JIMMY GIBSON believes a combination of illness, bad luck with injuries and a loss of form ultimately cost Dick Campbell his job as Partick Thistle boss.

As exclusively revealed in later editions of yesterday's SportTimes, Campbell was sacked after being summoned to a mid-morning board meeting, ending his 26-month rollercoaster reign at Firhill.

And Gibson, who Campbell made captain, believes that the Thistle first-team squad must shoulder the blame for their gaffer's demise.

He said: "I think Dick Campbell was pretty unlucky the way things worked out. If you look back at the beginning of December I think we were in second place and trailed Gretna by a point or two.

"Then the squad was virtually wiped out by a bug and we were also hit with injury too and I think we just never recovered.

"I remember we went up to Dundee on Boxing Day still joint-second with St Johnstone. We only had eight fit players and were having to put Youth players on the bench it was so bad.

"Unfortunately the type of virus that swept through Firhill was one you just didn't shake off and it took some of the boys a month to recover and hurt us badly."

However, while injury and suspension may both be used as mitigating factors in Campbell's demise, the bald fact remains that Thistle's dismal form means they are now flirting on the fringes of the relegation battle.

The game that did most to hasten the former Firhill gaffer's fall was the 4-0 home thrashing by derby rivals Clyde.

Following similar heavy defeats in Maryhill to Gretna and St Johnstone, it showed an inability to learn lessons - for whatever reason.

Such a heavy-handed humbling by their oldest and fiercest rivals provoked a level of fury among the denizens of the Jackie Husband stand that this seasoned observer of Firhill fortunes had not previously witnessed.

With mutiny, in the form of haemorrhaging home crowds that saw a 1300 drop in the home gate between the opening home fixture of the season against Airdrie and Sunday's disastrous match with the Diamonds - it drew only 2211 - the Jags board had to act.

And with Thistle's finances thought to be in dire straits it is understood that the Partick board are desperate to secure fresh investment to help plug the holes and take the club forward.

With Saturday's trip against Gretna verging on the must-win and Campbell's No.2 Jimmy Bone, placed in caretaker control, Gibson has no doubt that the players must come out fighting against the league leaders at Raydale Park.

He said: "We have no time to feel sorry for ourselves. For whatever reason we just haven't produced the goods on the park and now we need to provide a response.

"Hopefully the fans will rally round and get behind us down the road in their numbers because the only way we are going to turn this round is with their backing.

"I think putting Jimmy in caretaker charge is a good move as he knows the players and he knows exactly what Partick Thistle is all about and you need an element of stability at this time.

"But Dick Campbell made me club captain at Partick Thistle and it was the proudest day of my playing career.

"I owe him a debt of thanks for that and wish him good luck for the future."