The club announced that four fans are already involved in the scheme, designed to bring together supporters and players within the community.
General Manager Levi Gill said: "It's a format of sponsorship becoming more prevalent in football and we are proud to be trail-blazing in Scotland. "We think it's a great way for fans to have an input directly in what we're doing," Gill said on a morning radio show.
He highlighted the emotional and social struggle that comes with a move, and particularly for a player who does it without a family. "It's helping them succeed not only on the field but as people, getting to know them, getting to integrate them a little more into their new home," he added.
Support Beyond the Stadium
The club began asking for households to accommodate trialists from April, and has now specifically stated they are looking for "short-term 'home away from home'' placements for over-18s trialists over the summer." These trialists are, of course, introducing themselves in the hope of landing a permanent place on either side.
No direct financial compensation will be provided to host families, though the club has promised perks such as matchday hospitality. "There's more upside than financial return," Gill said. "People who love a football club just think there are experiences they can have at the club themselves.
Steering Through Budget Cuts and Changes at the Top
Thistle's appeal to fans is the fact that they are operating on a shoestring, with the moneyballer's limitations we have mentioned, and that they are the Underdog againunds of radical financial cutbacks and top-down structural changes. The club announced a pre-tax loss of £131,811 for the financial year ending May 2024, a considerable reduction on the £355,834 loss reported for the year before.
Budget cuts and the sale of players earlier this year were cited by ex-boss Kris Doolan as major reasons for the club's downturn in performances that saw him leave in February. Thistle ended the season in 4th place in the Championship but were unable to secure a return to the top tier, after losing in the play-offs to Livi.
May saw my club appoint Mark Wilson, a former Dundee United and Celtic player, as the new manager, so hopefully, this would be the new beginning the club needed going into the next season.
Partick Thistle is using the new venture to bring its community closer together in a bid to offer vital assistance for those who carry the club's badge.
