Partick Thistle Football Club

From tomorrow onwards the emphasis for the 50/50 half-time draw is changing.

The format remains exactly the same but the proceeds for it will be ring fenced entirely for Youth Development.

For as little as 50p a ticket, therefore, you can make a direct investment into the future of Partick Thistle Football Club.

First prize remains 50% of sales generated on the day with a ‘mystery' prize on offer for second prize.

Tomorrow though, and for one day only, we are offering a very special extra prize.

Next Friday Thistle fan Willie Limond will be fighting Godwin Mutampuka at the Paisley Lagoon Centre for the vacant WBU Lightweight Championship.

Thanks to a very kind donation from Willie we are offering as a special one-off prize two tickets for this fight as Willie aims to become Scotland's first Lightweight Champion since Jim Watt in the 1970s.

Watch out, therefore, for the younger members of the Thistle squad selling 50/50 tickets in the Jackie Husband Stand concourse tomorrow.

Additionally a further two tickets will be raffled off exclusively in the Aitken Suite Supporters Bar at 2:30pm and two tickets will be raffled off in the Alan Rough Lounge as well. So in total six tickets for this fight are up for grabs tomorrow.

The value of a strong youth set up at any club is obvious and there have been highly encouraging signs on that front this season already.

Indeed after a successful league campaign, the Partick Thistle U-17s are about to embark on a tour to Preston to match themselves against English opposition.

After arrival on Friday evening the boys will play a friendly fixture on Saturday morning before heading to the Reebok Stadium to attend Bolton Wanderers v West Ham United.  On Sunday the boys will play their second match before heading to Anfield to attend Liverpool v Manchester City.

The squad and coaches would like to thank Morrisons in Anniesland for allowing them to undertake a bag packing in order to raise funds for the trip.  The only major incident on the day was a smashed jar of salsa…by club goalkeeper Graeme Shepherd..! Not a good sign!

The boys and coaches also took part in a sponsored 40 mile cycle from Partick to Balloch and back.  It was an emotional day, with Ian Cameron picking up a dubious puncture early on…he turned up an hour and a half later flying past everyone, Lance Armstrong style!  We all know he just wanted to stop for coffee and that his wife drove him out to Balloch!

From all the money raised from the cycle and bag packing the squad donated a cheque for £450 to Yorkhill Childrens Hospital (pictured).