The Spider

Don't think I've ever seen a match thread with as many posts as this which has no contribution to it whatsoever from one set of fans, particularly when they were the home team. Puzzling.

Really hope that Mark Roberts has a plan 'B' as the reason we lost last ime is because Spartans played with a very high press, thereby completely negating our ability to play from the back. They then won the long ball game simply because they were physically stronger than us. If we can't get to play our passing game then we have to win the battle, so for this game I hope we start with Mortimer and Agyeman instead of Grant and Purdue. Cold steel - they don't like it up 'em!

I must have missed the invite...............so it's definitely being held on the 31st of October then?

I'm not sure I like the direction this conversation's taken! Is this how you you plan to sway those in the undecided camp?

Personally no. I've always been against the principle of going professional but like others have also previously said I would vote for it if it was demonstrated that it was the only viable option. What I really hope is that we don't have a scenario where a slow painful death is likely either way.........................i.e. if we stay amateur we end up in the Lowland league and dwindle away to insignificance, but if we turn professional and don't have a sustainable model we erode our reserves over a long period until we have nothing left. I am equally heartened that you now appear to recognise that the Committee should produce such a plan as previously you indicated that wasn't achievable or necessary.

Genuinely don't understand that remark. We all appreciate that the lack of compensation for our players is one of the driving forces behind the proposed change and rightly so. However, and I don't know whether this is fact or hearsay, but it's been claimed that the SFA are the only international association who don't allow compensation, so if that's the case then surely it's their interpretation of FIFA law that's out of sync with everyone else rather than the rules per se. I'm sure the club have obviously queried this with our authorities, but if it's true does anyone know why the SFA take a different view from other countries? It might just be as simple as us being unique as an amateur club in a professional league, and if so then I would understand why it would be fantasy to expect them to change their views, but equally if there are others abroad in a similar situation to us then surely the SFA would need to justify why they take a different (and frankly absurd) stance given what we contribute to youth development, thereby leaving it open to challenge to the Court of Arbritration for Sport.

Don't know whether you've read that far back in this thread Jaggy, but the general consensus appears to have been that £100k p/a is the lowest anyone in this league will be paying their players. So providing our saleable assets annually exceed that sum it will be a very easy decision to vote in favour of the the change. Otherwise we'll find ourselves engaged in a "damned if we do and damned if we don't" debate, so a lot is riding on the clarity of the documentation that the club are currently preparing.

Amidst all the previous discussion I can't recall that particular point being made, and it's a valid observation for when the business models get made public. I know there was a previous indication that we should be rushing to judgement in October, but I'm glad that the President has stepped back from that. Assuming that it will now be November, or even early December, then it's good that they are taking their time to prepare their prospectus as we should only be having one go at this, so it's essential that the communication is spot on to ensure we get the right outcome.

I though amateur contracts had a 28 day get-out clause now?

And mine. in fact, in a conversation with a fellow member on Saturday we discussed the completely hypothetical scenario where we could turn professional, only offer youth graduates professional contracts, but they all turn them down and we thereby qualify to collect all the compensation. That particular scenario is unlikely to ever happen in practice as if we do decide to cross the Rubicon there's no point in just dipping our toes in the water. But amusing nonetheless that we could theoretically go through all this turmoil and end up being professional whilst never having any players on pro. contracts. A bit like now the cynics amongst us might suggest.

does he work at The Rotunda by any chance?

I genuinely don't know Willie, but coincidentally or otherwise I thought he bore a resemblance to Rab Douglas, but surely he's way past it now.

I'd be very surprised if the total player wagebill for any L2 club (other than QP for the time being obviously) was appreciably below £100k - is that a reasonable minimum budget for this league?

happy to fix that for you HD

Of course he is, and un-named too. Bottom of the barrel attempt that one. Must try harder.

Obviously you have insider knowledge to prove me wrong so look forward to reading your exclusive in your next post. What's that? You're ill informed and just rolled out that tired old cliche about the fiver hidden in the boots as a pre-match wind-up? Ah, thought so.

In that case the 75% threshold will be easily exceeded thereby achieving the only possible outcome, so can't see the point in discussing it any further really.

Depending on who you ask you'll get different answers as some amongst us believe we are already professional. So you can make of this what you will but QP have never paid any player anything other than legitimate expenses, thereby complying with the amateur code as well as the club's own constitution, but ethically that went out the window the day we starting playing loanees (where we are unique insofar as the loaning club continues to pay the players wages lending them to us for experience and development only). So you can tell you're friend for now it's "yes" & "no", but you might get a different answer after next month's EGM!

You should try this new googly thing I've found on the outernet https://twitter.com/cowdenbeathfc/status/1152241386118422536?lang=en it's really amazing what you can find on there if you're prepared to make an effort

That's a perfectly reasonable stance to take, but I would point out that there are a number of members, and probably Life ones at that who no longer pay a penny to remain members and who rarely attend games, let alone meetings, and yet they have exactly the same voting right as you or I who hardly miss a home game all season. Given the need for a 75% majority I would have thought you would believe that every vote should be fought for and would want nothing left to chance, but if you're satisfied that the Club needs do little more to sell the concept then for it's future I hope you're proved correct.

Let's not argue over semantics as i agree with the above. I was just pointing out that it's a little bit dismissive to both the boy and all the coaches concerned to say that getting him into our first team is "nothing". In comparative terms to potential compensation yes it's tiny, but I just felt that a little acknowledgment of his progress was in order, and AN's post didn't address that side of things. The financial side is indeed nothing, but taking a 10 year old all the way to the first team however few appearances he makes, to me is definitely "something" rather than "nothing". The £90k you mention is an impressive figure, which is why it stuns me that those who wish the change to go through aren't falling over themselves to put that sort of thing in writing to every member before the EGM. Yes I know you'll recycle the old line that they all had the opportunity to attend the meetings but answer me this.........how many members does the club have and how many attended the briefings? I'm as fed up repeating this as you are no doubt reading this, so this will be the last time I'll say it and then we'll let the cards fall where they may...........this club needs the right outcome, and if it gets the wrong one because proxy voters don't receive sufficient information and vote with their hearts instead of their heads, then that will be nobody's fault but the club's, and it will get the future it deserves.

Another cost that would be added if we tumbled into the Lowland League?? that's a very good question and makes me wonder if there are others in the same scenario?