During The Jags Foundation elections in May, several of us argued for a discounted first-year membership scheme to be put in place. The purpose of this was to enable all Thistle fans, regardless of means, to be involved and to have their say in the fan ownership journey. We know that a lot of fans already support the Club financially in their own ways: season tickets and JagsZone being prime examples.

Today we deliver on our promise to make the Foundation easier to join. We have launched a £1 per month first-year discounted rate. This will be available to all new members between now and the end of November 2022, when we will review the options. Those who take up a discounted membership will have full membership rights, being able to vote at our upcoming EGM and at the next Foundation Board elections in 2023. We will also carry out a wider review of membership rates again when that discounted year itself expires.

Today we reached the important milestone of 650 members, despite recent setbacks. We hope that this new subscription level will enable the Foundation to grow considerably beyond that in the coming weeks and months.

Why are we introducing this discounted rate?

The reason for this new rate is simple: the cost of living crisis should not be an obstacle to Thistle fans coming together and making their voice heard.

Those who feel able are strongly encouraged to keep up regular contributions over and above this, but we understand not everyone is in a position to do this at the moment.

Our membership form has been updated enabling you to take up the new rate.

So don’t delay: join the Foundation today. Sign-up your family members and friends. Be part of the movement.

I’m a member already. Can I take up this offer?

Yes you can. We understand that there will be existing members feeling the pinch at the moment. If you want to do this, please get in touch at membership@thejagsfoundation.co.uk.

Why should I continue higher contribution levels?

All successful supporters associations, whether or not Club shareholders, mobilise fundraising to improve their team’s situation on and off the pitch. We won’t apologise for wanting this for Thistle, despite 3BC’s stance on this.

Our ambition is to grow the Foundation’s income to a six-figure annual sum, which could be used to support the Club and related community projects year-in-year-out. At the moment, our members pledge over £70k per year in membership fees and donations.

  • When times are good, this means more money could be available for the manager to bring in better players, delivering a more exciting and successful product on the pitch.
  • When times are more challenging, an additional revenue stream will provide the Club with greater stability and flexibility.

By proving that our members can mobilise revenue in this way, it will become harder and harder for the Club’s current custodians to ignore us. If you keep your £10 or £5 regular monthly subscription in place, we have drastically better chances of reaching a game-changing level of sustained fundraising.

Fundamentally, as fans we just want to support our Club financially in whatever way we can. This is a way you can do that while making clear that the fans must first be heard and respected.