Wednesday 20th September, 2023 at 9:05am
As we build up to our next home cinch Championship fixture against Arbroath this Saturday, we would like to remind all supporters of the standards of conduct expected and required when attending fixtures at the Wyre Stadium at Firhill.
The club is extremely proud of its supporters including the atmosphere they create at matches both home and away, which is of enormous help to Kris and the team, that noise and colour also earning wider recognition across the Scottish football community.
We want to continue to encourage this, but with this comes an ongoing responsibility on the club and supporters to ensure we maintain an environment where spectators can enjoy the game of football, safe in the knowledge that they are free from all forms of harassment, abuse, unacceptable or disorderly conduct. This is especially important for home matches when we are hosts, with the responsibilities and costs which come with that.
At home matches, the John Lambie Stand supporters have backed the team brilliantly for many years, during which time the behaviour of fans behind that goal – bar a few isolated incidents – has been exemplary. This positive atmosphere is aided by an established culture of self-policing, by an ever-growing group of fans and families who know so many of each other well.
Unfortunately, we are aware of some incidents in the John Lambie Stand at recent home matches including:
Simply put, this sort of behaviour isn’t on. When we come to Firhill, and indeed follow Thistle on the road, each and every fan is an ambassador for the club and our community. That means we’ve got to respect one another, first and foremost. But it also means respecting the rules that are in place to keep Firhill safe: for our fellow fans, for the players and officials on the pitch, and for the staff that help make the matchday happen.
Incidents like those mentioned above make Firhill less safe and less welcoming and must not be repeated. They ultimately have cost implications for the Club, through higher stewarding and security costs and the risk of fines from the footballing authorities.
Our message is clear: disorderly and unsafe behaviours will not be tolerated.
Please help us as fans, by using common sense and self-policing when able to, to make sure these behaviours don’t happen again in the season ahead.
The SPFL’s Rules and Regulations include a section on Unacceptable Conduct (page 107) and can be accessed via here: www.spfl.co.uk/pages/rules-and-regulations
