Your Club’s Ambitions

[DiegoDiego]

I think for Thistle (hate it when people don't mention the club they're on about on threads like this) we're roughly at our natural position. Anywhere from about 7th to 17th sounds about right for a club of our size.

The ambition is obviously a return to the Premiership and to have a St Johnstone-esque run in it. A season like the other saints are having shouldn't be outwith our potential.

It's been far too fucking long since we've been to Hampden. I think us and Accies have the worst records this century of the full time clubs. I'd probably take a cup final over promotion.

For the women things are exceptional right now. Establishing ourselves as a top-six club should be the aim, and if we could win a cup next month, well that would be lovely.

Off the pitch things are positive right now. Obviously the finances were shocking last season, but the ship has been steadied. Most importantly, the scoundrels responsible are out the door and we're now properly fan owned.

The communication from the club has been great and that needs to continue if the fan owners are to feel like they actually are that. It's hard to keep up the initial positivity and momentum. The eye needs kept on the ball.

The academy has borne much fruit over the last few years and hopefully it will continue to do so. A nice windfall from a sell on clause would be a happy event.

If we're ever to be thought of as a Premiership level club then we need to get a permanent training base sorted. And yes, a fourth stand.

The women's game is at a very important point in its development and if we play our cards well then it could really put the club in a strong position.

Mon the Jags, forever and ever.

[Sortmeout]

On 27/02/2024 at 20:29, Rob1885 said:

Aye promotion from league 1 maybe

That’s been the Falkirk plan for about 32 years.

[Trogdor]

I think this thread constitutes a heads gone on the part of the OP. Discuss.

Edit - I wasn't especially clear.

Edited February 29 by Trogdor

[Chippyminton]

1 hour ago, Trogdor said:

I think this thread constitutes a heads gone. Discuss.

With respect, I don't agree. Whilst the OP has plenty of form with Morton fans for his outspoken (and largely unpopular) opinions, the reaction and comments from supporters of other clubs has been overwhelmingly balanced and realistic. Ambition and hope for the future of your club is both admirable and understandable - but it only means something if it's actually achievable. There comes a point where ambition and hope just dissolve and blur into optimistic rose-tinted fantasy. This is exactly why local rich blokes buy fitba clubs. And look at how most of those scenarios have turned out.

The board of any 4th or 5th tier side could easily put out a mission statement tomorrow stating that their goal is to be Premiership champions within 5 years, followed by a 14-0 Champions League final victory over Barcelona in front of a millions-strong TV audience. Anyone with half a brain cell would immediately know that's an impossible scenario, no matter how much ££££ was thrown at it. At the very least - I wonder how new signings Kane, Haaland and Mbappe etc. (managed by Brian Clough, recently revived having been brought out of cryonic suspension) would feel about getting their kit on in an unheated Portakabin on a standless, reclaimed landfill pitch located up the arse-end of Scotland in the cold and pishing rain.

The OP has a beef with Morton's stated short-term ambition to be a top 16 club in Scotland. Fair enough - that's his opinion. But top 16 to me, is an eminently realistic goal for a club at our level - as are the real-world ambitions mentioned by other supporters on this thread, who are. all grounded enough to say something similar.

So - heads gone? Nope. Apart from the head of the OP, maybe.

Edited February 29 by Chippyminton

[Trogdor]

3 minutes ago, Chippyminton said:

So - heads gone? Nope. Apart from the head of the OP, maybe.

It was the OP I was referring too... 

I agree with pretty much everything you said tbh.

[Specky Ginger]

17 hours ago, Chippyminton said:

With respect, I don't agree. Whilst the OP has plenty of form with Morton fans for his outspoken (and largely unpopular) opinions, the reaction and comments from supporters of other clubs has been overwhelmingly balanced and realistic. Ambition and hope for the future of your club is both admirable and understandable - but it only means something if it's actually achievable. There comes a point where ambition and hope just dissolve and blur into optimistic rose-tinted fantasy. This is exactly why local rich blokes buy fitba clubs. And look at how most of those scenarios have turned out.

The board of any 4th or 5th tier side could easily put out a mission statement tomorrow stating that their goal is to be Premiership champions within 5 years, followed by a 14-0 Champions League final victory over Barcelona in front of a millions-strong TV audience. Anyone with half a brain cell would immediately know that's an impossible scenario, no matter how much ££££ was thrown at it. At the very least - I wonder how new signings Kane, Haaland and Mbappe etc. (managed by Brian Clough, recently revived having been brought out of cryonic suspension) would feel about getting their kit on in an unheated Portakabin on a standless, reclaimed landfill pitch located up the arse-end of Scotland in the cold and pishing rain.

The OP has a beef with Morton's stated short-term ambition to be a top 16 club in Scotland. Fair enough - that's his opinion. But top 16 to me, is an eminently realistic goal for a club at our level - as are the real-world ambitions mentioned by other supporters on this thread, who are. all grounded enough to say something similar.

So - heads gone? Nope. Apart from the head of the OP, maybe.

The scenario you've outlined above is never likely to happen. Barcelona are pish these days and unlikely to be in a Champions League final.

Edited March 1 by Specky Ginger

[Sortmeout]

2 hours ago, Specky Ginger said:

The scenario you've outlined above is never likely to happen. Barcelona are pish these days and unlikely to be in a Champions League final.

Barcelona were last seen struggling to a 1-1 draw in Dingwall the other night. Definitely not at their best just now.

[DreamOakTree1]

On 29/02/2024 at 21:49, Chippyminton said:

With respect, I don't agree. Whilst the OP has plenty of form with Morton fans for his outspoken (and largely unpopular) opinions, the reaction and comments from supporters of other clubs has been overwhelmingly balanced and realistic. Ambition and hope for the future of your club is both admirable and understandable - but it only means something if it's actually achievable. There comes a point where ambition and hope just dissolve and blur into optimistic rose-tinted fantasy. This is exactly why local rich blokes buy fitba clubs. And look at how most of those scenarios have turned out.

The board of any 4th or 5th tier side could easily put out a mission statement tomorrow stating that their goal is to be Premiership champions within 5 years, followed by a 14-0 Champions League final victory over Barcelona in front of a millions-strong TV audience. Anyone with half a brain cell would immediately know that's an impossible scenario, no matter how much ££££ was thrown at it. At the very least - I wonder how new signings Kane, Haaland and Mbappe etc. (managed by Brian Clough, recently revived having been brought out of cryonic suspension) would feel about getting their kit on in an unheated Portakabin on a standless, reclaimed landfill pitch located up the arse-end of Scotland in the cold and pishing rain.

The OP has a beef with Morton's stated short-term ambition to be a top 16 club in Scotland. Fair enough - that's his opinion. But top 16 to me, is an eminently realistic goal for a club at our level - as are the real-world ambitions mentioned by other supporters on this thread, who are. all grounded enough to say something similar.

So - heads gone? Nope. Apart from the head of the OP, maybe.

You make some valid points there Chippyminton. I'm surprised though to find that fans of similarly placed clubs have similarly modest ambitions, or perhaps they're just being realistic as you say.

My question was really meant to ask fans of other clubs what their board's targets are, or three year plans if they have them. We could then compare these with the Morton board's targets. I stated that I thought there would be around 20 club boards with higher ambitions then ours, but from what you and some other fans are saying, that may not be the case.

[Stellaboz]

To summarise for Dunfermline, 

Short term: beat Raith 

Long term: win the CL

Everything in between is probably classed as medium term fluff

[CapitalDiamond]

Airdrie Fan

My main ambition would be for the club to survive in the Championship and be able to grow home attendances. If Airdrie could always be in the top 18 for home attendances then the board would have an income they could work with.

The club changed ownership 4/5 years ago and has had some terrible luck since (COVID/Play Off Final losses). 

It’s hard to argue with any of their big decisions. Appointing McCabe has been a master stroke. With where the players have come from and where they are in the league we are massively over achieving. Anything 8th or above would cap off our best season in 20 years and pair that with the SPFL trust trophy it’ll be the best since liquidation.

And on that note…. we know why we can’t have owners flying too close to the sun. I can see the temptation, get Airdrie into the Premiership and suddenly that white elephant of a stadium makes perfect sense. Fall short and you are never making a loss of say half a million back.

What I think would really help all of us is league reconstruction. I’ve given up on the Premiership rejigging, they want the 4 OF games. But I don’t see why a 2nd tier of 16 or even 20 wouldn’t work. I think a lot of clubs (Airdrie included) have been harmed by how competitive the top of the Championship is and the inherently unfair playoffs (think we were 22 points ahead of QP only for Simon Murray to return from injury and fire them to play off victory. We did similar to Falkirk last year). 
 

20 team league playing each other twice would do for me and would allow clubs to plan longer term/recover from a bad season more easily. 

[diegomarahenry]

If you use Ayr as a case study, we had a really good team 6 years ago that had at least 5 players capable of playing in the Premier league. We couldn’t afford to keep them and they all fucked off for free. 
We were in the play-off places two years in a row and had we went up the second year, we’d be absolute cannon fodder.

last season, we had a bottom 6 team with gem of a goal scorer. If we’d been promoted last season, we would have been relegated already. 
 

Morton have a team that wouldn’t stay in the premier league if promoted and don’t have the money to invest. Their only hope is getting 6-7 players together that can be consistent enough to get them promoted and give them at least a year in the premier league to try and get a foot hold. 
Ayr could empty every player in the summer and no one would care

[Spider1975]

On 11/03/2024 at 09:29, diegomarahenry said:

last season, we had a bottom 6 team with gem of a goal scorer. If we’d been promoted last season, we would have been relegated already.

You talking about Ayr or Queen's Park??  

Ambitions for QPFC - to be competitive in the short-medium term within the Championship, building upon the work the club has done within the community to build a larger fan base and for this in addition to the youth development model to bare sufficient fruit to ensure independent financial stability.

Oh and a stadium fit for purpose.

[DreamOakTree1]

I have to say again I’m very surprised at the modest targets that similar clubs to ourselves have. Did anyone hear Ange Posticoglou’s response to the journalist who asked him if he’s targeting top four?

He said that’s not a specific enough target as you need to aim for first place and see where it takes you.

Contrast that with Derek McInnes saying he wants to reach the Scottish Cup Final. Why not just extend that ambition to winning the cup? Similarly he started each season as Aberdeen Manager by saying he was targeting third place. I just don’t understand that mindset as no-one would criticise him for targeting first and finishing second or third.

[Braesoyetts]

1 hour ago, DreamOakTree1 said:

I have to say again I’m very surprised at the modest targets that similar clubs to ourselves have. Did anyone hear Ange Posticoglou’s response to the journalist who asked him if he’s targeting top four?

He said that’s not a specific enough target as you need to aim for first place and see where it takes you.

Contrast that with Derek McInnes saying he wants to reach the Scottish Cup Final. Why not just extend that ambition to winning the cup? Similarly he started each season as Aberdeen Manager by saying he was targeting third place. I just don’t understand that mindset as no-one would criticise him for targeting first and finishing second or third.

I agree with this.  While realistically, we all know the likely ceiling for our club in a given year, there’s no harm in saying that your goal is to win each trophy you’re in for.  If you don’t think you have any chance at all of winning, why are you taking part in it?  Now, the odds might be millions to one, but to paraphrase Dumb and Dumber “there’s a chance!”

 

Leicester City are the obvious example.

[jagsfan57]

Right now my ambition for Thistle is to win a game again.

[oneteaminglasgow]

2 hours ago, DreamOakTree1 said:

 

Similarly he started each season as Aberdeen Manager by saying he was targeting third place. I just don’t understand that mindset as no-one would criticise him for targeting first and finishing second or third.

Because if he, as Aberdeen manager, came out and said he was targeting winning the league in any kind of serious manner, then absolutely everyone would laugh at him for being a delusional fanny. 

[BullyWeeClydeFc]

Clyde’s long term ambition is to return to the championship in 10-15 years, so we will hopefully see you guys soon.

[DiegoDiego]

43 minutes ago, BullyWeeClydeFc said:

Clyde’s long term ambition is to return to the SPFL in 10-15 years, so we will hopefully see you guys soon.

FTFY

On 15/03/2024 at 15:40, DreamOakTree1 said:

he started each season as Aberdeen Manager by saying he was targeting third place

Pish. Not a chance he said that when they finished second four seasons on the trot.

[cb_diamond]

On 15/03/2024 at 18:38, oneteaminglasgow said:

Because if he, as Aberdeen manager, came out and said he was targeting winning the league in any kind of serious manner, then absolutely everyone would laugh at him for being a delusional fanny. 

As opposed to usual when people just laugh at him for being a fanny generally.

[Chippyminton]

On 15/03/2024 at 18:29, jagsfan57 said:

Right now my ambition for Thistle is to win a game again.

We saw your post and decided to make your dream come true, mate.