Nearly Sane

I get the impression you are entirely correct!

I would guess he secretly wanted Holts job and is on his way to getting it.

Stenny bounced straight down to League 2 and were second bottom when he left. So basically, like Holt, he's not qualified for the job? Well played the old Board.

The two Junior Bairns presenting an award to Telfer and the event photos would suggest otherwise

Not quite. The U16/18 Academy Teams weren't invited/included.

A B Team combining a mixture of first team players who need game time/recovering from injury, limited number of promising young players on pro contracts who are on the verge of first team squad (it'll be league 1 after all!), promising young players on amateur contracts/looking to earn contracts, trialists and U18s promoted on a game by game basis. Coaches could be senior first team players doing their badges (common practice at other clubs). I believe the old FV Academy used to part fund young players wages through apprenticeship schemes. Add in sponsors and if need be fundraising - where there's a will...............

Let's move conveniently past that one shall we......?

Less than Lee Griffiths?

Some folk are in complete denial and fall for that excuse. While ignoring the mistakes or poor decisions that continue to be made - whether with the best of intentions or not.,

How much would a B Team cost?

Agreed. Which is why we need to be making the correct decisions about youth development now. U20's or B Team had been started and it involved the players you mention above. Now we're told it's not affordable.

Haha nice try. Come in and sit in the stands during a youth game and listen to the chat amongst parents. No insider knowledge needed. Club doesn't need help damaging it s reputation - or are you acting out because you're partly to blame?

While you broadly correct, the U18s beat Montrose U18 8-1 - they had 3 players who had been involved with the Montrose first team the day before. The same Montrose team who defeated Falkirk first team 3-1.

Not the point. There's a very talented 16 year old at the club, he sees talented players told to leave the club after U18 as there's no U20s, no pathway to the first team. Other teams scouting him offer him a place at their club (that does have an U20's/pathway to 1st team), off he goes next month. Other talented players follow suit. So scrap the youth system all together on the basis it's not a priority/can't afford it OR see it as a fundamental building block to the future of the club and invest in it. At least set out/communicate a vision. The mismanagement and half-arsed approach at the moment is doing no-one any good and damaging the reputation of the club.

Give the U18s a run out. At least they've beaten an Alloa team twice in the past month.

There is absolutely no plan to put an U20s in the SPFL Lowland Development League. In fact I'd go as far to say some people within the club, who should know, don't even know such a thing exists. There is absolutely no plan or commitment to youth development and the only reason the U16/18 teams continue is because it would be another PR disaster were they to go - which there's a distinct possibility they will.

Go on then - assure me. Because there definitely isn't. A decision on an U20/B Team will be left in the hands of the new first team manager.

No there isn't

And you always have to worry about posters who dismiss others version of the "truth" to prop up their own. I'm not advocating on behalf of previous employees or suggesting an academy be financed (but we could easily establish an U20 at minimal cost to add to the U16 & U18 teams) . My point was that the management of the club was a mess pre new Board and is still a mess under the new Board. The current Boards line of "the big bad boy did it and ran away" is factually incorrect and they are as much to blame as anyone related to the treatment of young players at our club.

Pissing money away is signing 28 players who aren't good enough to get the club out of League 1. Adding an U20s to the current youth set up would not cost much and provide a pathway to the first team for young players on relatively low wages. There's actually an economic argument FOR a youth set up.

You need 7 different age groups to progress to the next level of the CAS programme. That was why the U12 team was created - you can't play competitive fixtures until the teams are formed and you're accepted into the next level - chicken and egg situation. A B Team/U20s was operating as well and played a number of games including 2 victories over the Shire and a win over East Fife 20's. The best of the U18's and players like Weekes, Lemon and Omperon played. Fergus led it with the support of Sheerin. Further age groups would have been added to fulfill the CAS criteria. This was with the full knowledge of the Board and Chief Exec. Fergus spoke to Falkirk TV about it in November 2021!! Hardly "rogue" behaviour. The new Board looked at how much that would cost and pulled the rug. Then the Chief Exec gave the car crash interview in the Herald. The 3 promising U18s mentioned (that have been training with the first team) have basically been told there's no pathway and to leave the club. Other U16 and U18 players told BY PHONE they were being released and not to come back. Chief Exec and Directors will have you believe they have a plan - they don't. Poor practice, arrogance, key people out their depth and mass resignations at the club don't give confidence of a bright future under the current regime.