A THOUSAND half-time pies were donated to homeless people in Glasgow in a kind hearted gesture on New Year's Day.

Bosses at Partick Thistle chose to give the hot snacks to people sleeping rough in the city after the match against Celtic was called off.

The game was halted due to a water-logged pitch at Firhill stadium - and football chiefs feared the pies would have to be thrown in the bin.

However, the club arranged for the curried, mince and chicken pies - a favourite half-time snack of football fans throughout Scotland - to be picked up by the Glasgow City Centre-based Marie Trust.

The homelessness charity gives out meals, warm clothes, sleeping bags and support to rough sleepers in the city. They can be visited by up to 120 people a day.

Partick Thistle Managing director Ian Maxwell said: "When the game was called off we had all these pies and we didn't want them to go to waste.

"Our pie guys were prepared for a big turnout so we had around a thousand. The pies can't be held for a long time once they're cooked - they have to be eaten so we needed to find someone who could take them quickly.

"We were more than happy to help a local charity and we're so glad they weren't thrown out."

Alan Shields, assistant fundraiser at the Marie Trust, was overjoyed to pick up the pies and deliver them to the users at the centre, near Central Station.

He said: "This is just the true Glasgow spirit.

"A lot of our guys have nowhere to go so during the festive period we give out free food. We rely on donations so receiving these pies from Partick Thistle makes such a difference.

"We have got rough sleepers here and vulnerable people who are homeless.

"These pies could have gone in the bin and now they'll be in our guys' stomachs."

Partick Thistle postponed the Celtic game because a deluge of rainfall caused the pitch to become flooded.

They urged fans to keep their tickets and said a rescheduled date would be announced as soon as possible.