Firhill groundshare would add welcome edge to Partick Thistle - Clyde rivalry, says Jags chief Beattie

Mar 22 2012 By Gordon Parks

Firhill Stadium

PARTICK THISTLE chairman David Beattie aims to reignite Glasgow rivalry by securing a ground-share deal with Clyde.

The Firhill chief is convinced an agreement for their old foes to move to Maryhill will benefit both clubs.

Clyde have approached the Jags about a switch from Broadwood in a bid to escape rising rent and address dwindling crowds at Cumbernauld.

Clyde fans have failed to buy into the move away from their Shawfield roots and Beattie believes a return to a temporary home in Glasgow would be a positive step back in time.

He said: “I am all for ground-sharing and Clyde are traditionally a Glasgow club and the healthy rivalry between ourselves and the Bully Wee is historical.

"It would be great to get that going again as it’s been diluted in recent times due to their move away from the city.

"Clyde’s fanbase was always from Glasgow and Rutherglen and I don’t see anything other than a positive reaction for their relocation back into the city. The fans would love it as it would stimulate the old rivalry.

"We are in discussions. Sharing grounds may be the way forward for many clubs. The move would mirror Clyde’s five-year stint in Maryhill after they left Shawfield in 1986."

Meanwhile, Jags boss Jackie McNamara was full of praise for his side’s 5-0 romp at Queen of the South but is determined to keep his players’ feet on the ground.

He said: "It's important we don’t get carried away. After a similarly good result earlier in the season we came back down to earth with a bang in our next fixture.

"The Thistle fans were terrific and it was good to send them away happy. It was nice to score five goals and we could have hit more.

"It was really important to get the second goal after having been so much on top. Until you get that second goal there is always a worry that a set-piece – and there was a free-kick that went across the face of goal – would allow the opposition to get back into it.

"So it was good to get the second goal before half-time."

• Thistle this week launched a new initiative that will see their fans have a direct say in the running of the club.

“The One Thistle” team is a unique partnership that will allow punters to carry out a number of roles that normally come under the administration of club officials.

General manager Ian Maxwell said: “The members of “The One Thistle” team will have clearly defined roles and will have full authority to implement their thoughts and ideas to ensure Partick Thistle is a club we can all take pride in.”