APPARENTLY THIS WAS TRAILED ON A PARTICK THISTLE WEBSITE SOME TIME AGO

THE HERALD REPORTS
Fortress Firhill?KEVIN FERRIE, Chief Rugby Writer June 13 2007

Glasgow Warriors are to share Firhill with Partick Thistle for the next two years in a bid to provide stability for the team and improved facilities for supporters.

While the move was widely welcomed, the chair of the Warriors supporters club stressed that the decision would only be fully backed by them if the SRU ensure that the vast majority of matches continue to be played on Friday nights.

"Gordon McKie the SRU chief executive has told me they will be talking to the Magners League and trying to ensure that our league fixtures alternate Partick Thistle's," said Carolyn Armstrong.

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"We accept that there is less control over Heineken Cup fixtures, but supporters simply won't tolerate games being played regularly on Sunday afternoons."

While Warriors officials will meet with the supporters club next week to discuss arrangements, Armstrong expressed confidence that other issues which needed to be addressed previous experiences have been.

"The Glasgow Warriors Supporters Club welcomes a decision which will give Glasgow Warriors some longer-term stability and an identifiable home," she said.

"Gordon McKie has assured us that the autonomy their agreement with Partick Thistle affords them over the stadium, will enable them to address the concerns of the supporters which dogged their previous period at Firhill.

"If this can be achieved, there is no reason why Friday night rugby at Firhill can't be an exciting and positive experience for players and supporters alike. We will be working together with the SRU in the coming weeks, and throughout the season, to make sure this happens."

She added that their principal concerns are over the way supporters have been handled when the club used the ground in the past for one-off European fixtures and throughout the second half of season 2005/06. These related to the way supporters were corralled into one part of the ground, leaving three sides empty so making it almost impossible to generate atmosphere, particularly because of the heavy-handed nature of the stewarding.

"What we need to see is more flexibility than has been shown. I personally have been told to sit down and be quiet by a security guard, which seemed very strange," she said.

"Because of that, people were initially very reluctant to return to Firhill when that possibility was raised in recent weeks. However, we perfectly understand why it was chosen and we now want to make sure a club atmosphere can be created."

There is no reason why Friday night rugby at Firhill can’t be an exciting experience for players and fans alike


The reason McKie has been able to offer assurances these problems will be dealt with is that the arrangement is very different this time round. The Warriors moved to Firhill hurriedly early in 2006 as a result of a dispute with their then landlords at Hughenden. That was resolved in time for last season and the team returned to the West End ground.

Ironically McKie claimed yesterday that relations with Hillhead/Jordanhill are now much improved, but that also applies at Firhill where Partick Thistle recently admitted to major financial problems.

Certainly both parties seemed pleased with the new deal. McKie said: "Having secured what amounts to a strong partnership with Partick Thistle over the use of Firhill, we are comfortable that our players, coaches and loyal supporters will be pleased with their new home."

Tom Hughes, Thistle's finance director and former chairman, added: "This is a great opportunity for both Partick Thistle and the Glasgow Warriors to work together and use joint initiatives for the benefit of the supporters and the community."

The clubs can learn from similar partnerships in England where the likes of Saracens, London Wasps and Sale Sharks all share grounds with senior football teams.

Indeed, Warriors visited Saracens for two European ties last season, the second a Challenge Cup quarter-final played the day after Chelsea visited Watford at the same Vicarage Road venue. What was striking was that the atmosphere at the two matches reflected the very different cultures of the two sports, demonstrating they can co-habit effectively.

Warriors will have their own commercial and administrative offices at the ground, with McKie stressing that the team will be run independently from Murrayfield. A chief executive is expected to be named in days with Ian Riddoch, until recently the marketing executive at Edinburgh, thought to be favourite for that post.

Dedicated facilities will also include a Warriors supporters bar available before matches in the old stand, while a hospitality suite, capable of handling 200 covers, will provide an additional means of generating revenue.

While the team will continue to train at Whitecraigs and the Palace of Arts, this provides them with a home for the foreseeable future, at least until it becomes clear whether Scotstoun is a serious option from 2009 on. The deal between the SRU and Partick Thistle is for two years, with an option for a third.

Al Kellock, the club captain, gave the deal full backing. He said: "Firhill is a great facility and the deal is much like the one Ospreys have at Liberty Stadium, which I think was a huge factor in helping them win the league.

"We have some good, fast runners in our squad for next season so the surface will be a major benefit to us as well as the fact that we will be playing in Glasgow. It's a great all-round package for the club. It's up to the players and the fans to make it as much of a fortress as Hughenden was. We are all excited about the move and we're determined to build on a positive season for us last year."

Sean Lineen, their head coach, was similarly enthusiastic. He said: "Firhill has fantastic floodlights and a fantastic surface and I know it's a place where the players love playing. It's up to everyone to help make this work and it's great to have rugby, in Glasgow, at a first-class facility."

The Options

FIRHILL
PROS - Modern football stadium with superb playing surface, quality floodlights, undersoil heating, dressing room, office and hospitality accommodation
CONS - Supporter resistance based on past experience of stewarding and seating arrangements, also geographically removed from Glasgow rugby's heartland

HUGHENDEN
PROS - Seen by supporters as the team's natural home set in the middle of the West End and easily packed, so becoming something of a fortress of late
CONS - Landlords could not commit to any sort of lease beyond midway through next season because of development plans, while facilities remain extremely basic

BURNBRAE
PROS - Host club more supportive of professional rugby than most and very keen to look at joint ventures with the Warriors as they look at moving to a new ground
CONS - Huge capital investment required, in particular, floodlights and temporary grandstands required, plus the ground is not actually in Glasgow

This article was originally posted on 13-Jun-2007, 07:26 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 13-Jun-2007, 07:28.