The Falkirk FC Thread

[Bigbrbairn]

Frankly bored with this total Foundation v Club shit. A joint statement from Club and Foundation would/ should put it to bed. Lack of this simple solution speaks for itself LOUDLY

[Bainsfordbairn]

34 minutes ago, Dade said:

So why not now? Why change your opinion to an analogy about a dog owner being the only one to feed it. Why can’t the club help regardless? 

I've already explained that previously Dade.

If by "help" you mean financial assistance then the responses on this thread tell the story. It would (probably) be an unpopular move for the club to provide assistance to a Foundation team to the detriment of the mens first team. 

 

[60`s bairn]

6 minutes ago, Blame Me said:

1st team match reports don't appear to be a priority so can't see academy ones being produced any time soon.

The strategy would appear to be concentrated on producing video content and allowing BainsfordBairn and other photographers to publish photos on their own social media.

Agreed, and while I miss the match reports for the first team, I understand I`m probably in the minority there as it`s a different age now( media wise.) However, the first team are well covered on the media, the youngsters aren`t and it`s always nice to keep up to date with who`s looking a prospect for advancement. 

[Bainsfordbairn]

22 minutes ago, 60`s bairn said:

I remember when we went all over the country covering the youth team with match reports and pics. I`ve got an archive full of them. Now that we have a couple of youth teams again, it might be worth reviving that and watching the progress or otherwise of these youngsters?

I agree. I remember doing the same when it was the U19s. 

The difference (I think) is that right now these are academy teams made up of schoolchildren. If we ever reach the stage where we have enough apprentices to make a reserve team of paid players who played every week then that team would get media coverage, just as previous ones did. I would certainly push for it and be there at every game. 

[Springfield]

From one of the current sites. Next Hearts manager 

[Bainsfordbairn]

13 minutes ago, Blame Me said:

1st team match reports don't appear to be a priority so can't see academy ones being produced any time soon.

The strategy would appear to be concentrated on producing video content and allowing BainsfordBairn and other photographers to publish photos on their own social media.

There isn't a strategy that I'm aware of. 

As far as publishing goes, the club and FSS have access to my library of pictures. They can use as many as they like for anything they want. I attempt to be at every mens game, every womens game, whichever academy games I can make and occasionally others. 

I tend to leave the club and Falkirk Daft to publicise the mens first team, though if neither use any pics I might make the occasional four image post about them on twitter. I don't upload images elsewhere other than the odd one on this messageboard. 

I use twitter to try and publicise the teams that don't get much coverage, which is why I always put up four images of every game I attend featuring either the women or youths. 

That's not a strategy; it's just a personal choice to shine a bit of limelight into areas which don't get much of it. 

[LatapyBairn.]

Just now, Springfield said:

From one of the current sites. Next Hearts manager 

It is a slight concern, I don’t think they will but if Hearts went for him he takes that job all day long unfortunately. 

[60`s bairn]

10 minutes ago, Bainsfordbairn said:

I agree. I remember doing the same when it was the U19s. 

The difference (I think) is that right now these are academy teams made up of schoolchildren. If we ever reach the stage where we have enough apprentices to make a reserve team of paid players who played every week then that team would get media coverage, just as previous ones did. I would certainly push for it and be there at every game. 

The fact that it`s a Falkirk u16 & 18 team filled with youngsters hoping to go on to better things (hopefully with us) is enough reason to cover the games for me.. The reserve team if it ever gets off the ground properly would be an intermediate between youth and first team as it was for the Arfields & Mark Stewarts in the past.

A wee edit to clarify that I`m in no way getting at you (Bainsfordbairn) for the lack of coverage. I know first hand how much you do for the Club in that capacity. It would be virtually impossible to increase that workload!! 

Edited 2 hours ago by 60`s bairn

[Blame Me]

Thanks for the candour @Bainsfordbairn. However, it does inadvertently suggest a lack of direction and imagination when such good quality resources are available.

Merely an observation not a criticism as resources evidently play a part.

[Bainsfordbairn]

12 minutes ago, Blame Me said:

Thanks for the candour @Bainsfordbairn. However, it does inadvertently suggest a lack of direction and imagination when such good quality resources are available.

Merely an observation not a criticism as resources evidently play a part.

I think if someone volunteered and said "I'd love to write match reports" there would be plenty of work for them. However, at the moment the people who've come forwarded are all media students whose inclination seems to be producing video content, so that's why the stories that go out tend to have that angle to them. 

We do have media officers but they're both part-time, work far more hours than they get paid for and have more things to do than people on the outside would realise. 

If the club can't get enough people to work as volunteers and there is still a demand for more content, then at some point resources (ie pay) would have to be allocated to the media team. 

 

[Springfield]

39 minutes ago, LatapyBairn. said:

It is a slight concern, I don’t think they will but if Hearts went for him he takes that job all day long unfortunately. 

Same thoughts, quite a variation over the bookies on JM. 

[60`s bairn]

16 minutes ago, Bainsfordbairn said:

If the club can't get enough people to work as volunteers and there is still a demand for more content, then at some point resources (ie pay) would have to be allocated to the media team. 

 

I`m genuinely surprised that there are a lack of volunteers for the media coverage. As you know, when I was involved, it was all voluntary and we were in the Premier League back then. Wouldn`t any of the photographers that sit with you on matchdays be interested in covering youth games you can`t or do I have to come out of retirement?

[Bainsfordbairn]

7 minutes ago, 60`s bairn said:

I`m genuinely surprised that there are a lack of volunteers for the media coverage. As you know, when I was involved, it was all voluntary and we were in the Premier League back then. Wouldn`t any of the photographers that sit with you on matchdays be interested in covering youth games you can`t or do I have to come out of retirement?

I haven't asked them, thought if there was a demand for coverage the requirement would be for someone to write reports as if you had that then you could use a couple of stock images. 

And of course it would depend on whether the club would want to give that level of attention to currently-amateur players at such a young age. 

I'm hopeful that maybe next year we'll have a proper reserve team again, made up mainly of modern apprentices. I suspect the ongoing plans for the academy will feature in the upcoming AGM so we'll get a bit of clarity in just over a fortnight. 

[60`s bairn]

7 minutes ago, Bainsfordbairn said:

I haven't asked them, thought if there was a demand for coverage the requirement would be for someone to write reports as if you had that then you could use a couple of stock images. 

And of course it would depend on whether the club would want to give that level of attention to currently-amateur players at such a young age. 

I'm hopeful that maybe next year we'll have a proper reserve team again, made up mainly of modern apprentices. I suspect the ongoing plans for the academy will feature in the upcoming AGM so we'll get a bit of clarity in just over a fortnight. 

Yes, I`m beginning to get the impression that these days have gone. I`m away to get into my "Dinosaur suit"

[martin ritchie]

2 hours ago, Bainsfordbairn said:

No they're not. 

A number of years back, the previous commercial staff were very active in getting players to visit sponsors premises on almost a daily basis. Because of that, there were literally dozens of commercial stories to go on club socials. So the media officer at the time started publicising the womens team with things like match reports and fixtures as it increased the football content.

The fixtures part still gets done, perhaps for historical reasons or perhaps there's a desire between club and foundation to publicise womens football. It doesn't cost anything so why not? 

I agree 'why not'. I just find it a bit strange that something the club doesn't run is getting promoted on official club social media, (players visiting sponsors is different altogether). It's weird why the ladies use falkirk strips, badge, official social media etc but aren't actually part of the club, it's like the club are using them to say 'look what we're doing for ladies football' without putting the money into it. I would like us to find a way for the ladies team to be brought in house 

[FFC 1876]

Definitely would be good to get more coverage on the youth teams, even if it was just a short social media update to say what the results were. (What @Bainsfordbairn does on his twitter is perfect)

There's an academy section on the official website but it's not been updated in a while.