The Falkirk FC Thread

[Bairnardo]

32 minutes ago, Aidan said:

Taking a train down on the 30th and making a day of it, where is the best bet for something to eat and to watch whatever the early kick off? Behind The Wall seems like an obvious choice although any time I was ever in there, was usually at night when I was pished so I can’t remember what the set up was like for watching sport. Any other recommendations?

Behind the Wall is a decent bet tbh. Graeme Hotel is also good. Much busier with Bairns fans but you'll get no trouble and it will be lively, the food is good in there although a bit more traditional pub grub than BtW. 

Icons is decent too as far as getting sport on TV but can't speak for their grub 

 

[Mr Grimsdale]

31 minutes ago, Van_damage said:

No. As I said on here I cancelled on the principle that members didn’t get a say regarding the deal. 

If the FSS don’t get the full transfer of shares to get them to 25% and only rely on proxies then that exemplifies the issue some of us had about it. 

What you say isn’t about members policing the FSS but a few individuals with proxies policing them. If that is to ‘keep them on their toes’ as you said then it’s not the membership who are policing it but the few who gave them the proxies. 

I agree with you. Potentially you are correct. However many are proxied than donated it makes little difference other than being symbolic  as the FSS even without the extra shares could block anything anyway. No chance the rest of the shareholders would actually turn up anyway or even vote.

Good on you for sticking to your principles despite it doing little to effect anything in the big picture. 
 

Edited September 9, 2023 by Mr Grimsdale

[Mr Grimsdale]

14 minutes ago, Van_damage said:

To take you up on your earlier point, what does keep people on their toes are fans who are willing to bring light to poor decisions. That’s what unions do with regards to companies who have bad business practices. 

Any club director should be willing to be held to account by the fans. That doesn’t mean they should be vilified but the position they’re in requires being responsible for decisions, good and bad. 

The worst thing that could happen is what has happened in the past where the BoD only listen to those who agree with them. 

‘the board have built a fiefdom of sycophancy around themselves and anybody who has ever criticised them At any point over the last 23 years quickly becomes persona. Non-Grata. If you fall out of favour, you will very quickly be thrown under the bus as various people were found out to the cost over the last number of years. It’s not their club, it’s certainly not their club now as they only have 37% of the shares’

That quote is in reference to the previous board. Hopefully history doesn’t repeat itself. 

I personally see little evidence of that happening and hopefully it doesn’t. 

[Numbers_One_To_Eleven]

13 hours ago, Rennieball said:

Seen at least 3

We really are Mahooosive!

[RC55 FFC]

Not too shabby the last 7 days…

Top of the league
Cup win over Ayr
Scotland a baw hair from Germany

ICYMI our latest episode was out this week:

EP:52 TRIPADVISOR REVIEW…SH*TE

falkirkdaft.co.uk

[Bairn in Exile]

16 minutes ago, Numbers_One_To_Eleven said:

We really are Mahooosive!

Le Massif Central in France

The Massive Central in Scotland 

Edited September 9, 2023 by Bairn in Exile

[FFC 1876]

Easy to jump to conclusions when you've only been given a snippet of the information and I was guilty of expecting the worst so I apologise for that. 

In reality the club have done, in my eyes, the best thing for us by selling the remaining shares to the patron's in order to raise extra funds(the FSS money has already been accounted for) for a few more signings. Also fantastic to hear the patron's and other shareholders have gifted FSS the shares they need to get to the 25%+1 showing we are all working together for the better of Falkirk football club. 

McGlynn seems to have us sorted on the park this season and from the outside the board have done a fantastic job of sorting out the off the park mess they inherited just under 2 years ago.

Edited September 9, 2023 by FFC 1876

[Guest]

57 minutes ago, FFC 1876 said:

Easy to jump to conclusions when you've only been given a snippet of the information and I was guilty of expecting the worst so I apologise for that. 

In reality the club have done, in my eyes, the best thing for us by selling the remaining shares to the patron's in order to raise extra funds(the FSS money has already been accounted for) for a few more signings. Also fantastic to hear the patron's and other shareholders have gifted FSS the shares they need to get to the 25%+1 showing we are all working together for the better of Falkirk football club. 

McGlynn seems to have us sorted on the park this season and from the outside the board have done a fantastic job of sorting out the off the park mess they inherited just under 2 years ago.

The one thing I would add is that the FSS could have had more money from the government to buy all of the remaining shares. That would be unaccounted for too, the club would still get the contributions and there would be no need for anyone to transfer their own shares. 

[Bairn in Exile]

2 minutes ago, Van_damage said:

The one thing I would add is that the FSS could have had more money from the government to buy all of the remaining shares. That would be unaccounted for too, the club would still get the contributions and there would be no need for anyone to transfer their own shares. 

Why didn't they ask for more money, any ideas?

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Bairn in Exile said:

Why didn't they ask for more money, any ideas?

Not sure. Some of the reasonings still don’t make sense given the information. The statement on FD just added to that. 

[Zbairn]

3 hours ago, FFC 1876 said:

Easy to jump to conclusions when you've only been given a snippet of the information and I was guilty of expecting the worst so I apologise for that. 

In reality the club have done, in my eyes, the best thing for us by selling the remaining shares to the patron's in order to raise extra funds(the FSS money has already been accounted for) for a few more signings. Also fantastic to hear the patron's and other shareholders have gifted FSS the shares they need to get to the 25%+1 showing we are all working together for the better of Falkirk football club. 

McGlynn seems to have us sorted on the park this season and from the outside the board have done a fantastic job of sorting out the off the park mess they inherited just under 2 years ago.

Comes back to many of the original comments and discussions. Just to put it into some perspective, I'll try and summarise the reasons for my disquiet as an FSS member at the time (and also after chatting with several other FSS members, who were in agreement) :-

• The original e-mail from the FSS stated that the remaining shares requested from the Club would not be available for purchase and were ring fenced for Patrons. There was no comment that they were there only to bolster McGlynns budget.
• There was never any appetite form the Patrons to buy shares when asked previously, hence the remaining shares being available.
• it was only when the discussion on here started (by 2 or 3 of us), that an initiative by the Patrons to try and donate shares allowing the 25%+1 happened.
  • You can argue that if we hadn't started, what some on here would claim to be a divisive discussion, that the above would not have happened.
• The Patrons have not fully "gifted" shares, but it's a a mixture of "donation" and "proxied". This effectively means that the FSS do not own the proxied shares which can be removed by their owners at anytime.
• Why did the FSS Board agree to just "donate" cash without recourse to the members when all discussions at the very outset and selling point of the FSS, was to buy shares to protect the club from detrimental investors ? 
• Interestingly, as indicated by Van D.....why did the FSS and club not take the extra £25k when offered, which could have gone to McGlynns budget?

The Club have probably done what is best to maximise income. I can't blame them for that. However, if they had just been a little bit more honest re the availability of shares and the need for extra cash, then I think most of the detractors on here would have been OK with that. To try and paint it that they were ring fenced for the Patrons or to argue that the FSS were never guaranteed the 25%+1 was a little disingenuous.

I have major issues with the FSS Board for agreeing to the donation aspect (before and after the Govt cash) without recourse to it's members. Also, that they really haven't cast in stone the after effects once all shares are sold. They could have demanded that, if a new issue of shares were to happen, the FSS would be given a requisite number based on cash given to the club. Basically to help protect the 25%+1.

As I have previously stated, because the FSS has now morphed in Falkirk Forever, the fans who signed up thinking they were buying shares to protect the club are being short changed. They would be just as well joining the 1876 Club and giving their tenner that way. At least then, they would be in with the shout of wining a scarf ! 

 

Edited September 9, 2023 by Zbairn

[Bigbrbairn]

Ten to three and no team sheets. Not acceptable!

[LatapyBairn.]

46 minutes ago, Zbairn said:

Comes back to many of the original comments and discussions. Just to put it into some perspective, I'll try and summarise the reasons for my disquiet as an FSS member at the time (and also after chatting with several other FSS members, who were in agreement) :-

• The original e-mail from the FSS stated that the remaining shares requested from the Club would not be available for purchase and were ring fenced for Patrons. There was no comment that they were there only to bolster McGlynns budget.
• There was never any appetite form the Patrons to buy shares when asked previously, hence the remaining shares being available.
• it was only when the discussion on here started (by 2 or 3 of us), that an initiative by the Patrons to try and donate shares allowing the 25%+1 happened.
  • You can argue that if we hadn't started, what some on here would claim to be a divisive discussion, that the above would not have happened.
• The Patrons have not fully "gifted" shares, but it's a a mixture of "donation" and "proxied". This effectively means that the FSS do not own the proxied shares which can be removed by their owners at anytime.
• Why did the FSS Board agree to just "donate" cash without recourse to the members when all discussions at the very outset and selling point of the FSS, was to buy shares to protect the club from detrimental investors ? 
• Interestingly, as indicated by Van D.....why did the FSS and club not take the extra £25k when offered, which could have gone to McGlynns budget?

The Club have probably done what is best to maximise income. I can't blame them for that. However, if they had just been a little bit more honest re the availability of shares and the need for extra cash, then I think most of the detractors on here would have been OK with that. To try and paint it that they were ring fenced for the Patrons or to argue that the FSS were never guaranteed the 25%+1 was a little disingenuous.

I have major issues with the FSS Board for agreeing to the donation aspect (before and after the Govt cash) without recourse to it's members. Also, that they really haven't cast in stone the after effects once all shares are sold. They could have demanded that, if a new issue of shares were to happen, the FSS would be given a requisite number based on cash given to the club. Basically to help protect the 25%+1.

As I have previously stated, because the FSS has now morphed in Falkirk Forever, the fans who signed up thinking they were buying shares to protect the club are being short changed. They would be just as well joining the 1876 Club and giving their tenner that way. At least then, they would be in with the shout of wining a scarf ! 

 

Have you donated any of your shareholding to the FSS? 

[Zbairn]

16 minutes ago, LatapyBairn. said:

Have you donated any of your shareholding to the FSS? 

What's that to do with you ?

 

[LatapyBairn.]

3 minutes ago, Zbairn said:

What's that to do with you ?

 

Absolutely nothing, does relate directly to the supporters society however. 

[Zbairn]

3 minutes ago, LatapyBairn. said:

Absolutely nothing, does relate directly to the supporters society however. 

Righty. So we are agree, whether I have or not has absolutely nothing to do with you. 

Edited September 9, 2023 by Zbairn

[LatapyBairn.]

10 minutes ago, Zbairn said:

No it doesn't. Whether I have or not has absolutely nothing to do with you. 

Correct, it does have nothing to do with me personally and of course you’re under no obligation to answer. It was only a question directly relating to the FSS. 

Edited September 9, 2023 by LatapyBairn.

[Zbairn]

Just now, LatapyBairn. said:

Correct, it does have nothing to do with me personally and of course you’re under no obligation to answer. It was only a question. 

Absolutely. It has nothing to do with you. 

[Guest]

17 minutes ago, LatapyBairn. said:

Absolutely nothing, does relate directly to the supporters society however. 

I don’t understand this line. If ZBairn wanted FSS to be able to buy the shares with some of the money he contributed as a member then if he didn’t donate shares, surely that would be aligned to his position? 

Can I ask, do you think the patrons would have still given the money to the club to help McGlynn, if there was no shares left? 

[Zbairn]

4 minutes ago, Van_damage said:

I don’t understand this line. If ZBairn wanted FSS to be able to buy the shares with some of the money he contributed as a member then if he didn’t donate shares, surely that would be aligned to his position? 

Can I ask, do you think the patrons would have still given the money to the club to help McGlynn, if there was no shares left? 

Here's the rub. From the Falkirk daft podcast, I believe that they stated 14 patrons bought shares. By my reckoning that's only half of the PG members who decided to participate. Probably the BoD and their mates. There are probably good reasons for the other members not splashing the cash, but I would wager it's not all because they are skint. 

Also stated on FD, that the official statement from the Club and FSS is that nobody on the PG had any issues with buying shares. From the above (and knowing one or two) that is an outright wee fib.

I still have had no good answer to the proxy part of the share "swap deal" to make it 25%+1.  If the PG do not donate enough shares, then the FSS cannot own 25%+1 as they try to make out.