About the Academy

The Thistle Weir Youth Academy was set up in 2013 following financial assistance provided by Chris and Colin Weir. The Academy aims to provide an inspiring and stimulating learning environment which promotes:

Positive interaction between coaches, players, parents and club staff.
Match focused tasks and game situations which challenge our players
Learning opportunities for players to encourage them to solve game problems and make correct decisions in game situations.
Positive support to the player from our coaches and staff.
Professional and patient coaches who act as role models and promote confidence within each individual across all age groups.
Development of the right attitudes among players to become good, responsible young people and ultimately top level professional players.
Continuity. Everyone pulling in the same direction, working as a team, working towards the same common goal – to develop players for our first team.

The academy currently operates teams in three main development areas. The Elite Youth Academy pathway operates from U11 to U17 with all teams participating in the national Club Academy Scotland programme. Players from this level progress through our pathway and onto the Partick Thistle Football Club first team.

The player pathway is also supported by a grassroots programme where children as young as five years old can play structured football representing Thistle in local leagues and in the community.

The bridge between grassroots and elite academy football is essential in developing the next crop of Thistle youngsters. The Stuart Bannigan and Liam Lindsay development squads at U9 & U10 age groups prepare young players for the Club Academy System which starts at U11.

Named after two of the most successful Academy graduates these squads are an integral part of our long term player pathway with players receiving professional coaching from our academy staff on a weekly basis and regular game activity in 7v7 format.

Girls and womens football is also now a prominent part of our football structure with a senior womens team competing in the Scottish Womens Football League Division 1 – South and the process of building participation opportunities for younger girls now fully operational.

The Thistle Weir Youth Academy aims to provide the required knowledge, guidance, facilities and encouragement to enable footballers to maximise the opportunities available to them and provides the link from the local community into top flight national football.

Academy trustee:

Gerry Britton