The Falkirk FC Thread

[Roboccop]

I see the club are still pushing the idea that FSS can reach 2500 members

 

”We estimate that the club needs an extra £400,000 per annum to become sustainably successful and to be able to compete for promotion to the Premiership against clubs owned by wealthy individuals. This requires around 2500 fans to contribute an extra £3 per week. ”

 

i don’t know why they are still saying this it is near impossible. In fact in recent weeks FSS membership has fallen a little and recruitment stalled. 
 

The Board have been told time and time again 2500 is a fantasy and stop saying this but again this figure is trotted out. No one denies there is a problem in a shortfall in funding but this is not how it is going to be fulfilled.  

[LatapyBairn.]

15 minutes ago, Bairney The Dinosaur said:

Not how I take it.

Falling backwards would not be our fault, but we do have the chance to push things forward.

This! 

[LatapyBairn.]

26 minutes ago, Roboccop said:

I see the club are still pushing the idea that FSS can reach 2500 members

 

”We estimate that the club needs an extra £400,000 per annum to become sustainably successful and to be able to compete for promotion to the Premiership against clubs owned by wealthy individuals. This requires around 2500 fans to contribute an extra £3 per week. ”

 

i don’t know why they are still saying this it is near impossible. In fact in recent weeks FSS membership has fallen a little and recruitment stalled. 
 

The Board have been told time and time again 2500 is a fantasy and stop saying this but again this figure is trotted out. No one denies there is a problem in a shortfall in funding but this is not how it is going to be fulfilled.  

I agree 2500 members is an ambitious target (but it is only a target!) and I think we are correct to be ambitious, if we don’t get there then fair enough but I’m glad the club and FSS intend to continue pushing membership. All that’s being pointed out here is the truth in that FSS membership will directly effect our playing budget going forward, I’ve absolutely no problem with that. Obviously at current levels of spending promotion would solve the 375k operating loss, this was stated at the AGM however in an ideal world we don’t want the club to simply tread water but should aim to increase our expenditure to compete with those teams at the top end of the championship which may or may not be possible but let’s at least try. 

Edited October 6, 2023 by LatapyBairn.

[Roboccop]

7 minutes ago, LatapyBairn. said:

The 2500 members is an ambitious target (and it is only a target!) and I think we are correct to be ambitious, if we don’t get there then fair enough but I’m glad the club and FSS intend to continue pushing membership. All that’s being pointed out here is the truth in that FSS membership will directly effect our playing budget going forward, I’ve absolutely no problem with that. Obviously at current levels of spending promotion would solve the 375k operating loss, this was stated at the AGM however in an ideal world we don’t want the club to simply tread water but should aim to increase our expenditure to compete with those teams at the top end of the championship which may or may not be possible but let’s at least try. 

When I was on the FSS committee I was regularly in meetings where this figure of 2500 was suggested and every time I said it was fantasy. It was not aspirational but claimed as a required goal. Let’s not pretend that it is only this. I could name names where this nonsense had come from. 

FSS needs to play its role. It needs to have a reboot and start expanding again but 2500 is nonsense. And the other two aspects of the three legged stool have to play their part in reducing the deficit too.  

[Bairn in Exile]

The south stand is sold out for tomorrow, 2,000 fans, how many of them are FSS members?

How many “Ultras” will be in the stand tomorrow? 500? How many of them are FSS members?

Why aren’t they all members?

I had banking issues and was champing at the bit for months because I couldn’t get signed up to FSS and finally got signed up on an annual subscription last October. My subscription will be getting bumped up from £180 to £240 in a couple of weeks when it falls due.

We keep going on about the Navy Blue Pound when we are spending them to get into some other club’s ground, how about keeping some of these Navy Blue Pounds for the FSS?

[Roboccop]

15 minutes ago, Bairn in Exile said:

The south stand is sold out for tomorrow, 2,000 fans, how many of them are FSS members?

How many “Ultras” will be in the stand tomorrow? 500? How many of them are FSS members?

Why aren’t they all members?

I had banking issues and was champing at the bit for months because I couldn’t get signed up to FSS and finally got signed up on an annual subscription last October. My subscription will be getting bumped up from £180 to £240 in a couple of weeks when it falls due.

We keep going on about the Navy Blue Pound when we are spending them to get into some other club’s ground, how about keeping some of these Navy Blue Pounds for the FSS?

Ok. Have you come along and helped hand out leaflets to the crowd as we’ve done on many occasions?

Of 2,000 leaflets handed out we had 2 new recruits on one occasion.  The truth is the majority of people going to the game see themselves as customers being entertained for their money not as owners.

Fan ownership is a good thing but there are natural limits to how many will get involved. For Falkirk research carried out by Dave McInnally last year would suggest 1,200 would be the ceiling. so let see that as the target not a crazy double. 

[Bairn in Exile]

1 minute ago, Roboccop said:

Ok. Have you come along and helped hand out leaflets to the crowd as we’ve done on many occasions?

 

Sorry, no, I haven't. I'm an ex-pat but if I lived in the Falkirk area I would definitely be there handing them out.

[Bainsfordbairn]

1 hour ago, Musketeer Gripweed said:

So, if we don't get promoted and have to go part time, it's all the fans fault. Nice.

It has nothing to do with blame or fault. 

It's a statement of where we are right now and what needs to happen if we  - as ordinary fans - are to be the sole owners & decision makers at the club. 

If you want to look for faults then you could probably check rocks at previous regimes who removed one of our funding sources (the academy) and made managerial appointments which left us in a league where fulltime football automatically means losing money. 

Examples were given last night of clubs which are making this model work; I think they said St Mirren and Motherwell. And also examples of where their fans tried and failed such as Dundee and Dunfermline. 

We' all know what we want. Either we need to do more to make it happen or we give up and look for external investment. Maybe Mark Campbell & his mates still want to buy us, or George Fulston & Hamish Deans have well-off kids who might feel an attachment to the club. 

 

John McGlynn spoke very well last night. He said the most important thing was recruitment, and we'd done well this summer because he'd been working on building this seasons squad for a while. He gave Agyeman as an example because he agreed to join us back in March. 

He wants to be looking at next seasons recruitment now. But he can't. There is no money Which means that on 1st January, Hamilton could announce the pre-contract signings for next season of Callumn Morrison, Coll Donaldson & Leon McCann. Probably Brad Spencer and Tom Lang too, because the manager said that they would leave us in the summer if we don't go up.  (I'm assuming their two year contracts we announced in June will have release clauses as we could be part-time next season). 

We might go on a cup run or we might get an amazing sponsorship deal which ensures that all of this seasons squad McGlynn wants are still here in 24/25,  regardless of what league we're in. But those are unknowns. The easiest way to be certain you'll have revenue coming is to somehow grow FSS further. Whether there is an appetite to do that remains to be seen. We'll probably have 5,000 there on Saturday. 750 of them will be FSS members. (approx)

How do we get more of the other 4,250 to donate £2.50 a week? 

[Bainsfordbairn]

1 hour ago, Roboccop said:

And the other two aspects of the three legged stool have to play their part in reducing the deficit too.  

Is the three legged stool still a thing? 

You'll know better than me, but I wouldn't have thought the likes of Sandy Alexander / Martin Ritchie were involved now and we're obviously not seeking external investment atm. 

That just leaves patrons and FSS. I have no idea who all the patrons are or their financial circumstances, but I wouldn't have thought someone who's already put in 10K would be expected to do it again. Whereas a guy putting in a tenner a month can do it for years to come. Albeit some of the patrons did put in more cash to buy shares recently, which resulted in all sorts of wild theories about their motives. 

In my eyes patrons and FSS are the same thing: ordinary fans who give what they can to help the club they love. 

I kind of think of it as a one-legged stool nowadays. Am I wrong? 

 

[Harry Kinnear]

I joined the FSS as soon as it started and I’ve up my monthly subscription twice since then. I realise I’m lucky that I’m in a fortunate enough position to do it and I’ve no issues at all with fans who can’t afford it. Those that can and for what ever reason choose not to I would ask the question, how would you feel if there wasn’t a Falkirk FC anymore to support?

Maybe a bit dramatic but in this financial climate the more of us that can help out the better. Part time football or no Falkirk FC is a horrible thought as is the thought of some mercenary fucker getting hold of our club who doesn’t have the best interests of the club at heart.

[Braes_Bairn]

The AGM update confirms no progress has been made since the last one, still a £400k gap unfilled.

When will we accept that fan ownership can’t deliver this and start seeking external investment?

[Springfield]

The tone of the statement is poor. We all know that the 400K is wrapped round our necks before a ball is kicked. I agree that the FSS target number is very optimistic, however targets are targets. It’s obvious we don’t want to entertain external investment or we simply can’t get anyone prepared to invest . For me If it means we go cap in hand to any of the old MSG who would be prepared to soft loan the club, surely this must be considered. I couldn’t give to Fcks as I believe this is our best chance this season to get up. 

[Bairnardo]

Amber warning of rain for tomorrow. Wouldn't imagine the game itself would be under thread but hopefully no nonsense with flooding around the stadium or that having an effect

[PedroMoutinho]

2 hours ago, LatapyBairn. said:

The 2500 members is an ambitious target (and it is only a target!) and I think we are correct to be ambitious, if we don’t get there then fair enough but I’m glad the club and FSS intend to continue pushing membership. All that’s being pointed out here is the truth in that FSS membership will directly effect our playing budget going forward, I’ve absolutely no problem with that. Obviously at current levels of spending promotion would solve the 375k operating loss, this was stated at the AGM however in an ideal world we don’t want the club to simply tread water but should aim to increase our expenditure to compete with those teams at the top end of the championship which may or may not be possible but let’s at least try. 

It is a delusional target. Its right to be ambitious but we need to be looking at other options if the only way to maintain a competitive budget is to have 2500 FSS members as that is simply not going to happen.

[LatapyBairn.]

1 hour ago, PedroMoutinho said:

It is a delusional target. Its right to be ambitious but we need to be looking at other options if the only way to maintain a competitive budget is to have 2500 FSS members as that is simply not going to happen.

Don’t think you’ve read the statement properly, it would be be a way of bridging the gap between those teams with wealthy backers or bigger budgets in the championship and we either manage to do that or we don’t (the likes of Dundee united or Queens Park at the moment) however with promotion and current levels of revenue we should still be “competitive” but would likely be working with a mid table type playing budget as was explained last night. I think it’s right to set ambitious targets to try and exceed that even if it means we end up someplace in the middle. Whether it’s simply to help remain full time in this division or help compete at the top of the championship remains to be seen but revenue does need to be driven upwards or at the very least maintained in all areas of the club and in fairness it has been growing steadily. Ambitious targets are never a bad thing if we are to do this. Do you think the only area of the club that is being pushed to perform better is the FSS? Listening to the detail it sounded like every single controllable income stream is being pushed / driven quite aggressively and for the most part revenue has indeed all been grown quite rapidly over the last 18 months or so as the accounts show. 

Edited October 6, 2023 by LatapyBairn.

[HopeStreetWalker]

Sad news about the death of Sir Alex Ferguson's wife Lady Cathy

Sir Alex was an iconic figure in an iconic team in the early 70's

Am sure the club will be paying their respects

[Shodwall cat]

Part of the issue I would think is the fact that our external investment part of the three legged stool is taken up by a couple that were frightened off by the last board and are therefor not adding anything at all to the club beyond their initial investment. Having instead someone with expertise in various areas that is willing to get on board and continue to invest to keep their level of shareholding  instead would make a big difference and make it a real three legged stool.

[Ranaldo Bairn]

1 hour ago, HopeStreetWalker said:

Sad news about the death of Sir Alex Ferguson's wife Lady Cathy

Sir Alex was an iconic figure in an iconic team in the early 70's

Am sure the club will be paying their respects

Do we normally do that for the spouses of ex players?

[Accies1]

6 hours ago, LatapyBairn. said:

https://www.falkirkfc.co.uk/2023/10/06/agm-update-october-2023/

Board rubbings fans up the wrong way the night before a big match. Things you love to see. 

[Bairnardo]

1 minute ago, Accies1 said:

Board rubbings fans up the wrong way the night before a big match. Things you love to see. 

Only a very small % of our fanbase will have paid the slightest bit of attention to that mate. 

Think of that as a function of us being absolutely fucking massive