Wednesday 14th June, 2023 at 3:26pm
Partick Thistle FC is pleased to announce the appointments of Andrew Holloway and Douglas McCrea to the club’s board of directors, with immediate effect.
Lifelong Thistle supporter Andrew, a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Tax Advisor with significant advisory experience, has been nominated to join the Board by The Jags Foundation, further strengthening the link between the club and the foundation.
Experienced financial advisor Douglas – also a born and bred Jags fan – has supported the club personally and professionally for decades, with his McCrea Financial Services form synonymous with Thistle, most recently through the popular player of the month award voted for by fans.
Andrew and Douglas join Richard Beastall, Caroline Mackie and Fergus Maclennan on the Partick Thistle FC Board, working alongside new interim chairman Alistair Creevy.
Welcoming their appointments, Thistle interim chairman Alistair Creevy said: “I am genuinely thrilled that both Andrew and Douglas will be joining the board at this very important but equally exciting time for the club. Both Andrew and Douglas bring with them a genuine passion for the club, rich experience in their respective industries and a commitment to delivering the very best for Partick Thistle supporters. The positive reaction of Thistle fans over the past week has been incredible, much of that fuelled by The Jags Foundation, which makes the strengthening of ties between club and foundation another very welcome dynamic of today’s news.”
Andrew Holloway is treasurer of The Jags Foundation, after members voted for him to join the foundation’s board in 2022. In just the past seven days, The Jags Foundation has donated £50,000 to the club, committed to at least £120,000 of payments across the next 12 months, increased its membership by more than 250 to 1300 and seen 200+ members upgrade their membership with increased payments.
Keen runner Andrew has been a Thistle fan since 1995, introduced by his dad, and attends both men’s team and women’s team matches with three generations of the Holloway family.
Upon his appointment, Andrew said: “It’s genuinely an honour to join the board of Partick Thistle Football Club and I’m equally proud to be doing so as a representative of The Jags Foundation.
“I’m truly excited to play a part in contributing to a vibrant future at Firhill as we enter a new era for the club and deliver proper fan ownership. It is all about looking forward now, looking to that future together and delivering the very best on and off the pitch for fellow supporters of the club we love.”
Founder and managing director of McCrea Financial Services, Douglas McCrea has been a major supporter of professional and local sports clubs across Glasgow throughout his career, none more so than his beloved Partick Thistle. A driving force behind the original Partick Thistle Business Club and major events during Save The Jags, Douglas was also Chairman of Alan Morgan and Alan Archibald’s Testimonial Committees, while he organised John Lambie’s Testimonial Dinner and game against a Rangers Select.
One of a select few Jags fans who made it to both Linz and Metz in 1995 (ensuring Roddy Grant made it back to the team hotel in one piece at the former!), Douglas arranged the first PTFC Hall of Fame dinner and was also responsible for the Jordanhill supporters bus first outing at the 2002 Scottish Cup semi-final. While MD of McCrea Financial Services for 24 years, Douglas helped raise £600,000 for various charities. He has also served as member of Glasgow Warriors advisory board for the last 15 years, as board member at St Margaret’s Hospice for 10 years and is now an Ambassador for the Beatson Cancer Charity.
Upon his appointment, Douglas said: “I’m very proud to be asked to join the board of Partick Thistle Football Club at a moment in our history when we all have the opportunity to achieve something very special together. Much of that sense of opportunity has been generated by the togetherness of supporters with the work of The Jags Foundation a crucial part of that, so I’m very pleased to see the foundation represented on the board and congratulate Andrew on his appointment.
“As Andrew said, it’s all about looking forward now and working together in a new fan-engaged era for Partick Thistle to give the club the strongest possible platform to succeed in the years ahead.”
