Latest news with #BrianGraham
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Thistle name Wilson as new head coach
Partick Thistle have appointed Mark Wilson as their permanent Under-18s coach Wilson, 40, took over in February as interim manager alongside Brian Graham. Dougie Imrie is staying at Greenock Morton despite Thistle's Championship rivals giving him permission to have talks with the Firhill club last week, while Graham was also spoken to about the and Dunfermline boss James McPake and former Celtic defender Paul Caddis, who is in charge of Hereford, were also reportedly interviewed, external by new Jags director of football Ian Baraclough."We fully appreciate that supporters will feel frustrated it has taken us longer than we anticipated to make this announcement particularly as there has been a great deal of speculation throughout the course of this week," said Thistle chairman Richard Beastall."We believe Mark is the best fit for Partick Thistle. His knowledge and commitment to promoting our own talent shone through, as did the leadership he showed on the training pitch, in the dressing room and during matches as we enjoyed a memorable end to the season. "It was always clear to us throughout the process that that Mark was an integral part of our future aspirations."Wilson said of his appointment: "I am really pleased to be the head coach at Partick Thistle and I cannot wait to get started. It is going to be a busy summer but one I am looking forward to."Graham stepped down as the manager of Thistle's women's team the morning after the men's team were beaten in the Scottish Premiership play-off striker said that if he and interim co-manager Wilson did not become permanent managers, he was not sure if he could stay at the 37-year-old was appointed boss of the Scottish Women's Premier League team in 2020 and took over the men's team with Wilson when Kris Doolan left in left Thistle after two years in charge with the Jags sitting fourth in the division and having lost three of their past four fixtures.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Falkirk keen on veteran Graham
Falkirk will make a shock bid to take 37-year-old Brian Graham to the Premiership as a player after he rejected the chance to become Partick Thistle manager. (Scottish Sun), externalRead the rest of Friday's Scottish gossip.
STV News
4 days ago
- Sport
- STV News
Brian Graham rejects offer to become Partick Thistle manager
Brian Graham has turned down the Partick Thistle manager's job after having reservations following the interview process. STV understands Morton boss Dougie Imrie, former Dunfermline manager James McPake and ex-Hereford boss Paul Caddis have also been interviewed for the post. Since Graham turned the job down on Wednesday, STV has learned the club interviewed further candidates and that process is now complete. Veteran striker Graham stood down as manager of Thistle's women's side when he and Mark Wilson were placed in charge as the interim management team following the sacking of Kris Doolan in February. Graham, who has 12 months remaining on his contract as a player, has stated previously he couldn't return to the Jags dressing room unless he was permanent manager. His rejection of the manager's job raises questions over his future at Firhill. Graham and Wilson had guided the team to fourth place in the Championship table but saw their promotion hopes ended by play-off defeat to Livingston. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
BBC News
17-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Graham stands down as Partick Thistle Women boss
Partick Thistle have announced that Brian Graham is stepping down as the manager of their women's team - the morning after his men's team were beaten in the Scottish Premiership Play-off semi-final by Friday's second-leg defeat, Graham told BBC Scotland that, if he and interim co-manager Mark Wilson do not stay in their positions on a permanent basis, he is not sure if he can stay at the Championship 37-year-old Graham was appointed boss of the Scottish Women's Premier League team in 2020 while the striker was continuing to play for the men's team - and added the men's management role when Kris Doolan left in told Thistle's website: "I made the decision in January that this would be my last season in charge of the girls. I've loved every minute of it, but I felt it was the right time. "I'm immensely proud of everything we have achieved as a club."Asked about his future with the men's team after Friday's 2-0 defeat in West Lothian, Graham had told BBC Scotland: "We were up for the job since day one. I knew stepping out that changing room, I couldn't go back to it."So, if I don't get the job, can I honestly be at the club? I don't know. "There's a lot of questions need to be asked. I've loved my time at the football club. I don't know what the future holds."Graham was full of praise for his players, who finished the season in fourth place but then defeated third-top Ayr United in their quarter-final play-off before losing 4-0 on aggregate to runners-up Livingston."We didn't do enough in the first leg," he said. "I thought we were probably the better side [in the second leg].The boys were a credit to the football club, the way they played."Co-manager Wilson admitted is also keen to take the manager's job at Firhill."A manager needs to be appointed and it's a big decision," he will take charge of the women's team for the last time when they face Spartans at Ainslie Park on his time as manager, he has overseen promotion to the top flight and had two top-six finishes, reached the Scottish Cup semi-final and the Sky Sports Cup final.
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Intrigue on and off pitch as Livingston meet Partick Thistle
Scottish Premiership play-off semi-final second leg: Livingston v Partick Thistle (agg 2-0)Venue: Almondvale, Livingston Date: Friday, 16 May Time: 19:45 BSTCoverage: Watch on BBC Scotland & iPlayer, live text coverage on the BBC Sport website & app As the Partick Thistle people travel east along the M8 towards Livingston on Friday afternoon, they will have plenty to least how they turn a threadbare squad into an irresistible force capable of dislodging the Livingston-shaped immovable object that beat them in Tuesday night's Scottish Premiership Play-off down is a sizeable hurdle in a second leg. Especially when you are running on fumes. But it would be silly to write Thistle off. The miracle of Somerset Park was just a week ago. Brian Graham '100 not out' and all 37-year-old captain, co-interim manager and all the other job titles must have a new fire burning in his belly after missing a late chance on Tuesday at Firhill that sailed over the Livingston will be planning on how to put the shackles on the veteran hitman once again and ease their own passage to the final next week. How interim are Thistle duo? But back to the bigger this semi-final second leg, there is uncertainty, for both Brian Graham and fellow co-manager Mark Wilson even be in charge at Thistle after Friday?What exactly must they do to lose the 'interim' tag? Have they already done enough?Thistle have a new sporting director in former Motherwell and Northern Ireland boss Ian Baraclough. The new manager or management team will report to him."It is a difficult job having to come from the playing side of it, still playing and still make big decisions," he said of Wilson and Graham when asked about the situation on Tuesday night."That is where I think Mark [Wilson] has dovetailed really well with Brian. I think they have coped with it well. I think there has been a bounce from that as well."But it is my job to assess and help the board to make the right decision come the end of the season and do it as quickly as possible so the new man has got a chance to prepare for what will be a big season next year - might still be in the Premiership."I said to the guys on day one when I first came in, 'you are in no better position. The audition is there. You are doing it live'."I have had to speak to plenty of people, will continue to do that. But, at the moment, the way they have looked after the players, looked after the staff, the whole ethos around the club it has been driven by them at the moment. "It is credit to them that they have been able to do that and still concentrate on the games." Martindale no clearer on future There are plenty of other names who know the division that you could throw into the mix for the Thistle job. Stuart Kettlewell, Callum Davidson, Ian Murray are all on the available Imrie has impressed with Greenock Morton. Would any of the current interim Rangers management team fancy it if they don't get the gig full-time at Ibrox? And what about David Martindale?Nobody was really touting his Livingston side as major promotion hopefuls when the season started, let alone potential Martindale and Livingston were unwilling to slip quietly into the night. Instead, Livi have rallied and roared with renewed their manager admits himself his own future is far from clear with potential fresh investment on the horizon for the West Lothian his straight talking way, Martindale is not a man who wastes time talking up trivialities."I know they're speaking to a couple of groups just now," he says."At this point, I'm out of contract at end of May, so there's nothing really progressed. We're not looking to progress. I am not looking to sign a new contract, club's not looking to talk to me about a new contract. I think, for me, I'm fairly irrelevant in all this."That's a future without me. I'd be more than happy to shake their hand if it's going to safeguard the future of the club. And then I'll go and look at what's next for me. "But somebody comes in, they want to have a conversation with me and they'd like to keep me about, I'm open to having that conversation."But, for me, I'm really just focused on, in all honesty, the next game, the next game, and the next game. And I'll maybe look at me once we come to the end of that fixture list - whatever that's going to be, one game or three games."I think I've tried to come into Livingston every day and put Livingston first and today's no different, tomorrow's no different. So I'm quite happy. Whatever the near future is for me, I'm comfortable with that."A night of intrigue awaits on the pitch, but the intrigue off it is almost as fascinating.
