Partick Thistle are taking action to extend their players’ contracts by a matter of days after an administrative error came to light that could have left the Jags struggling to fulfil their fixture list this season.
The majority of Thistle’s first-team squad are out of contract at the end of the current campaign, which is not unusual for Championship teams. However, Herald and Times Sport understands that the affected players’ contracts will expire on 31 May, with the Premiership play-off finals scheduled to take place on 1 and 4 June.
It means that, as it stands, the Maryhill club would struggle to field a team for the two-legged play-off, should they reach it, but Herald and Times Sport understands that the issue is expected to be resolved in the coming days by Thistle offering five-day extensions to players. The club was approached for an explanation for the oversight but there has been no response.
The revelation comes a little over a week after the board decided to sack Ian McCall in the wake of Thistle’s 3-2 defeat to Rangers. Eyebrows were raised after the Scottish Cup tie at Ibrox when the manager and his coaching staff were relieved of their duties in the immediate aftermath of an encouraging performance. The board released a statement explaining that they felt the season’s objective – promotion to the Premiership – was in jeopardy and as such, McCall had to be let go.
Kris Doolan, named as McCall’s successor on an interim basis, won his first game in charge on Saturday as Thistle secured a 1-0 win at Somerset Park and it is understood that the fans’ favourite will remain in his post for the club’s next two outings at the very least – away to Arbroath this weekend, followed by a trip to Dens Park the following Tuesday.
The management situation will then be reviewed by the club board, who have received dozens of applications for the position. With a third of the season to go, the team occupy fifth place in the league standings – eight points behind leaders Queen’s Park with a game in hand and a solitary point behind Raith Rovers in fourth.
McCall isn’t the only coach to have recently exited Firhill. Assistants Alan Archibald and Neil Scally were also dismissed, while goalkeeping coach Kenny Arthur is currently serving his notice period. Once that elapses, the Jags will be left with just two coaches on the books: Doolan, who returned to Firhill last month as the club’s head of youth phase, and Paul McDonald, the director of the Thistle Weir Youth Academy.
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