cinch Championship
Sat 2 October, 2021. Kick Off: - 15:00
Firhill Stadium
Ticketing Info:
Partick Thistle season ticket holders
With the easing of restrictions, season ticket holders can now sit on their purchased season ticket seat with no social distancing or social bubbles required. There will be no time slots provided for entry although we encourage Jags fans to arrive at Firhill a little earlier than normal to prevent crowds congregating outside the turnstiles.
Season tickets will only grant access to the stand where the season ticket has been purchased for. Supporters will not be able to swap between the John Lambie and Jackie Husband stands throughout the season.
Updated 21/22 season ticket prices
Renewal New Purchase
Adult £242 £259
Concession £177 £184
Under 18 £85 £85
Partick Thistle non-season ticket holders
Any Jags fan who doesn’t have a 21/22 season ticket can purchase tickets for cinch Championship matches on a game by game basis.
Tickets are available now to buy for our cinch Championship match against Ayr United.
Ticket prices for this match are priced at:
Adults – £20
Concessions (Over 65s, students, disabled supporter including carer, 16-18 year olds) £15
Under 16 – £5
Purchasing before matchday
Ticket purchases before matchday (2nd October) are available to buy through one of the three methods below:
Provision will be made at the Jackie Husband ticket office for home supporters, without bank cards or online access, to use cash to purchase tickets for this game.
Away Supporters
Ayr United supporters can now purchase tickets for this Saturday’s cinch Championship encounter from the Firhill offices.
Away fans can purchase their ticket for this weekend’s match through one of the two methods below:
Ticket prices for this match are priced at:
Adults – £20
Concessions (Over 65s, students, disabled supporter including carer, 16-18 year olds) £15
Under 16 – £5
Last phone orders for delivery is Wednesday at 4pm. All tickets should be uplifted from Firhill by 4pm on Friday afternoon.
No ticket sales for Ayr United fans will be available on matchday.
Socially distanced section
Our socially distanced section, which has proven to be quite popular over the past two home fixtures, will remain in operation for this upcoming match against Ayr.
It will continue to be located within sections 8 and 9 of the Jackie Husband Stand. In this space, social distancing of 2 metres will be observed and the wearing of face masks will be required. This area will be stewarded to ensure fans are kept safe.
Any season ticket holders who wish to utilise this section are requested to contact the ticket office in advance – this will allow us to ensure all season ticket holders who wish to be situated in this area will be accommodated.
You can contact the ticket office by calling 0141 579 1971, selecting option 1 or by emailing
Matchday Mover Shuttle Bus
This Saturday will see the return of the matchday mover shuttle bus.
This bus will operate from the bottom of South Drive ahead of our cinch Championship fixture against Ayr United taking older and less able supporters up to the main entrance of the Jackie Husband Stand.
The free transport option will start making trips from 2pm and will make multiple journeys in the run up to kick-off.
Aitken Suite
The Aitken Suite, located within the Colin Weir Stand, will be open as a supporters’ bar for Saturday’s game against Ayr United.
Opening from 12pm, the Suite will show the lunchtime kick-off, Manchester United v Everton, and will be open before and after this weekend’s game.
Read more about details and restrictions for the Aitken Suite here.
50/50 Half-Time Draw
There are a couple of ways to enter Saturday’s draw with entries from both methods going into the draw for the cash prize jackpot.
Purchasing Online
Tickets can be purchased online through our ticketing platform until 2pm on Saturday.
To enter, simply head over to our ticketing platform and follow the link for the draw.
Purchasing at Firhill
Tickets will also be available to buy in-person at Firhill from our sellers who will be located around the ground. As Firhill moves towards becoming a cashless stadium, we encourage fans who can to use contactless payment when entering the draw. Supporters will be issued with a physical ticket upon their purchase.
The winner of the 50/50 draw will be announced at half time and will be contacted by the club next week.
Online entries will close at 2pm on Saturday 2nd October 2021
Live Stream
We’ll be providing a livestream of the game which can be watched with a PPV pass, priced at £12.
Passes will be on sale later this week.
Audio Commentary
Our JagZone audio commentary service will be back this weekend with audio coverage of our cinch Championship match against Ayr United.
Join our commentary team on Saturday afternoon as they bring you comprehensive audio coverage of the match. The show gets underway at 2:30pm.
To listen to the broadcast, simply log in to your Jagzone account, click on the audio commentary tab and press the play button on the player.
The management team’s written previews and reactions are presented by The Jags Trust. You can keep up to date with the latest from The Jags Trust by visiting their website, www.jagstrust.com.
It’s back to Firhill this Saturday for Partick Thistle to take on Ayr United, as they look to end a three-game losing streak in the cinch Championship. The Jags most recent fixture was a 3-2 defeat at Stark’s Park against Raith Rovers while Jim Duffy’s team come into this weekend’s game off the back of a 0-0 draw with Greenock Morton. Thistle assistant manager Neil Scally spoke to ptfc.co.uk ahead of the game:
“We’ve prepared well for this one. Obviously, the past few games have been really disappointing for us but we’ve now got another chance to get back on track in front of our own fans so our focus is all on making sure we put on a good performance against Ayr.”
The Jags had a slightly unusual Sunday afternoon game last weekend as they were beaten by Raith and Neil gave us his thoughts on that performance.
“It was a mixed game for us, there were some good things and some bad. They started the better of the two teams to be honest but we were happy with the way we came into the game towards the end of the first half and into the second.
“We felt we were controlling the play for the most part and we did have a few chances but we gave away sloppy goals which you can’t afford to do at this level. Eventually we did get a couple of goals and if there had been another five minutes to play then maybe we’d have got a point but there was no time and we can only blame ourselves for leaving it that late.”
Despite the fact that the team have lost three straight games, Scally reckons the team have been able to take some positives from each defeat.
“We know we need to be getting results but when we look at these games, we’ve had spells in each of them where we’ve played well but maybe just not capitalised and as I said earlier we’ve let in too many cheap goals. So, the plan for us is to just get better in these key moments at both ends of the pitch; taking chances when we’re on top and cutting out the little mistakes that are costing us goals.”
Taking on Ayr this weekend, who are just a single point behind the Jags in the league table, Neil says he’s expecting a really tough contest.
“You know it’s going to be a really difficult game against anyone in this division at the moment. We’re happy to be at home though on the big pitch and hopefully we’re able to play our game the way we’ve shown we can in certain matches.”
To finish, Scally gave us an update on team news ahead of match eight of the league season.
“In terms of team news, the only change is Jake Hastie who just missed out last weekend. He’s been back in training this week which will have done him a lot of good and he’ll be back in contention for a place in the squad. Apart from that, it’s as we were.”
Exclusive video interviews with Shea Gordon and Thistle assistant manager Neil Scally will be available for JagZone subscribers to watch today – log in to view.
JagZone subscribers will be able to tune in to live audio commentary for our clash with Ayr United, starting at 2:30pm – click here to tune in.
We will be providing a pay-per-view option, priced at £12, for any supporter who wishes to watch our livestream of the match – click here for more info.
We’ll have extended highlights and a full game replay of the fixture on JagZone following the game.
Article Copyright © 2021. Permission to use quotations from this article online is only granted subject to appropriate source credit and hyperlink to ptfc.co.uk.
Partick Thistle and Ayr United met today in the cinch Championship as fifth faced sixth with just one point separating the two sides. The Jags were hoping to end a three-game losing streak in the league while the Honest Men were looking to give manager Jim Duffy a winning start to his permanent reign as Ayr boss.
Ian McCall made three changes to the side that lost 3-2 at Stark’s Park six days prior with Tunji Akinola coming into the defence from the start to join Lewis Mayo, Kevin Holt and Richard Foster in front of Jamie Sneddon. Ross Docherty captained the Jags against his former side with Stuart Bannigan, Scott Tiffoney and Cammy Smith joining him in the midfield. Brian Graham was the lone striker with Zak Rudden starting just behind him.
The game started with a relatively slow tempo as both teams felt their way into the contest though Thistle were on top and they were able to carve out the first chance of the match after three minutes. A free kick from the left was cleared as far as Cammy Smith on the right flank. The number 11 swiftly swung the ball back into the box where Kevin Holt met it but his header flew just wide of the target.
Ayr then had a sight of goal in the seventh minute with Tomi Adeloye getting a shot away. The number nine received the ball in the Thistle box under pressure from Tunji Akinola, however, he was able to swivel and shoot from 10 yards out. His right-footed effort was well-struck but much too high to trouble Jamie Sneddon’s goal.
The game continued without many more opportunities for either team. Michael Moffat fired a shot well wide of the target from 20 yards and Aaron Muirhead saw a curling shot from about the same distance gathered comfortably by Jamie Sneddon as the away side struggled to penetrate the Thistle backline.
From the Jags’ perspective, they were getting into good areas without finding the killer pass until they finally managed a breakthrough in the 34th minute. It was Scott Tiffoney that manuafactured the opening with a right-footed cross from the left flank that found Zak Rudden in the box. The striker was off-balance as he nodded the ball goalwards but was able to make good contact, directing the ball into the bottom left corner to put his side one up.
The hosts were able to double their lead before the break too as they showed their clinical side. Again, it was a Scott Tiffoney ball into the Ayr box which was causing problem though this time it was partially cleared by Markus Fjortoft. Brian Graham picked up the loose ball on the left side of the area before lifting a cross towards the front post where Cammy Smith was able to nod home for his first goal as a Jag.
Thistle didn’t cool off during the half-time break either with the Maryhill men coming out for the second 45 minutes looking dangerous. In the 52nd minute, a Cammy Smith corner dropped in the Thistle box where Brian Graham was lurking. The number nine tried to strike for goal but his low effort was blocked well and cleared.
Three minutes later the Jags were on the hunt for a third again as Scott Tiffoney sought to add a goal to his earlier assist. Lewis Mayo picked up the ball midway inside the Ayr half before slotting a pass sideways to TIffoney. The number seven quickly took the shot on from 25 yards but his rasping shot was turn round the post by the Ayr goalkeeper Charlie Albinson.
The third goal did eventually come in the 71st minute for Ian McCall’s side as the Jags put things to bed. Scott Tiffoney was Ayr’s tormentor-in-chief once again as his cross from the left looped into the box. Brian Graham seemed to get a slight touch on the delivery which took it onto the leg of Sean McGinty and then subsequently into the back of the net but Zak Rudden was the one who wheeled away celebrating.
The scoring was finished by Graham in the 86th minute and there was no doubt whatsoever about who this one belonged to. Stuart Bannigan fed the ball to the striker and he manoeuvred away from three Ayr players before slotting a low finish into the bottom right corner of the goal.
A richly deserved three points went the way of the hosts, taking them four clear of the Honest Men in the Championship table. Up next for Thistle is an SPFL Trust Trophy game against Queen of the South at Palmerston Park. That one is a 7:45pm kick-off next Friday, 8th October.
The management team’s written previews and reactions are presented by The Jags Trust. You can keep up to date with the latest from The Jags Trust by visiting their website, www.jagstrust.com.
It was back to Firhill and back to winning ways for Partick Thistle this afternoon as they beat Ayr United 4-0 in the cinch Championship. Zak Rudden was at the double with goals either side of half-time while Cammy Smith and Brian Graham also got on the scoresheet in a convincing victory for the Maryhill men which emphatically ended Thistle’s run of defeats. Jags boss Ian McCall spoke to ptfc.co.uk following the game’s conclusion:
“We played really well today I thought, particularly in the second half. We probably could have scored more goals than we got in the end but I can’t complain about a 4-0 win.
“The two guys in the middle of the park, Ross Docherty and Stuart Bannigan, were excellent and allowed us to control things for the majority of the game and that started in the first half. We maybe weren’t as dangerous early on as we were after half-time but I still felt we were well worth the two-goal lead.”
Despite not carving out too many clear opportunities in the first half, Ian was pleased with how clinical his side were when the chances did eventually come.
“They made it really difficult for us with the five-at-the-back which meant we had to be patient with the way we attacked. Kevin Holt had a decent chance with a header but that was pretty much it for either side in the first 30 minutes until we put a couple of really good crosses into the box and got our goals which, as I said, I felt we deserved.”
After three straight league defeats, many might have expected Thistle to struggled against a recently reinvigorated Ayr side but the gaffer never doubted his team’s ability to get back on track.
“We’ve got a group of players in the dressing room who know what they’re capable of. You’re going to have spells during the season where you struggle a bit but it’s about how you respond to that and they deserve a lot of credit for that performance today.
“The league is still very tight and the results today show how unpredictable things are going to be this season. It was important that we kept ourselves in the mix at the right end of the table with a result today and we’ve done that – now it’s about carrying that forward for the rest of October which is going to be a big month for the whole league.”
McCall moved things about in defence for this afternoon’s game and the alterations paid dividends in the form of a clean sheet which he was delighted with.
“We wanted to bring Tunji into the team and that meant moving Kevin Holt back to left-back and Richard Foster over to the right. It meant a new partnership between Tunji and Lewis Mayo in central defence but I thought it worked really well and the whole back four was superb.
“They also got great protection from the two guys in front of them that I mentioned earlier and that meant we had a really solid foundation that allowed the front four to go for it.”
Now the team prepare for an SPFL Trust Trophy clash with Queen of the South at Palmerston Park next Friday night and the boss is keen to keep the positive feeling going.
“It’s a break from the league but we want to build on today’s result. We will probably make a few changes and give some different players a chance to get some minutes but it’ll still be a strong team because it’s a chance to get into the latter stages of a cup competition which you always want to do.
“We’ve played them once already this season and it was a tough game that day so we know it’ll be difficult but hopefully we can take confidence from today’s win and put on another good performance.”
Further reaction from Thistle manager Ian McCall and Ross Docherty will be available for JagZone subscribers to watch tonight – log in to view.
We’ll also have extended highlights and a full game replay of today’s match on JagZone tonight.
Article Copyright © 2021. Permission to use quotations from this article online is only granted subject to appropriate source credit and hyperlink to ptfc.co.uk.
Sat 2 October, 2021
cinch Championship 
Firhill Stadium
Thistle get back to winning ways with a comprehensive 4-0 win over Ayr United.
Zak Rudden got things off and running for Thistle who had found things tough against a resolute Ayr side to that point after 33 minutes.
Cammy Smith's first Thistle goal doubled that advantage when he headed home a Graham cross just a minute before half-time.
The points were secured when Rudden grabbed his second and Thistle's third with 20 minutes remaining as Thistle added the third goal that their control of proceedings merited.
Brian Graham rounded things off with a well placed 4th goal with 6 minutes remaining.
We're into injury time but Thistle will have at least one more chance as Hastie is fouled wide on the left. Turner's free kick is cleared though.
Hastie is able to lift a cross towards the Ayr back post but there isn't anyone there to attack it.
There is no doubt over who scored that one and we have the trademark Graham celebration to follow as his shot from the edge of the box has enough curl on it to take it beyond the reach of Albinson.
Tiffoney touches a pass back into the path of Foster but the full back can't keep hs shot down and the ball clears the Ayr crossbar.
The free kick is aimed towards the back post where Mayo is able to get his head to it but his header goes over the bar.
Thistle have a free kick at the left hand corner of the Ayr box.
I don't think anyone knows quite what happened but the ball is the net in any case. The PA announcer gives it to Tiffoney, twitter to Rudden. Me? I haven't a clue! The ball seems to spin off somebody and into the net.
A low shot requires a save from Albinson but it is an easy one for the Ayr keeper.
Bannigan takes the free kick. He gets the ball over the wall easily enough but there is far too much loft on his shot and it clears the bar with a bit to spare.
Docherty is fouled and Thistle will have a free kick near the edge of the Ayr box and just right of centre.
We do nearly have another goal but an Ayr goal. A McAllister header looks to be heading nowhere until it takes a deflection. Thistle's luck is in this time as the deflection takes the ball straight to Sneddon.
Thistle are in control at the moment but the next goal in this match will be vital. Hard to see an Ayr fightback if it is a Thistle goal.
Sneddon makes a good catch at his back post under a little pressure to claim Muirhead's corner.
Akinola gets in front of Adeloye to clear before being barged to the ground by the Ayr striker.
Bannigan's corner is decent and Holt is able to peal away from his marker but can't get the correct contact with his header to threaten the Ayr goal.
Tiffoney forces Albinson into full length save to his left to keep the score at 2-0.
It's a good cross from Tiffoney but just a shade too high for Graham.
Thistle have a free kick on the right hand side and a good chance to test the Ayr defence but Bannigan's delivery is far too deep and goes out for a goal kick.
Smith again with the corner for Thistle. Albinson can't claim it and just for a second it looks to open up for Graham but a defender is able to get across and block.
Muirhead with the corner for Ayr this time but with the same result, an easy, unchallenged, catch for Sneddon.
Sneddon is able to claim unchallenged Chalmers' corner.
Bannigan has been taking Thistle's corners today but the second of two quick corners at the start of the second half is taken by Smith. His corner is cleared but he gets the ball back and this time Graham can't quite twist his body enough to get a header on target.
Goals from Zak Rudden and Cammy Smith have Thistle two in front at the break.
It's Thistle that score before the half-time whistle. Graham could elect to allow a ball to go out for a corner but elects to square to the front post where a firm header from Smith doubles the Thistle advantage.
Sneddon is there though to claim a Fjortoft cross from the Ayr right.
Thistle are on the back foot as half time nears.
Thistle counter quickly but Smith's pass to an overlapping Foster is poor allowing Ayr to break themselves until Akinola fouls Adeloye just inside his own half.
Foster is across quickly to block a Reading shot.
Thistle are in front. Tiffoney crosses from the left hand side. Rudden looks to be held as he attempts to get on the end of the deep cross but gets enough of a head to it to take it past Albinson.
A spell of good Thistle pressure and a series of corners ends with Rudden sending a Mayo cross well wide of goal.
Bannigan's corner drops to Tiffoney who sees his shot blocked and spin wide for another corner.
Foster gets into a great position inside the box but his cross is cleared.
Muirhead has a shot from distance that is never going to trouble Sneddon.
The Thistle build up play is slow and ponderous and when Foster does play a pass to Smith at the edge of the box the flag goes up for offside.
Ayr are denying Thistle space and room to create anything and the home side are forced into a patient build up as they probe for an opening. Foster does eventually find some space on the right but his cross is poor and Smith can't direct the ball towards goal.
A Tiffoney cross from the left is missed by two defenders before Albinson gratefully collects at the edge of his six yard box.
A deft touch from Moffat creates enough room for a shot at goal but the Ayr man drags his effort wide of Sneddon's right hand post.
Foster puts the ball into a good area inside the Ayr box but Baird heads clear ahead of Graham.
The battle between Mayo and Adeloye looks an interesting one. Mayo gets the better of the exchange on this occasion although Ayr do win a throw down by the Thistle corner flag.
Ayr are quite content to keep possession of the ball deep inside their own half with Thistle not pressing them.
Smith chases a ball down the right and does well to get a cross over. Graham's flick though takes the ball away from Albinson's goal.
After a frantic opening this is the first opportunity to take stock of the Thistle line-up. No change in shape at the back but Foster is starting at right back and Holt at left back. Mayo and Akinola in the centre.
First chance for Ayr as Adeloye lashes a shot only narrowly over the Thistle crossbar.
Graham takes a swing and a miss at the ball as he tries to connect with Bannigan's corner.
Great skill from Smith gives him room for a cross that is cleared.
Thistle are close to taking the lead. Bannigan's free kick is headed clear as far as Tiffoney whose shot is blocked. The ball is worked wide to Smith on the right though and his cross is met by the head of Holt whose header flies just wide.
Rudden wins Thistle a free kick near the left edge of the Ayr penalty box.
It's Ayr that get things underway. Thistle will be shooting towards the John Lambie Stand in the first half.
It's a wet day in Glasgow and Maryhill but the Firhill pitch is looking in excellent condition ahead of this afternoon's cinch Championship fixture with Ayr United.
After a disappointing run of results Thistle will be hoping to get back to winning ways this afternoon and Ian McCall has made two changes to his starting eleven to try and help get those three points.
Into the starting eleven come Zak Rudden, who scored after coming off the bench last weekend, and Tunji Akinola.
Kyle Turner and Ciaran McKenna are the duo that drop to the bench.
Also on the bench is Mason McCready who has been recalled from his loan spell with Gala Fairydean Rovers to replace the unavailable Harry Stone.
Meantime the Ayr line-up in the shape of ex Jags Aaron Muirhead and Sean McGinty includes a couple of a familiar faces.