The Jags for Change group will be putting forward candidates in the forthcoming elections to The Jags Foundation Board. We are standing on a common platform, which we set out below.
Ian Archer once described Partick Thistle as “The People’s Club”, it can be truly that going forward.
Our fanbase are all from different walks of life. We come from different social, political, religious and ethnic backgrounds, and are from various locations across the globe. What ties us together is our love of our Club. It’s not something you choose and it’s most definitely not something you can walk away from. Partick Thistle is part of us, and we have an opportunity to have a key role in its future.
Fan-ownership must mirror our fanbase. It should be open and welcoming to all who wish to join, regardless of financial circumstances. Whether you’re a season ticket holder of 20 years or a pay-at-the-gate fan that can attend only when personal circumstances allow, if you’re based at Queen’s Cross or are a Nomad from Stavanger, we are all as important and valued as each other.
Being among the original signatories on the shared letter, the following sets out what we stand for and where our priorities lie.
Clarity
Several weeks ago, we publicly asked Three Black Cats, through The Open Letter (which was also sent to them directly) to clarify what its criteria are for a viable and suitable fan-ownership vehicle. Despite some 700 fans joining our call, we have not received any answers. We think these are legitimate and urgent questions, and ones that have only arisen because of its decision to break off co-operation with The Jags Foundation. The ‘open letter’ has also been sent privately.
We want to get The Jags Foundation and Three Black Cats back around the negotiating table. Our advantage in that process is that we have engaged not just The Jags Foundation’s 500 or so actively subscribing members, but hundreds of others who signed our open letter and share our aspirations for the Club.
Our number one priority is to get a clear picture of the Three Black Cats’ requirements: the reasonable criteria a fan-owned body must meet to get the share transfer over the line. We think The Jags Foundation has already set out a suitable fan-ownership model, one used by several successful fan-owned clubs across the UK. If that model is unsuitable, or there are other things The Jags Foundation still needs to demonstrate, we think these things should be laid out in black and white: sooner rather than later.
We are hopeful that a refreshed TJF board will encourage Three Black Cats to restart the process. If that does not happen, or if the Three Black Cats set out criteria that no reasonable fan-owned group could be expected to meet, we are ready to consider other options towards mediation and resolution.
In short, we have an enthusiasm and a ‘can do’ attitude and approach to getting this done.
Transparency
The success of fan ownership hinges on a clear understanding of the Club’s financial health and sustainability. No owner of a football club can know in absolute terms how much money they must raise, and what budget they can set, without a comprehensive understanding of the underlying business, its ongoing sources of revenue, and its anticipated and potential liabilities.
There are a number of tried and tested professional approaches for recipients of shares to achieve the levels of assurance they require, and we would pursue these in order to gain the level of assurance a responsible members organisation should require. We will of course keep our membership updated and informed of progress to the extent confidentiality permits.
Engagement
If elected, we will implement an introductory minimum membership fee of £5 for the first year, to encourage as many fans as possible to join regardless of their financial circumstances and allowing all to show their support for fan ownership. Additional voluntary contributions will also be available for those that from the outset feel able to contribute more based on their current individual circumstances.
We will review the membership arrangements after the first year. Membership rates will be dependent on the health or otherwise of the Club’s financial situation. This has to take into account both its current and future liabilities, and its ongoing revenue streams. Major changes to membership rates will be done with full transparency and in consultation with the Foundation’s members. In the interim, we will also consult existing members about how their accumulated contributions to date should be used.
Independence
Fan ownership has to mean fan control. That doesn’t mean The Jags Foundation runs the Club day-to-day. That’s for the Club Board and management, with their relevant business and footballing expertise.
But it does have to mean that the body that owns the Club, and which ultimately oversees its operations, is engaged with and properly represents the fans. This means, as with every other successful fan owned club, that it has to be independent from the Club Board and other major shareholders. An arrangement like the current PTFC Trust, where the Club Board controls appointments and governance, is not fan control and is not acceptable to us. The fan ownership vehicle’s leadership must be chosen only by its members and be accountable solely to them.
We believe both that real fan ownership can work and that that The Jags Foundation is the only feasible and accountable vehicle to take that forward.
If elected to the Foundation Board, we will promote what we consider to be the Four Foundation Values:
- Accountability solely to our membership.
- Ethical Governance that is transparent and auditable: to members and/or an independent body.
- Representation that is membership focused and membership directed.
- Engagement whereby communication is open, two-way, clear, regular, and documented.
The Foundation’s membership model is and should continue to be both accessible and active. We have an inclusive model for all fans who wish to join. This is far better, and more sustainable, than a passive model, that raises no distinct revenue, based on whether someone is, and has been, a season ticket holder (the PTFC Trust model).
Getting it done
We stand ready to build an open, transparent, and approachable organisation, whose primary function is to represent and be the negotiators for the members. We have no interest in the “padded seats” of a boardroom and becoming unavailable to the fans.
Some 700 fans have shown their support in our short-term and limited social media campaign. This is clearly just the start. We know this can grow, that the Foundation can increase in number, and provide a viable and sustainable vehicle for fan ownership of OUR Club.
Use your vote – Back the letter – Push for change.
Jags for Change 