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It seems very similar to the proposed Airdrie model, when the consortium rescued the club from Tom Wotherspoon, Lots of committees and sub committees, ours never really got going with various fallouts and dick swinging going on. A clash of egos is a real danger and at the end of the day 3pm on a Saturday is all that really matters to the majority of people supporting any club.. Oh and Paul Goodwin seems an absolute fantasies who can talk for hours and tell you the square root of f all.. Merry Christmas

Which begs the question. What the f**k is this pish.... The PTFC Working Group has invited fans to step forward to join the team that’s working on identifying an appropriate model to enable fan ownership of Partick Thistle FC, allowing Three Black Cats (3BC) to hand over its shareholding to the new entity by 30 th March 2020. The Working Group (WG) has now identified a structure to enable more fans to get involved and would like to hear from fans from all parts of the fanbase, regardless of age, sex or experience, with or without any previous involvement in the Club other than being a fan. The structure is as follows: 1. Working Group – will set the strategy, oversee the process and the six-sub-groups that sit below it. A further 4 – 6 people would help strengthen the group. Current membership is: Ian Wright, Chairman; Allan Heron, Secretary; Pauline Graham; Gordon Shaw; Elainne Sibbald. 2. Sub-groups – will address particular issues or provide support to the overall project. The Chairmen will report to the main WG, but will not sit on it: Model for community ownership – what would this look like; is it a structure used by another club; structure and relationships; how it would work in real time. Chairman – Paul Goodwin Finance and Membership – who will be members; what will it cost to run; how will finances be arranged/pledges made. Chairman – Vacant Fan engagement – responsible for organising all public events, surveys, consultations etc and liaising with Comms for maximum impact. Responsible for identifying the name for the new entity in association with the fan base. Chairman – Vacant Communications – responsible for all written materials and social media, identify a communications’ schedule and deliver it for the period until 30th March. Chairman – Tom Hosie Creating a new legal entity – to work with external specialist lawyers to create the legal framework for the new fan ownership entity Chairman – Vacant Project management/Creating the Presentation – tracking all activity is crucial as is managing it so this group will pull it all together to allow activity schedules and a timeline to be created. In parallel, a final document and presentation needs to be structured and created to allow information to be dropped in. This group will look at that. Chairman – Craig Dunn

Anyone wishing to rubbish the consortiums takeover used Barnsley supporters views as a stick to beat them with.The views of Stirling Albion’s fans must surely set some alarm bells ringing on Paul Goodwin

With all due respect to Paul Goodwin, “too incompetent for Stirling Albion” isn’t a trait I’d want in anyone associated with the club in an official capacity. With absolutely no respect, Jacqui Low can get to f**k immediately.

@VictorOnopko Paul Goodwin is organising the working group apparently He IS effectively TFE.

Yes, it was pretty obvious that she was lurking in the background as Colin Weir's pal/PR supremo/HR enforcer. I'll be worried if she is in any way involved after 30 March next year, because if I understand this correctly, Weir's company should step away completely at that point. One name which is conspicuously absent from this press release is Paul Goodwin. It's a blow that the training ground plans have definitely been abandoned. Maybe it's just me but I don't really understand why Colin Weir chose to buy the club to hand to the fans (I am not aware of any great groundswell of demand or urgent need for fan ownership) rather than contributing something as practical as a new training ground. Overall, despite the attempt at positive PR spin here, this Q&A doesn't tell us much and for some reason I feel more suspicious now than I did before reading it.

I quite liked Tom on the (admittedly extremely rare) interactions I've ever had with him, think he's a decent guy. Paul Goodwin is someone that going by P&B at least we should be steering clear of - saw him described in a nutshell as being a man with many idea's, almost all of which are terrible.

Paul Goodwin - Sure Stirling fans booted him out their club no? Tom Hosie - What is his role, throwing toys out the pram and crying in the corner when someone disagrees with him lol

Thistle For Ever working Group update As previously announced, both Thistle for Ever and the PTFC Trust have been invited to be part of a Working Group to make recommendations to both the boards of Partick Thistle Football Club and Three Black Cats setting out how the club can move forward as a community-owned club. Acceptance of these recommendations would trigger the transfer of shares from Three Black Cats to the appropriate vehicle considered most appropriate for this purpose. A key part of this process will include engagement with Thistle fans on as wide a basis as possible so that the proposals can clearly be seen to have their approval. The members of the core Working Group are: Craig Dunn Paul Goodwin Pauline Graham Allan Heron Tom Hosie Russel McPhate Keith Rarity Gordon Ross Elaine Sibbald Ian Wright This group is made up of fans associated with Thistle for Ever, PTFC Trust and others who have indicated an early interest in getting involved in this process. Please note that there are no Directors of the club included on the Working Group to avoid any conflict of interest as they will have a role in approving the recommendations arising. The initial meeting of the Working Group will take place this week where we will firm up on future activities (which will include opportunities for other fans to get involved). However, we do anticipate that we will be issuing a questionnaire for fans to complete, with the intention of having a public meeting in January which will both share the results from this along with a wider discussion of what community ownership will mean. A further announcement will be made as soon as possible after the meeting. Allan Heron on behalf of the Working Group Thank you to everyone who helped so far. #ThistleforEver

Anyone heard from Paul Goodwin? No? What? Not a peep? That's odd.

On the face of it this is probably good news as it gives us a semblance of stability (in not becoming a feeder club for Barnsley), and brings the stadium/land back into the club's control. I would also expect Colin Weir to restart the training ground plans. My main worry is in some of the personnel - 1) that a proven incompetent in Jacqui Low is once again lurking, despite her shit-stirring in running to the press and deliberately painting the club in a bad light only a few months ago when she was punted from the board. Possibly her negative contribution can be minimised if this "PR supremo" is kept well away from any PR work... 2) that Lifelong Thistle Superfan Paul Goodwin might also be looking to use us to gain personal publicity and press coverage for his stupid ideas, which he has past form in at Stirling before scuttling away and calling them ungrateful.

Okay, here goes. No idea what Paul Goodwin's motivation is. Don't know the guy. I do recognise some of the other people in TfE and I recognise them as longtime Thistle fans By getting behind TfE, I believe Colin Weir is doing exactly what you suggest - a genuine, alternative offer to buy the club from the current board/shareholders, then set up a fan ownership structure to hand over to. No idea whether a bid is the same as a proposal, but I'm fairly sure TfE are genuine in that they want to see Thistle fan owned. I don't think they're telling lies to further some nefarious project. I don't think Thistle is too wee or too stupid for fan ownership. It works perfectly well at other clubs smaller than Thistle. It's not being proposed that the fan/owners would be the main source of income for the club, in the same way we don't expect current shareholders to finance the running of Thistle. The big difference for me in what is proposed is that Partick Thistle fans would have a say in what happens at Firhill in the future. Unlike at the moment when we're completely at the mercy of shareholders who are considering selling the club to a group of venture capitalists

I'm not dismissing it out of hand, but I wouldn't support it with Paul Goodwin as the figurehead. Any response to the questions I raised in the first paragraph above?

It was a stupid idea at Stirling Albion where Paul Goodwin last attempted to be the figurehead /attention magnet of a fan takeover then walked away because he "didn't get enough thanks". (Stirling are currently in last place in League 2). The fact that he is involved here in the TFE plans is a red flag to many Thistle fans. If he isn't a Thistle fan, why is he doing this? If Colin Weir genuinely wants to underwrite a fan-owned Thistle, why doesn't he make a genuine, alternative offer to buy the club from the current board/shareholders, then set up a fan ownership structure to hand over to? Why were various media outlets led to believe that a bid had been made by TFE when this is not the case? Is a home gate of 2,500 people, many of whom already put plenty of money into the club, sufficient to achieve anything as a genuinely fan owned entity given that pledges are already made to support Thistle in our current form of ownership? Just because you don't like the proposed takeover plans - and I agree that they are worryingly opaque - that doesn't mean that fan ownership, particularly in the present guise - is anything other than an unworkable shambles led by an oddball chancer and a previous benefactor who took his ball home in a huff when he didn't get his way.

I for one welcome our transformation under the lifelong Jags fan Paul Goodwin into the Maryhill Meerkats: https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/exclusive-250k-plan-to-rename-struggling-1047855

Fan ownership is a great idea, and I would contribute a monthly amount to be a part of it as long as there was transparency of plans / performance and democracy in key decisions, but the issue is with who runs the club? Our fans can’t even run a supporters trust (or two). We need a small but professional team to ensure we’re run sustainably (sort of like the current BoD...) and I have no idea where that would come from under a fan owned model. Is there even any evidence of a fan owned model actually working that we could learn from / copy? Motherwell? Also, anyone saying that we have a plan to get back to top 6 is mental - we have no right to be top 6, and with a sustainable fan owned model it would be even harder. And Paul Goodwin has always come across as a diddy. Red flags all over the place...

Just noticed (amazed he’s allowed anywhere near anything like this again) that charlatan Paul Goodwin is involved so came to have a look at the comments relating to him. Glad to see many have acknowledged him for what he appears to be.

I've never signed up to the SFSA newsletter but I get it sent to my inbox. Am I one of their 70,000 members? Is Paul Goodwin GDPR compliant?

I'm not sure if any of you have paid any attention, but Paul Goodwin is getting himself front and centre of a group of people trying to launch a fans bid more or less funded by Colin Weir and with little overall backing from the Thistle fanbase as a whole to take over the club. Seemingly it didn't go too well for him at Stirling Albion according to a post on here. What was the script him at the club?

Anything involving Paul Goodwin is not a good idea.

SUMMARY OF BUYEASTFIFE MEETING 30 August 2014 Introduction The meeting was attended by approximately 160 people and started with a brief talk by Paul Goodwin of Supporters Direct Scotland who explained that there are now nine Scottish senior clubs in the process of becoming owned by the community or had already achieved that state. A short description of the background to the meeting was given and the rest of the time (approximately 60 minutes) was given over to questions from the audience which were answered by Allan Duthie of the EFSS with interventions by Eugene Clarke and Paul Goodwin. Why Do We Want to Do this? The ultimate aim of our campaign is to transform EFFC into a community owned club which will produce a successful football team and generate sporting and social opportunities for all. Who/What is EFSS Working Group? The East Fife Supporters Society is the formal name for the Trust and the Working Group was formed to incorporate and represent all groups and individuals interested in securing a majority shareholding in EFFC. It was stressed that this group is not simply Trust members - it includes supporter club members and people who are members of no formal group. Background to Bid Contact was made with a member of the EFSS group by an advisor to the majority shareholders who said there was an opportunity for the Trust to buy the majority shareholding.The majority shareholders have indicated their willingness to open discussions with EFSS representatives and advisors from Supporters Direct Scotland with a view to selling their 52% holding in the club. It is possible there will be other bids from other parties but we cannot influence that. Bid Cost and Financing The price has still to be negotiated The final figure will be influenced by professional advice regarding the financial situation of the club and the value of its assets. No offer will be made until due diligence has been carried out. The purchase would be achieved through paying a deposit and then annual payments over 15 years. For example, should the final price be £400,000, this could be paid by a deposit of £25,000 plus 15 annual payments of £25,000 - the monthly equivalent is £2,100. What would we get for the money? Once we had paid the deposit this would give us ownership of the football club, membership,of the SFA and League, the stadium, and the surrounding land. If we failed to pay an instalment there could be interest penalties applied but the shares would still be ours. We need to carry our full diligence of the deal to confirm both the legal details re assets and the financial situation of the club. We had approached EFFC with a request for a brief financial statement before the Saturday meeting but their directors decided it was not appropriate at this stage. We are keen,however,to keep communication between the EFSS and EFFC open and wish to stress that our bid is not simply a way of changing the composition of the current EFFC board. Raising the Money We believe our supporters can raise the cash needed for the deposit and to pay for the shares over the 15 year period. Written feedback from the Saturday meeting showed that 59 people were willing to donate a one-off sum while 85 would commit to a monthly payment.In addition to that, members of the EFSS have been contacted by dozens of people who could not attend the meeting but who said they would support the bid financially. No money will be requested until a legally binding agreement is in place. Anyone who sets up a monthly payment will be able to amend or cancel it if circumstances change. Everyone who contributes at least £1 will become a member of the EFSS if she/he are not one already. As it is a legally constituted IPS everyone who contributes will have an equal say in voting irrespective of how much has been contributed. Who will Run The Club after the Purchase? Upon conclusion of an agreement the EFSS group would appoint a board of directors to manage the club. This board would be made up of people with the skills and knowledge to run the club and could include current EFFC directors and would not necessarily include any of the current EFSS working group. It was stressed that the club would not be run by those currently on the EFSS board. Any newly joined equal member of the EFSS with the appropriate skills would be eligible to be appointed as an EFFC board member. After a period of 12-18 months when the appointments have created a stable structure at the club there will be elections to appoint a new board. Again all members,(this includes the EFFC directors appointed by the EFSS) will be eligible to hold a board position. Selection of the new board will be done at an open meeting of all members with each member having equal voting rights. What about the Artificial Pitch? Good progress had been made by East Fife Community Sports Academy. Unfortunately a bid for funding to develop an artificial surface and associated facilities at Bayview has been delayed due to boardroom changes at Bayview and the associated uncertainty. EFFS are committed to creating a stable environment at Bayview which will allow this project to progress. Next Steps The EFSS working group continues to meet twice a week. With professional advice we have started the process of creating a business plan and we will also soon be meeting with legal advisors. A website and other social media channels including Twitter and Facebook are being set up. The website currently has a link to a survey on it which allows fans to show their support for the purchase. We would encourage everyone, including those who filled in the form on the night, to complete the form at www.buyeastfife.org. We are also keeping the local press informed and will be distributing paper copies of this to ensure that people without easy internet access are kept informed. We will be setting up a regular on-line newsletter and shortly will have a QnA section on the website which will be updated. Thanks The EFSS Working Group. 2 September 2014 @BuyEastFife www.buyeastfife.org

Gutted I couldn't make tonight after hearing what had happened. Lewandowski having a heads gone, the trust resigning and Paul Goodwin offering to take charge

I was a Trust Board member from the very beginning until after the 2010 takeover. The problems with the Trust Board and the Exec (the club directors) stem from the takeover in 2010. There was about 4 weeks between winning control of the club and the start of the season. There was no time to sit down and lay out a structure, responsibilities and remits of the Trust Board and Exec Board. There has always been tension between the two as the Exec Board ignored reasonable requests from the Trust Board for updates on the finances during the first season after the takeover. Monthly Trust Board meetings after monthly meeting - no update on the club finances. Rumours of a cardboard box of receipts unprocessed would suggest that the Exec didn’t know what the situation actually was so that was why there no ability to give an update. For the record, a £5k profit was made that season (we were relegated tamely from the 2nd tier under John O’Neil then Jocky Scott) There was an Exec Boardroom coup. Paul Goodwin and Steven lieper were ousted and the Brown era began with Alan Christie taking over the finances. This is when the club started to be run properly if looking at it with a financial hat on. The procedures for the Exec reporting to the Trust Have never been properly set down. The Trust have owned the club for 7.5 years. It is a failure of the Trust ownership that they never fixed the roles and remits of the structure properly.

Paul Goodwin and Michael Stewart are trying to shift the debate to transport links now, suggesting that Murrayfield has better transport links. In my very humble opinion they are both talking out of their backsides. Although Haymarket is served by trains from various locations in Scotland, it's not exactly next door to the stadium. Hampden has a number of stations nearby, and is more easily approached by foot or car/bus with more than one main road in the area. As for the atmosphere debate, it isn't the stadium that is problem. It's the football on offer. There have been games with amazing atmospheres at Hampden, but I doubt Murrayfield would conjure much of atmosphere for Gibraltar or Malta.

Haven't listened because Sportsound is rubbish, but Paul Goodwin is a bit of a charlatan. The SFSA is basically an organisation he set up himself after being punted by Supporters Direct Scotland, and it has no real legitimacy. They constantly claim to have X number of members, when in fact all that is required to be a "member" is to be on their mailing list. The fact he is continually dragged out by the media as some sort of voice for the supporters is baffling. If I remember correctly, I filled out the survey he was on to talk about, and it was packed with leading questions where it appeared as though the narrative was set in advance. It's certainly notable that they haven't published any of the methodology related to the study, as far as I can see. Broadfoot is aloof and smug, and has never come across as being particularly likeable, so that was never going to be a great "debate". However, it should be noted that Broadfoot is likely to offer genuine insight into the running of football clubs and organising bodies in Scotland, so his comments were likely grounded in reality.