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"I have spoken to James McFadden about it and he had the chance to join Kilmarnock, but didn't because his knees wouldn't hold up.

If ever there was an argument in favour of plastic pitches.

I'm not fussed if Higginbotham stays or goes. If he's on a big wage I'd probably rather he went and let Archie use it on someone else.

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The plastic pitch thing is why I'm not keen for QoTS to get promoted, having 3 teams with them in the top league seems a bit much. Higgy's pre-match interview made it sound like he was staying as well, Archie has said he won't break the bank to keep players so he won't be on a huge amount if he does stay.

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The club are doing their own POTY for the first time that I can remember. Options are Stevo, Osman, SOD, Bannigan and Lawless. Fair enough options although Bannigan could be replaced by Balatoni, Frans, Fraser, Taylor or Doolan as they've all been excellent in patches. YPOTY candidates so far Keenan (lol) and Fraser, and I'd imagine McDaid will be one too.

Edited by Reid
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The club are doing their own POTY for the first time that I can remember. Options are Stevo, Osman, SOD, Bannigan and Lawless. Fair enough options although Bannigan could be replaced by Balatoni, Frans, Fraser, Taylor or Doolan as they've all been excellent in patches. YPOTY candidates so far Keenan (lol) and Fraser, and I'd imagine McDaid will be one too.

They did one last year, but it wasn't promoted well at all. Higginbotham and Bannigan were the winners.

Thistle's Development Squad capitulated in more spectacular fashion last night to lose the last game of the season against Rangers. They finished 7th in the league which is a significant improvement on 2013/14.

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It would be between Osman and SOD for me but I'll go for Osman.

For YPOTY McDaid hasn't really played many games (although he's done well when in the team), so I think Fraser should win it. Keenan is just there to make up the numbers.

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Surprised Bannigan was nominated, he was absolutely pish from when he was sent off vs Celtic til about the end of February, I know everyone had slumps but his was more or less half a season. I voted for Osman.

Most of our best young players this season have been out on loan, McDaid should walk this one.

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The club are doing their own POTY for the first time that I can remember. Options are Stevo, Osman, SOD, Bannigan and Lawless. Fair enough options although Bannigan could be replaced by Balatoni, Frans, Fraser, Taylor or Doolan as they've all been excellent in patches. YPOTY candidates so far Keenan (lol) and Fraser, and I'd imagine McDaid will be one too.

Is this the one on May 23rd? If not do you know when it is?

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David Beattie's interview with The Sun-

THISTLE ARE DOWN 600 FANS EVERY GAME.....LETS WORK TO GET THEM BACK!!

Goals scored are up, they’ve won more home games too.

Yet the number of fans coming through the gates are DOWN. Six hundred per game in fact.

The Jags aren’t alone in seeing attendances dip. It’s a stark reality facing clubs across the country.

But chairman Beattie doesn’t want to stand by and do nothing.

He doesn’t just want to talk about what needs done either. He wants action — and he wants it now.

Forward-thinking Thistle will roll out some new initiatives in time for next season.

But Beattie wants more than that and has urged Scottish football to unite for the benefit of EVERYONE.

He said: “We’re in a position at Thistle, and Scottish football in general, where crowds are down. We’ve lost about 600 per game. That impacts on everything.

“It can’t continue and in order to do that we as a club, and a group of clubs and as a league, need to find creative ways to attract fans back.

“We need to explore new and different revenue opportunities which haven’t been explored before. We need to look at how to improve what happens on a matchday.

“It’s not just about the two hours of football, it’s about the whole experience.

“We already let Under-16s in for free, we’ve created a kids zone and have Meet The Players sessions after games.

“It’s about coming to the football but it’s the whole day out. That’s important for us but it’s important for the whole of Scottish football because fans are down across the board.

“We’ve stayed up two years on the bounce and the second is traditionally the one where teams struggle. We’ve seen progression across all the parameters like games won, goals scored, goals conceded, home victories.

“But people have voted with their feet.

“Look at hospitality and the days of someone turning up for a three-course meal in collar and tie are gone, it’s too stuffy. We’re looking at how to make it more appealing. Can we have carvery days and so on.

“We’re looking at events like the fan zone St Mirren did. The best examples are always in America.

“People go and spend the day there, they go because their kids will get something to eat, there will be a clown or a bouncy castle to keep them entertained. They’re coming because of the football but they will come back regardless of how the football goes.

“You want people to get it into their heads they come at midday and leave at 6pm. They can have a drink and the kids can play on a PlayStation.

“It’s about adding to what we do already. Maybe people don’t want to eat pies any more, perhaps they want salad or a bowl of fruit.

“We have to look how to maximise the revenue streams from our stadium. Do that and it means we can give more to the manager.”

But Beattie doesn’t want to be a lone ranger in his quest to improve things. For the game as a whole to move forwards it needs the game as a whole to work together.

He said: “It’s incumbent upon us to work with other clubs and the SPFL to find new imaginative ways of trying to bring the fans back.

“Even Celtic closed the top section at Parkhead for their Europa League matches. Would a calendar change lead to an increase in TV revenue because we’re showing games at a different time of the year when there’s less to compete against?

“When you are at SPFL meetings there’s will in the room to give these things consideration.

“There have been reciprocal agreements with other clubs over ticket prices for away fans which have worked well.

“It needs to give added value to your season ticket so it saves you money at a home game but four or five clubs will let you in for a fiver cheaper when you go to the away game.

“Nowadays everything is a Groupon or itison deal and it’s about rewarding the season-ticket holders. You can’t just take it for granted you just keep the prices the same. It’s about the extras money can’t buy.

“Our managing director Ian Maxwell has had meetings with clubs about central purchasing.

“We all use grass seed and nets. Why not go to a company asking how much they would charge if all clubs got together and ordered as one? It has been raised in the past and people are keen but some resource needs put behind it. Everyone needs to share for the better good.”

The Jags’ history has literally been a catalogue of ups and downs but in Beattie’s mind they’re going nowhere.

He said: “We don’t want to go into a season with our fans wondering if we’ll stay up.

“We want to reach the point where they’re almost sure we’ll stay up and it’s about how high we can finish. A club our size, with the stadium and set-up we’ve got and the support base here, should be where we are.

“We’re looking to break even every year but we want progress. Same goes for the board. Each member brings a different skillset and we hope to expand that to bring in others who can help us achieve our objectives.

“How do we increase sponsorship? WHAT AREA'S OF THE GROUND CAN WE SELL? What other avenues can we go down? We can’t and won’t sit still.”

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I'm surprised we've never renamed either the ground or any of the stands in a sponsorship deal, don't know how much these things raise but it's more than £0.00 and the stigma is long gone- everyone still calls the ground the original name anyway, apart from the occasional away fans trying to be hilarious and failing.

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I've always wondered how much the lack of a 16-21 season ticket last season has contributed to the decline in home fans. That, combined with the North Stand fiasco of last season may have put off a number of people.

I also noticed that there was a bit in the Sun around Beattie and Gray(Hamilton chairman) having long discussions on Saturday about the feasibility of an artificial surface. I wouldn't imagine there would be great demand to hire it out as a five a side/seven a side facility to the public as there is an abundance of facilities like this in Glasgow.

Edited by South Lanarkshire Jag
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Is that 600 number from this season to last?

It's hardly surprising when Hearts and Hibs were replaced by Dundee and Hamilton. We also only had 1 home game against Celtic.

I'm all for getting extra revenue in but if Rangers get promoted with Hearts then crowds will be back up and Beattie doesn't need to do anything.

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We've played ICT, St Mirren and Accies 3 times at home whilst the likes of Aberdeen, Celtic and United have only visited once which probably had some effect on crowds. Cutting out the student prices for season tickets as well has stopped a few of my mates coming as regularly

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I think the 600 is home fans. Crowds last season were over 5000 but down to 3500 (maybe even less) this year.

If the fixtures swap back round and we get 2 x Celtic, 2 x Aberdeen, 2 x Hearts again (plus maybe Sevco or Hibs etc)and only one from ICT, RC, and ST J then the average crowd will be up again next year.

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I think the 600 is home fans. Crowds last season were over 5000 but down to 3500 (maybe even less) this year.

If the fixtures swap back round and we get 2 x Celtic, 2 x Aberdeen, 2 x Hearts again (plus maybe Sevco or Hibs etc)and only one from ICT, RC, and ST J then the average crowd will be up again next year.

Step forward 12 months and our board giving themselves a big pat on the back for sorting it all out.

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