Sunday evening was a night of mixed emotions for Partick Thistle supporters. Earlier that day, 2500 of them had made the short journey across Glasgow to watch their side take on Rangers in their own backyard. Spirits were high during the pilgrimage to Govan as fans excitedly dreamed of pulling off a famous Scottish Cup upset.
Thistle hadn’t beaten Rangers in 30 years and that unwanted record will continue on for a little longer after Michael Beale’s men secured a 3-2 victory. The sizeable away support had travelled more in hope than expectation and although their team was defeated, there was a satisfaction that the Jags had gone up against one of the big boys and left them with a bloody nose.
That sense of pride turned into confusion at around 8:15 when a club statement was released, announcing that Ian McCall and his assistants, Alan Archibald and Neil Scally, had been sacked. Jaws fell to the floor as punters read that Kris Doolan would take charge of the first team on an interim basis as the Jags wished McCall all the best for whatever the future may hold.
It prompted a singular response from just about everyone: why now? An examination of the Championship’s club form provides an explanation, given the title seems now to be beyond Thistle, and there is little doubt that McCall was under pressure. But relieving him of his duties a couple of hours after a very credible performance at one of Scotland’s most daunting away days? Even those who had been calling for the manager’s head were caught off-guard.
The timing was perplexing, to say the least. Confusion reigned as supporters tried to wrap their heads around the decision. Nobody could figure out why the board had resolved to remove the manager off the back of an encouraging display. The reason, though, is simple: the high-heid yins at Firhill didn’t make it in the aftermath of the defeat. They had already pulled the trigger; the bullet was just a little slower than usual.
Back-to-back home defeats against Hamilton and Cove Rangers were the final nails in McCall’s coffin. Unbeknownst to anyone else, the board decided days before the cup tie at Ibrox that a change in management was required. However, they were wary of disrupting the team’s preparations for the Rangers match, so it was decided that the announcement would be made once the fixture no longer served as a distraction, and McCall was handed a stay of execution.
It begs some obvious questions. What if Thistle had won? Would McCall still be in his post? What if the game had finished 2-1, with Malik Tillman’s controversial goal all that separated the two sides? Was there any way the game could have gone to prevent McCall being handed his jotters?
The club addressed fans last night via another statement. Removing McCall was a ‘strategic decision’, the update read, and ‘the timing was to allow maximum preparation time’ for this weekend’s match against Ayr. There was also a clear hint that Thistle’s finances are stretched.
“The board of directors are also aware of recent speculation regarding the financial situation at the club,” the statement concluded. “Having reviewed the club’s finances following the recent change of control, it has become clear that the club faced significant challenges in delivering its budget for this season.
“A plan has been developed to ensure budgets are brought in line, and actions will be taken on an ongoing basis to ensure this remains the case. In addition, there are several live discussions regarding bringing additional investment into the club to support this process and to contribute to our plans for next season.”
Some supporters are upset with the way this situation has played out and they are not alone. It is understood that the players aren’t happy with the manner of the coaching team’s departure.
The board – comprised of chairman Duncan Smillie, fan representative Caroline Mackie and PTFC Trust duo Richard Beastall and Fergus Maclennan – only assumed power in December after their predecessors resigned and it has been an eventful two months with the quartet at the helm. A cash injection from The Jags Foundation, the 1000-strong supporters’ group, provided the funds to extend Lee Hodson’s loan deal and it is no secret that money is very tight at Firhill at the moment. Talks between the Trust and TJF have been continuing, too, as the Jags’ seemingly never-ending fan ownership saga simmers away in the background.
The spirit of cooperation between the Trust, which is the vehicle that holds a 74 per cent stake of the club on behalf of supporters, and TJF following the ousting of the previous board has been encouraging to see. Some TJF members were unhappy that the fans’ group was not informed or consulted about the decision to sack McCall but the group’s chairman, Sandy Fyfe, insists this was correct practice – although he would still like a full and frank explanation from the club.
“Any decision to relieve the management team of their first team duties is ultimately a footballing one for the club board, rather than for a fan representative shareholder,” Fyfe said. “The model we see at other clubs has always been ‘fan-owned’ rather than ‘fan-run’. It wouldn’t be right for a fan organisation to be calling the shots on footballing decisions like this.”
He continued: “It is also worth emphasising that TJF is not a shareholder at Partick Thistle. A situation like this is exactly why TJF did not want to nominate a member of its elected board to the club board of directors. The boundaries of responsibility need to be respected if a fan ownership model is to work going forwards.
“It is now for the club to explain why it did what it did, and why it communicated this in the manner it did. We have made our own thoughts on the timing of this announcement, shared by many within the wider support, abundantly clear to the club board.”
The decision to sack McCall is the latest dramatic turn in a season that has already provided a fair whack. There will doubtless be a few more twists between now and the end of the campaign but none will turn heads quite as much as Sunday’s announcement. In this sport where timing is everything, Partick Thistle are looking a little out of sync.
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