Club Board Fan Reps
Partick Thistle is a fan-owned football club, with the PTFC Trust as its majority shareholder. Under the Club-Trust Agreement, signed earlier in 2024, there is a commitment to introduce direct elected fan representation on the Football Club Board.
This will involve two nominations being made by the PTFC Trust, following a beneficiary vote to take place in May 2024.
The first set of Club Board Fan Representatives are expected to serve until the late 2025/early 2026 Football Club AGM.
The role of Fan Representative on the Club Board
Whilst the PTFC Trust is the Football Club’s majority shareholder, and “owns” the Club, the trustees do not “run” the Club on a day-to-day basis. This distinction is often explained as the Club being “fan owned, but not fan run”. Some bigger decisions require shareholder approval, but this is dealt with separately under the Club-Trust Agreement.
Most commercial, budgetary, operational and strategic decisions are taken by the Club’s leadership group: its Board of Directors and the CEO. This is a group of people with a range of different professional skills and backgrounds, who work to ensure that the Club is run competitively and sustainably, both on and off the park.
Becoming a director of a football club is a significant commitment, but it’s also a huge opportunity to help shape the future. We want the strongest possible candidates from the wider Thistle community to consider standing for this role.
With this in mind, we have prepared a “role description” for the fan representative directorships. This sets out what we (the trustees) see as the highly desirable skills, experience and time commitment for those considering the role. As fan representatives, these directors will have a particular responsibility to ensure that the Club Board communicates effectively both with the trustees and the wider support.
The intention is that an elected presence on the Club Board will bring a greater fan focus to the Club’s decision-making. However, fan representative directors will still be expected to act independently of the trustees. They should exercise their own judgment about what is in the best interests of the Football Club when discharging their director duties.
Timetable
Wednesday 1st May
Nominations opened
Beneficiaries were emailed a link to the nominations form
Wednesday 15th May
Nominations closed
Nominations received after this date are not valid
Thursday 16th May
Candidates announced
Candidates list and statements published on the website
Wednesday 22nd May
E-ballots issued
Beneficiaries will receive an email with details on how to cast their ballot via Choice Voting
Wednesday 29th May at 10pm
Voting deadline
Only e-ballots cast before this deadline will be counted
Thursday 30th May
Results announced and Directors appointed
Election results will be announced once verified
Election Rules and Guidelines
The rules for Fan Representative Elections were agreed by the Trustees in April 2024.
Candidates should read the supporting documents carefully. If you have any questions about the rules or guidelines, or the election more generally, please contact the PTFC Trust (contact@theptfctrust.co.uk).
Key Points
Who is eligible to vote in the elections?
All beneficiaries (Over 16s who are ST holders, 71 Club members, TJF members or Jags Trust members)
Who is eligible to stand to be a club director?
Any beneficiary who is not prohibited by law from being a director of a limited company
How do I submit a nomination?
Nominations are now closed
How do I withdraw a nomination?
Email the Election Management Committee (contact@theptfctrust.co.uk)
How do I cast my vote?
Beneficiaries will be emailed a link to the Choice Voting platform, with their unique Voter ID and Voter Key (required to log-in and cast secret ballot)
What is the voting system?
Fan Rep elections use Approval Voting
What is Approval Voting?
Each beneficiary will be able to vote for up to two candidates. The two candidates with the most votes will be nominated by the PTFC Trust to join the Club Board.