Tuesday 19th June, 2018 at 2:26pm
Partick Thistle has announced that Chairman, David Beattie, and Director, Greig Brown, have stepped down from the Board. The Board has appointed current Director, Jacqui Low, as the new Chairman with immediate effect.
Having spent 11 years on the Board – seven of them as chair, David has decided that the time is right to hand over to a new Chairman to take Thistle on to the next stage in its development. Greig has served on the Board for seven years and has resigned due to increased work commitments.
The Club already has a recruitment strategy in place to bring additional directors on board and will announce new appointments in the next few months.
Over the course of his tenure, David Beattie was personally responsible for the introduction of the Under 16 initiative “Kids Go Free”, as well as the development of a new Club logo. He was instrumental in leading the Board’s strategy which saw the Club reduce its debt from several million pounds to zero, creating a financial stability that has allowed the Club to attract investment across the Board, including the setting up of the Thistle Weir Youth Academy. David’s tenure also saw the Club achieve promotion to the Premiership and he led a culture change that brought with it a number of initiatives that gained the Jags universal recognition, none more so than when mascot Kingsley joined Thistle. Commenting on his departure, David Beattie said:
“While I am sad to leave the Board, the time is right to do so. Despite the challenges facing us, I leave the Club in a strong and stable position, many miles away from where Thistle was when I first came to the club in 2007. Since then, it’s been an emotional rollercoaster at times but I wouldn’t have missed a minute of it. Now is the time to let the Board move the Club forward in a fresh way and that means under the direction of a new Chairman.
“There are many things I am proud to have done but introducing “Kids Go Free” 10 years ago is one of the most important ones. It made football accessible for kids under 16 – grandparents can bring grandkids, single parents get a day out with their kids and youngsters can come to a game safely on their own. It set the standard for the rest of Scottish football and that still resonates today. Even now, I get emotional when I see a family of three or four generations coming to the ground and know that we are helping that happen.
“I have been a Thistle man all my life and that won’t stop now. I will continue to watch the Club and look for the result first when I can’t get to the ground. I wish Jacqui Low all the best in her new role and, with the Board currently being further strengthened with new Directors, I leave Thistle in the best hands for the future.”
Greig Brown added:
“Due to an ever increasing workload, I can no longer give the Club the time I want to or that it needs at this crucial time. I am gutted not to be able to stay and help the Club but I can’t give the commitment needed. But I have very much enjoyed my time as a Director, despite the ups and downs. Thistle’s will always be the first score I look for and I wish all at the Club every success as they set out to achieve an immediate return to the top flight – a feat of which they are more than capable.”
New Chairman Jacqui Low said:
“On behalf of the Board, I’d like to thank both David and Greig in the strongest possible terms for all they’ve done for this Club.
“It’s easy to forget that we had debts that ran in to millions when David joined and over his tenure as Chairman, he’s taken Thistle to the stable and financially sound Club it is today. We are grateful for his many achievements and he will be sorely missed, but we respect his decision to stand down at this time. In his usual fashion, David recognised that we are at a point where change is happening and he wanted to let that happen under new leadership. He will always be welcome at Firhill and we look forward to seeing him at a game next season.”
“Greig’s business commitments are now at a level that he can no longer commit the time to Partick Thistle that he’d like to. With regret, the Board accepted his resignation on that basis.
“Greig has been an important part of our Board since he joined in 2011 over one of the most successful periods in the Club’s history. His knowledge and expertise have been invaluable and he has always worked hard to achieve the absolute best for the Club while he has been involved. He leaves with our heartfelt thanks and best wishes for the future. Greig has made it clear that we have his ongoing support should we need it and for that we are grateful.”
