Partick refuse to offer refunds after lights go out at Firhill

Football

Football

Partick Thistle yesterday insisted that they will not offer refunds to spectators following the abandonment of Tuesday's Scottish Premier Division game against Aberdeen.

The match was called off after 39 minutes because of floodlight failure, with supporters given vouchers for free entry when the match is replayed on Tuesday 16 April.

The Thistle secretary, Robert Reid, said: "There will be no cash refunds, nor will the vouchers be available for any other game. Our only other home game left this season is against Celtic and that is an all-ticket match, so those vouchers will admit supporters to Tuesday's game only."

Aberdeen will decide over the next 48 hours whether to subsidise supporters travelling back to Glasgow. Their fans have faced the long trip three times in the space of eight days, and now face another long trek on Tuesday.

Aberdeen's general manager, David Johnston, said: "We will have a look at helping out our supporters, something we did last year but, until the directors can get round to discussing the matter, we can't comment."

However, Roddie Arnott, the chairman of the Aberdeen Supporters' Association, believes that, if fans are to be recompensed for their travel, Thistle should be the club to do it. "I would prefer to see Partick pay for the Aberdeen supporters' buses because I don't see why Aberdeen should have to pay out for Thistle's blunder," he said. The match referee, Bill Crombie, abandoned Tuesday's game six minutes before the interval, with Thistle's Firhill Park stadium in semi-darkness.

The Partick manager, Murdo MacLeod, said: "The problem occurred in mid- afternoon and the electricians were called in. We were told before the game began that it was likely to be repaired and the referee instructed that the floodlights be switched on as soon as possible. But each time we tried they went back out."

The game was goalless when Crombie finally called a halt, although Partick, who remain desperate for points in their attempt to escape relegation, had been frustrated when the Aberdeen goalkeeper, Michael Watt, saved Ian Cameron's penalty after Derek McWilliams was pulled down.