Friday 6th October, 2023 at 1:47pm
The Partick Thistle FC Board requires to provide a further update to supporters, following yesterday’s announcement of a significant cash injection into the Football Club, and the earlier announcement that Alistair Creevy is no longer a Director of Partick Thistle Football Club.
While we did, within that earlier announcement yesterday (Club Board Update), state that “No further comment will be made by the club on this matter” developments out with our control since then have deemed that position impossible. We therefore feel compelled to respond and clarify the Board’s position on a number of matters pertaining to both announcements and outline these as follows.
First of all, relating to investment and as we said yesterday, we are excited to work with our new investor group alongside the PTFC Trust, The Jags Foundation and The Jags Trust as we seek to build a sustainable, thriving, fan-owned football club for the future. On what should have been one of the brightest days in the club’s recent history with the announcement of a £500,000 cash injection, other events have led to more comment elsewhere than on the positive news of the funds which help sustain the club’s existence for the 2023/2024 season and beyond.
Partick Thistle Football Club is fan-owned and it’s important the fans are kept properly up to date – the Board are determined to be transparent with supporters across a range of football club matters. We are aware of comments relating to a lack of fan consultation on proposed investment and accept this. The update posted immediately after the second leg of the play-off final should give supporters some context as to why investment was required, and required quickly, to provide us with a base to work from. This process was not perfect, and fan owners were not consulted soon enough – we acknowledge that as a result of this, fan owners were put in a difficult position. In the coming weeks, the Club Board will provide further and detailed updates to supporters on this, as well as on a range of other Club matters which we are working on, supported by our staff. We have an important league game at Inverness tomorrow, and we do not want to take away any focus on this game.
On the second point, Alistair Creevy was removed as a director of Partick Thistle yesterday by the PTFC Trust. Removing a Director is not a matter to be taken lightly, and this is not the direction of travel that we would have preferred. However, in late August and early September, it became clear to the remaining board members (Andrew Holloway, Richard Beastall, Caroline Mackie and Douglas McCrea) that the working relationship had broken down. We are sure that supporters will appreciate that due to each Director being bound by director fiduciary duties and for other confidentiality reasons, that these reasons cannot be shared more widely, nor should they be, but rest assured that the Board did take steps to try to bring this matter to a sensible conclusion, with the primary aim of protecting the interests of Partick Thistle Football Club. We would also note that this decision was made unanimously and it was agreed that one of the Board would phone Mr Creevy and ask him to resign. Following a challenging four-week period, yesterday saw him removed from the Partick Thistle board.
During this four-week period a number of accusations have been made against not only the Club Board as a whole, but against individual members of the Club Board. This continued on social media after yesterday’s announcement. The accusations made in a number of cases have unfortunately meant that both the Club and members of the Board (individually) have had to involve solicitors. These accusations will continue to be challenged through the appropriate route.
Everyone wants to see the club thrive and get back to the cinch Premiership with a sustainable commercial operation in the background. The Board, all aligned to this cause, will continue to do what we believe is in both the short-term and long-term interests of Partick Thistle Football Club.
Finally, we wish all the red and yellow army a safe journey to and from Inverness tomorrow and wish Kris, Paul and the squad all the best for another important cinch Championship fixture.
