PARTICK Thistle have received a boost after confirming that a large cash investment will be put into the club’s Thistle Weir Youth Academy.
Colin Weir will contribute a £600,000 donation to support running costs at the Academy that was first established five years ago.
The Jags suffered a setback last season when Alan Archibald’s side were relegated to the Championship following defeat to Livingston in the play-off final, ending a five-year stint in the top-flight of Scottish football.
Academy director Scott Allison was encouraged to see fresh funds coming into the club and is hopeful that the cash injection will ensure they can continue to provide young boys and girls with knowledge, guidance and facilities well into the future.
“This is unbelievably good news for us, a real pat on the back for everyone involved,” said Allison.
“The success of the Academy can now be seen in the number of our graduates making it in to the first team in increasing numbers and that can only improve. But it’s also significant that we are also now seeing success for our women’s team, who sit within the Academy and who benefit from this structure.
“We have been working hard to make the Academy self-sustaining financially but this fresh injection of cash from Colin allows us to do that now in a measured way. I can’t thank them enough as this guarantees ongoing success for a number of years to come.”
Weir is confident that his investment will help the Firhill side continue to nurture young talent after seeing the likes of Liam Lindsay and Stuart Bannigan make the step up to senior football from the club’s youth ranks in recent years.
“I have been impressed with what the Academy under Gerry’s and now Scott’s leadership has achieved in five years,” he said.
“Players are coming through to the first team and it’s great to see us really starting to grow our own.
“This money will help that to continue at pace and perhaps see money come back to the club as players move on. I hear regularly what’s happening at the Academy and this donation should signal that I continue to be impressed with what’s being achieved, at all levels.”
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