Comment: Future looks bleak for Partick Thistle on and off the pitch

Gary Caldwell lost his job at Partick Thistle following a poor run of results. Picture: Bruce White/SNS

Was it really only just over two years ago that Partick Thistle were celebrating a top-six finish in the Scottish Premiership, their highest league position in almost four decades?

Boardroom upheaval and ongoing uncertainty off  the pitch now cast a long shadow over the Firhill club who play host to Dunfermline Athletic this afternoon in a Championship basement battle.

Having only survived the threat of back-to-back relegations by five points last season, there was little evidence of improvement under Gary Caldwell’s management this campaign. His dismissal  earlier this week came as no surprise.

But Thistle’s problems clearly extend far beyond their search for a first league victory of the season.

Alarm bells started ringing when EuroMillions lottery winner Colin Weir, who had invested £2.5 million in the club, announced last month he would be withdrawing his financial support which included £6m he had set aside for a new training ground.

Thistle supporters’ groups have raised concerns over a proposed takeover of the club by American businessman Chien Lee, who also has a controlling stake in Barnsley, and are pushing for a fan-ownership model instead.

The old maxim about  everyone in Scottish football having a soft spot for the jolly old Jags can be overstated but it must be hoped they can emerge safely from their  current turmoil.