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The Falkirk FC Thread


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Just like the 10K stadium and ground sharing that stopped us getting promoted this is the latest tactic to stop the juggernaut. As before we’ll be the only club to suffer. The SPL is rotten to the core. 

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There’s a few if and buts, but only Ayr. Dunfermline. Morton. Partick. QueensP. would have grass and qualify for entrance. (ICT if they come straight up).

Falkirk. Raith. Hamilton. Cove. Alloa. All plastic. Interesting that Hamilton are going to revert to grass.

 

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There is a 50% chance a team with a plastic pitch will win the league. Hypothetically, if we won a promotion spot either by winning the league or through playoffs we will be very likely unable to pay for a pitch replacement and it would be our second time being denied promotion irrespective of footballing merit. Unbelievable prospect that the sfa/spfl are happy to support. 

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Our pitch was partly funded by government money with the support of the SFA. Do they get a say in the league body effectively shutting out clubs?

Unless they’re happy with government money being flushed down the toilet to enable said clubs to earn the promotion they’ve earned on the park.

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Posted (edited)
38 minutes ago, Jimmy1876 said:

There is a 50% chance a team with a plastic pitch will win the league. Hypothetically, if we won a promotion spot either by winning the league or through playoffs we will be very likely unable to pay for a pitch replacement and it would be our second time being denied promotion irrespective of footballing merit. Unbelievable prospect that the sfa/spfl are happy to support. 

We’d find away to do it, I’m told by people in that industry there are cheaper ways for a grass pitch to be installed than the figures that are being quoted but it does not make it any less ridiculous. Huge outlay on our pitch only last year down the drain and ripping up what by all accounts is an excellent surface for no good reason seems absolutely insane, having to do this should we get promoted would also put us at even more of massive financial disadvantage to the clubs we’d be competing against if a big chunk of our income is spent replacing what is a perfectly good quality playing surface we already have and could likely end up seeing us drop straight back down. It’s actually sickening. 

Edited by LatapyBairn.
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2 minutes ago, Hughsie said:

Our pitch was partly funded by government money with the support of the SFA. Do they get a say in the league body effectively shutting out clubs?

Unless they’re happy with government money being flushed down the toilet to enable said clubs to earn the promotion they’ve earned on the park.

FSS has lobbied the Scottish Government on this (it was very briefly touched on in the recent FFC podcast) and although I wasn't at the meeting I understand they were supportive of our stance.

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4 minutes ago, LatapyBairn. said:

We’d find away to do it, I’m told by people in that industry there are cheaper ways for a grass pitch to be installed than the figures that are being quoted but it does not make it any less ridiculous. Huge outlay on our pitch only last year down the drain and ripping up what I’m told is an excellent surface for no good reason seems absolutely insane, having to do this should we get promoted would also put us at even more of massive financial disadvantage to the clubs we’d be competing against and likely see us drop straight back down. It’s actually sickening. 

That's good to hear at least but as you say there would still be a massive financial disadvantage. Might as well not have any prize money at all even with promotion if it all then has to go on the pitch before we even make a signing. Same for any team in the same situation. Unbelievable. 

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Posted (edited)

Really pissed off to be honest it just does not follow any logic whatsoever. The teams that currently can't afford a grass pitch are the teams that also won't be able to afford the top tier pitch maintenance/groundskeeping/under pitch heating for grass either. Especially with losing the regular income from pitch rental. So we are effectively replacing good artificial pitches with inevitably shit grass pitches. Dundee is a prime example of that. And so the issue of having some good pitches and some bad pitches will still prevail, but it will just be grass instead. And multiple postponements as a result. Wonder what the SPFL will find to complain about when they realise that?

That's not even considering the utter hypocrisy of celtic having a hybrid pitch. Even they can't maintain a grass pitch to the top standard year round. 

Edited by Jimmy1876
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2 minutes ago, Jimmy1876 said:

Really pissed off to be honest it just does not follow any logic whatsoever. The teams that currently can't afford a grass pitch are the teams that also won't be able to afford the top tier pitch maintenance/groundskeeping/under pitch heating for grass either. Especially with losing the regular income from pitch rental. So we are effectively replacing good artificial pitches with inevitably shit grass pitches. Dundee is a prime example of that. And so the issue of having some good pitches and some bad pitches will still prevail, but it will just be grass instead. Wonder what the SPFL will find to complain about when they realise that?

The Dundee that got fined (200k) for the state of pitch/cancellations.

You can’t make it up with this lot. 

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i'll stick my neck out and say that all artificial surfaces are not what top level football should be played on. I understand the financial issues we'd face but the original grass pitch at TFS was one of the best in Scotland and if the undersoil heating hadn't been installed by noddy and big ears there would have been no reason to rip it up in the first place.

I'll caveat that though, if the artificial pitch is UEFA compliant then no league should be able to force anyone to go to grass. As the SFA and SPFL are all linked to and play under the banner of UEFA then they surely can't ride roughshod over what is a UEFA compliant pitch.

FSS and other clubs and supporter groups to challenge any ruling in court I hope

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Posted (edited)
14 minutes ago, ChrispPancake said:

i'll stick my neck out and say that all artificial surfaces are not what top level football should be played on. I understand the financial issues we'd face but the original grass pitch at TFS was one of the best in Scotland and if the undersoil heating hadn't been installed by noddy and big ears there would have been no reason to rip it up in the first place.

I'll caveat that though, if the artificial pitch is UEFA compliant then no league should be able to force anyone to go to grass. As the SFA and SPFL are all linked to and play under the banner of UEFA then they surely can't ride roughshod over what is a UEFA compliant pitch.

FSS and other clubs and supporter groups to challenge any ruling in court I hope

It’s clear the strength of feeling on potentially ripping up our perfectly good (UEFA compliant) pitch on a whim of the Premiership clubs. I’d fully support any legal challenge FFC/FSS we’re to make against the SPFL, and would happily contribute to any legal crowdfunder if one were to be setup. 

Edited by GunnerBairn
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Posted (edited)
15 minutes ago, GunnerBairn said:

It’s clear the strength of feeling on potentially ripping up our perfectly good (UEFA compliant) pitch on a whim of the Premiership clubs. I’d fully support any legal challenge FFC/FSS we’re to make against the SPFL, and would happily contribute to any legal crowdfunder if one were to be setup. 

We tried this before after being denied promotion via the office of fair trading and eventually had to stop , rumbled on for years after the initial decision and it just became a money pit. I’m sure the bill eventually ran into 6 figures which ended up being money down the drain anyway. Been over 20 years now so I’m presuming legal fees would be considerably higher now than they were then. 

Edited by LatapyBairn.
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35 minutes ago, ChrispPancake said:

i'll stick my neck out and say that all artificial surfaces are not what top level football should be played on. I understand the financial issues we'd face but the original grass pitch at TFS was one of the best in Scotland and if the undersoil heating hadn't been installed by noddy and big ears there would have been no reason to rip it up in the first place.

I'll caveat that though, if the artificial pitch is UEFA compliant then no league should be able to force anyone to go to grass. As the SFA and SPFL are all linked to and play under the banner of UEFA then they surely can't ride roughshod over what is a UEFA compliant pitch.

FSS and other clubs and supporter groups to challenge any ruling in court I hope

Yeah, if its good enough for the champions league then its good enough for a 0-0 shitefest between us and raith the season aftrr next

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Posted (edited)

As others have said, if the bigot brothers didn't continually bottle it against teams who happen to play on astro pitches, this would be a non-issue. I see the "peepul get injured on them mor!!" argument has slyly been dropped by advocates of banning them, as that was exposed as being patently bullshit. It's also being amplified by slavers in our media as well, who often start statements like "we all know there shouldn't be artificial pitches in the top league". Do we? Says who? On what basis? International football teams can play on them; it meets standards for the UEFA Champions League, but it's not good enough for Kilmarnock vs St Mirren. Laughable.

Edited by 18BAIRN76
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If the vote passes I hope all the full time clubs that have artificial surfaces take the SPFL to court. Another fine mess presided over by Doncaster and co, in any other walk of life they would have been sacked long ago for sheer incompetence 

The things that irk me the most are that a) non-premiership clubs are excluded from the vote, and b) there will be no financial assistance available to compensate for this new top flight 'requirement'. Only Scottish football 

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If we were to go up either this coming season or next season, we'd either need to install a grass pitch for season 2 if we weren't relegated straight back down in the former case, or straight away in the latter case.

 

How much does that mean the club have fluttered away on three years of the new pitch?

 

Not to mention the costs of ripping up the pitch and laying a grass one.

 

Would the financial benefits of being in the Premiership even cover the cost of this?

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