craigen said;
“it’s a difficult job for all our clubs these days, but Thistle have
tried to invest a lot over the years and it would be very sad if things have
reached this stage.”
Meantime Jim McGilvary, the vice-chairman of the Thistle
supporters’ association was keen to see what help his organisation could offer
the club.
“We will discuss with the club anything we can do together to save the
situation.”
On the day of the St Johnstone game chairman Miller Reid,
who was due to step down from his position the following week, made an impassioned
plea to the Thistle fans ahead of the match.
“I hope the fans will stay loyal to us and turn out to support their
team. We need a gate of 5,000 fans a week and ay the moment we are only getting
between 2000 and 3000. I hope the fans will do everything they can to help by
turning out and coming to today’s game and matches in the future.”
Manager Peter Cormack, who must have known that his own
future was on the line, simply said;
“We are all aware on the playing side of what is required.”
Chairman Miller Reid didn’t get his wished for 5,000 crowd
for the visit of league leaders St Johnstone but the 3,159 crowd was still the
biggest home league gate of the season to that point and well up on the average
league crowd that crept just above the 2,000 mark.
It was strange then that ‘The Evening Times’ in their Saturday’s
Sports edition chose to describe the crowd as “sparse” and on the back page
include a picture from the game looking out at the least populated section of
the stadium.
On the pitch for the second week in a row Alex O’Hara gave
Thistle an early lead. This time though Thistle were able to build on that lead.
An own goal early in the second half helped Thistle on their way with Maurice Johnston
adding a third goal with 3 minutes remaining. A consolation goal from St
Johnstone’s John Brogan scarcely mattered as Thistle recorded a much needed 3-1
win.
Despite improvement on the pitch, off it the future for
Partick Thistle looked to be far from certain. The next few weeks would be
vital in the quest for survival.
To be continued…………
No comments:
Post a Comment