Martin's Month - August

To give members of the Trust a better insight as to what members of the Trust Board do there will be a new monthly feature, which starts today with my "diary" for the month of August:

1st - The first home game of the season and the first opportunity to hand out Centenary Fund application forms. Fortunately the weather is fine and the team turn in a good performance with a 5-1 win. We run out of forms a bit early so must remember to take more at the next game!

10th - A JTB meeting this evening at Maryhill Community Halls. The first part of the meeting is open to all fans and 2 supporters come along - thanks guys. We discuss at length what the Trust should do at the forthcoming Shareholders' meeting and eventually decide that abstaining is the best course of action. The rest of the meeting deals with issues including the Centenary Fund, fundraising and player sponsorship. We decide that we will sponsor Craig Hinchcliffe's away top but that "Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres" is what will appear in the programme and on the club website.

11th - I have a meeting with Eddie Prentice in the afternoon to discuss the Centenary Fund with him. The meeting is very productive and we agree on a number of things (some of which you will see the benefits of in future home games). There is just enough time to head back to the city centre and grab a bite to eat before heading to Firhill for Archie's testimonial against Liverpool (okay a Liverpool XI). Thistle play well and there is a good turnout for Alan.

15th - First league game of the season at Firhill (I have a bad feeling in the morning as games against Ross County never make for good viewing). Meet up with fellow JTB members and we take up our positions for giving out Centenary Fund forms. There is a good take up from the fans and I head to my seat just before kick off feeling more positive about the game than I had earlier - new found positivity doesn't last long! My early morning bad feeling was right - another awful game to watch involving Ross County, well at least we didn't lose.

20th - The Shareholders' meeting takes place this evening in the Aitken Suite. I had only to walk from Queens Cross to Firhill and I was soaked by the time I got in - what a country for weather! The meeting takes place in a fairly positive atmosphere and there is a productive Q&A session. Members of the JTB ask various questions and make constructive points - prices in the Aitken Suite on matchdays, stewarding of small away supports and the selling of season tickets are all brought up. I make a point on selling season tickets in 3 instalments over May, June & July and the Chairman says that they will look at this.

25th - I am at Firhill in the afternoon to represent the Trust at the Centenary Fund Draw. Whilst there I take the opportunity to discuss a couple of issues with Eddie before getting on with the draw. 28 individual winners later and my name wasn't one of them, my JTB colleague Allan Heron does win a prize (I must remember to mention my commission when I see him at the game tonight). After grabbing a bite to eat (a very nice fish supper if you must know) I meet up with a couple of colleagues at Firhill. Tom takes a bundle of Centenary Fund forms and says he is going to the pub (I like his style) and Allan isn't for paying any commission (well that's the last prize he will win). Again we get a decent response with our efforts in handing out application forms , unfortunately the team don't fare so well and a last gasp goal ends our involvement in the League Cup (well the League is the main thing). I meet with a supporter after the game who had contacted me with an idea for the Trust and we discuss it whilst walking up the road.

29th - A must win game at Firhill today against Morton! A couple of JTB colleagues have failed late fitness tests for Centenary Fund duty but on the plus side we have a debutant - young Graeme is making his first start of the season. The weather stays dry but it is very windy - I keep having awful visions of me chasing after a couple of hundred forms as they blow around the South Drive (thankfully I manage to keep a tight grip on them, which is more than the Morton defence did with Liam). We manage to get nearly all of our forms handed out and now its game time. After a nervy start the team get on top and we run out 5-0 winners - a great way to end the month!

What happens in between those dates you ask (don't you), well there is a lot of discussion that takes place on the Trust Board Google Group and I always have a look at what is being discussed on the JagsForum so that I have a sense of what people are thinking about various topics.

If you have any questions or comments then please feel free to post them and I will do my best to address them.