Football club asks fans to offer a room to new players

From buying season tickets to wearing replica kits, football fans are used to showing devotion to their club in different ways.

Now one club is asking supporters for another type of backing - by putting up players in their homes.

Partick Thistle have appealed for fans with spare rooms to take in new signings, and help them integrate into life in Glasgow.

The fan-owned club, who play in the Scottish Championship, told BBC Scotland News four supporters had already responded to the initiative.

Levi Gill, the team's general manager, said the idea was becoming more common in football, and the Firhill side were "proud to be leading the way in Scotland" regarding it.

He told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme: "We think it's a great way for supporters to contribute directly to what we're doing.

"We think that for the players themselves there are dangers in feeling isolated if they come to a new area, particularly if they don't bring any family, and we're looking to build a connection and understanding for the area they represent."

He said the hope was that by providing new arrivals with a place to stay it would benefit them as both players and people.

Mr Gill explained: "It's helping them succeed not just on the pitch but as people, getting to know them, getting to integrate them into their [new] home."

Thistle have undergone a number of changes at boardroom level in recent years, and earlier this year former manager Kris Doolan blamed budget cuts and the need to sell players for a slump in form that cost him his job.

A pre-tax loss of £131,811 was reported for the financial year ending May 2024, an improvement on the loss of £355,834 the previous year.

The club initially appealed for support in April, and last week announced it was seeking "specific short-term home away from home for trialists aged over 18", helping players seeking to earn a permanent contract at the club over the summer.

Mr Gill said fans were unlikely to be directly financially compensated for the use of their homes, but the club would provide other benefits, such as hospitality at games.

He added: "People who have a passion for a football club see that there are experiences they can have at the club, there are more rewards than financial return."

The club finished fourth in the Championship last season, but lost to Livingston in the promotion/relegation play-off between clubs in the Championship and the Premiership.

In May, they appointed former Dundee United and Celtic full-back Mark Wilson as their new manager, replacing Doolan, who departed the club in February.