Top of Meeks Road

I remember the good old days when supporters had no hesitation about letting those in charge know exactly how they felt. Hardie, Moffat, Deans, Fulston...their tenures were all foreshortened after various vocal demonstrations from the fans. Some went because they had let the club slip to such a state that there was little of value left in their investments. What do we get in the third decade of the 21st century, though? A bit like the Tartan Army, too many are oblivious to what's in front of them as the 'day oot' is more important than the result. What's been offered up by successive boards, with the odd exception of Houston's runners-up season is, frankly, pathetic. Late 20th century fans wouldn't have stood for it. Alas, too many FFC supporters appear to have adopted an attitude more normally held by Old Firm followers...regardless of how bad it becomes, one must not criticise one's own! 1,500 gates here we come!

Under a year ago, HibeeJibbe. Camelon v Brora Rangers abandoned at half time due to the weather. Admittedly, very different reason but Brora had to drive back south to replay the entire match. Big European club/country abandonments are only partially played out due to the distances involved in rescheduling. Can't see how that could work, as you say, with part time small clubs

Maybe its like Blackadder. Operate the same plan that has failed twelve times before because that's precisely the last thing the supporters would expect them to do!

We have reached the stage where we look up to Arbroath as an example of how a lower league club should operate. Take nothing away from them, Dick Campbell is working a minor miracle as they look serious challengers for a play off place. Craigen was good tonight while Low looked very capable having just recently signed from The Shire! In the meantime, our lot attempt to fleece the long suffering fans with a third strip! As if a DoF and a CEO ain't delusional enough!

Those like me who are long enough in the tooth to remember the late 70s probably never thought it possible to see such times again. Three Scottish Cup Finals in the interim would've been unthinkable then too as barely 1, 500 attended Brockville. At some away matches little more than a bus load sometimes travelled. Fans are clearly not as militant nowadays as the terms games and fans have been replaced by experiences and customers. If it ever needed some collective movement to appear and try and save a sinking ship then that time is now. With the present incumbents at the helm, sadly we may have some miles to go yet before bottoming out.

Need to be careful what you wish for. Having seemingly 'lessened' the influence of those in charge for nigh on two decades, we gifted the rights to control the club to more charlatans for the price of a half decent pub! Where are they currently? Stuck abroad and leaving certain individuals to oversee the sh*t show in the hope that it all clicks together. We've merely jumped from one seemingly intransigent set of controllers to a pair of venture capitalists who dream of making a profit when we finally reach the promised land. Their wait looks like being a long one meaning everything we've suffered before is only going to be played out with a different cast. Very worrying times.

Pathetic! A football club in terminal decline. Illusions of grandeur. Every one of those, and I mean EVERY ONE, involved in this 12 year shambles should be hunted

Genuinely concerned for the clubs future. As someone said elsewhere, the Rawlins financial input equates to the price of a decent pub. Hardly the levels of investment that will transform any hopes of a return to the elite....jeez, that seems so ridiculous a thought just now! The Rawlins have no emotional attachment to the club and that worries me. This isn't Fergus McCann spotting a guaranteed return on investment with a global brand... this is a modest input to a hugely under-performing third-tier outfit that has no idea where its heading. What if the Rawlins get fed up with their 'investment'? Are we stuck with distant owners who effectively write off their fanciful gamble? We need a lot more than £350k to get real change otherwise the bad old days of the late 70s may not look quite so bad if the malaise continues.

A lot of people are clinging to the hope that the Rawlins investment has delivered. The jury is very much out for me on this one as the club's boardroom problems might have been diluted but they are certainly not eliminated. How long before the Rawlins get bored with this project, considering how relatively modest in footballing terms it is. Remember, this is a financial investment equivalent to the purchase value of a decent pub. Falkirk needs a clean sweep by someone, or some people, with serious financial clout. That would involve a sizable cost to eliminate the ongoing influence of SA, MR and others. Without a complete buy out, this sh*tshow has plenty of episodes still to run!

The fact St Johnstone rarely draw more than 3,000 locals to home games is irrelevant. Their entire set up highlights how bad ours is. Remember, they were in the bottom tier in the mid 80s too when Muirton was a crumbling wreck. Too many of our support are happy to treck along for their fortnightly escapism and accept the sub-standard dross on offer. Like the Tartan Army, the 'experience' out ways the result meaning mediocrity becomes acceptable. I remember a home defeat to Cowdenbeath in the promotion collapse season of 1978-79. Huge demonstration outside the main stand at full time with a certain Kevin McAllister one of those leading the protest. The club is in serious danger of falling back to those times if change isn't delivered.

With all the talk of Scottish clubs boycotting social media from tomorrow, its really refreshing to see the club decide to boycott the basics of playing the game 24 hours earlier. This is fast becoming one of the biggest collapses in recent times as we now trail the league champions by 8 points having led by 5 only a few weeks ago. Safe to say, we are about to post our lowest league finish since 1977-78 yet the sycophants will be queuing up for season tickets come the close season.

At least the balloon whose idea it was to appoint the management duo has since departed. One village idiot down, a few village elders to go!

A bit like that megalomaniac Salmond, it appears the draw of (localised) fame and perceived power prohibits certain board members from accepting their collective times are up. Too many sycophants have been allowed to ponce about the new stadium with their club ties on behaving like those with designated parking bays at the local golf club! Yes, it was all a lot simpler in the Brockville days but that was a time when you talked about seeing a player up the toon like you'd just witnessed some media superstar. We have board members more recognisable than players now. We are currently in the midst of the clubs longest ever continuous period outside the top flight and show no sign of changing that fact any time soon. When you realise Inverness, kilmarnock, Livingston, Motherwell, Partick Thistle, Raith Rovers, Ross County, St Mirren and St Johnstone have all won national cups in the last 50 years, it sums up just how poorly we've performed in that lengthy spell. Yes, we are a middle ranking provincial club but the potential has never been realised. Unfortunately, an acceptance of mediocrity has overtaken the club.

Dear dear... Big John Clark and his bullet free kick at Hampden, Jeroen Lambers penalty shoot out save at Parkhead... These seem like a different life. 41-0 shots tally is the kind of stat you see with the name San Marino listed nearby. That's how far we've fallen. I cannot think of a more under-performing medium range club in the past 50 years. Our level of support is hugely out of kilter when compared to drivel regularly served up over the last decade or so. Anything less than promotion is unacceptable.

Remarkable work by the guys at Camelon Juniors during lockdown. Floodlights, pitch drainage, terracing repairs, changing rooms upgrade, seated stand... the list goes on. Had to contend with arson attack as well. The club have posted a video of the lockdown works. Worth a look. Amazing effort from all of the guys and volunteers at the club. Deserve great credit

It can only be a matter of time before a League 1 or League 2 clubs opts to accept hibernation for the remainder of the season. If one decides, then I think many will follow. At least the overheads can be trimmed back if the club opts to shut up shop for around 6 months. Juniors used to allow clubs to take non-playing break, abeyance they called it, and with little liklihood of spectators returning anytime soon then many may consider this a safer bet than running at a huge loss. Would need SPFL to guarantee a return to full membership once normality returns.

Looks like Camelon are putting seats in too. In front of the pavilion.

Had the season been declared null and void, which is the common sense outcome, then no club could realistically contest the decision in court or otherwise. Unfortunately, having made the decision to count an incomplete campaign as having been officially concluded at the point of abandonment, the SPFL have invited the very process that Hearts and Partick Thistle are now committed to. As has occasionally happened in lesser leagues in the past, the Highland League springs to mind during particularly bad winters many years ago, the competition has effectively been abandoned and will restart with the same clubs in the same divisions when safe to do so. Alas, one club was desperate to add another title to a succession of titles while another would do anything in its power to deny the Victor's their spoils. And here we are

I can't imagine any of the SoSL clubs other than Bonnyton Thistle being interested in leaving their current surrounds. Threave were happy to leave the LL, St Cuthbert supposedly delayed necessary upgrades to avoid being licensed in time for a play off while Wigtown, not sure if they are rumoured or not, allegedly contrived to hand the league title to Edusport as promotion would finish them (it actually did lead to temporary abeyance). Crowd numbers are a weak reason given only home receipts are kept while the expansion of the WoSL tiers which will happen would lead to a fairly rapid drop to surrounds very similar to present. Pie in the sky for me. The SoSL is artificially higher up the pecking order than it clearly merits but this anomaly can only be corrected through the creation of the WoSL and its resultant tiers. Long term, the SoSL should be a regionalised tier 7 or 8 as part of the set up in the west. While some clubs might have aspirations of slightly progressing up the pyramid, most ain't interested.

More typical nonsense from Parks. The pyramid ain't ripping the game apart... for many the game has left them behind. Like Greyhound stadiums and bustling High Streets, junior football clubs are a victim of 21st century society. Times have changed, interest in the main has diminished and progress means a rebooting of what's gone before and a streamlining of the system. Many clubs rely on older loyal stalwarts to keep going with little sign that the following generations harbour similar dedication to carry the fight on. Most clubs are effectively amateur in everything but name and struggle to provide even the most basic facilities for a dwindling fan base. This downturn won't change just the same as high five-figure crowds ain't going to return to showpiece non league Finals. The pyramid is a long overdue restructuring of the grassroots game that no amount of sentiment can deny.

Surely talk of Golspie one day joining the Highland League is fanciful. Even in Scottish Cup ties the crowd is often on par with the number of players on the pitch plus those in the dug outs! The NCL will likely tick along on its own with numbers fluctuating season by season. Possibly only Thurso or, more controversially, Orkney could ever aspire to be HL clubs although that probably won't ever happen due to geographic and financial issues. The North Juniors are the natural feeder to the HL even if few are interested. They will probably stay outside the pyramid and just do their own thing. Longterm, the HL should join the top three in the LL to compete for the SFL place against club 42. With the LL soon to encompass the West Juniors, the population and membership ratios dictate the LL area deserve much more than a 50% opportunity to advance. Leave the wee teams where they want to play!

When you look at what Bonnyrigg, Penicuik and Broxburn have done in recent times in the senior Scottish you have to come to the conclusion that Whitburn are absolutely missing a trick. Can't imagine there are many visiting spectators at Central Park in the East Junior Super South? Unfortunately, dithering whilst others committed mean a best option entry of tier 7 if reality finally dawns on those running the show

The dam has been weakened in the East and its only a matter of time before its completely breached. I cannot fathom why clubs such as Whitburn, a powerful player in the junior game until fairly recently, have stuck with the East Region Juniors. Surely common sense must prevail this spring as the entire junior structure, possibly outwith the North Region, is doomed to collapse. I remember talking to a Hurlford fan at a match and trying to explain how nothing would change for almost every club other than the competition name changing but he was convinced midweek trips across Central Scotland would be the result. Change is happening at a pace few could have considered possible only a few years ago. As a new decade beckons, the entire Scottish game will be transformed over the next ten years also.

The original Clydebank club wore navy shirts with a yellow V. Looks like that era around WW1. There is definitely a colourised photo from around that time available on the net somewhere

Camelon Juniors close to having all floodlights in place. Fittings have been attached to both enclosure roofs while work has commenced on poles behind the goals. With youth set up getting SFA accreditation, Camelon are looking very positive for SFA member application in February. Amazing how so many facilities have improved since the exodus 18 months ago