The Falkirk FC Thread

[Reggie Perrin]

1 hour ago, kiddy said:

Just came up on my fb timeline.

Now 6 years since it turned to shit. 

And it started so well.

[Bairn winner]

As a supporter what a depressing listen to Jamie Sweenys interview regarding the situation in the club.

[Bigbrbairn]

5 hours ago, Grangemouth Bairn said:

Don’t know about the rest of you guys but I’ve woke up very, very excited.

You can’t beat the 1st league game of the season,

COYB.

I was till i read the financial comments!

[Braes_Bairn]

2 hours ago, Springfield said:

Listening to Sweenys interview, got to give respect to the guy as he was very open and didn’t need to say as much about the finances. It’s absolutely confirms there was mistakes made on the financial front on the cup receipts, which he did answer with some honesty and that the BOD didn’t have any experience with. Sore lessons learned. No questions asked why two guys have resigned from the FSS and promotion is a must. 
New season start today and 36 cup finals. 

For how long though are the board going to use not having any experience as an excuse? You’d think they could have picked up the phone to the SFA, other clubs with recent semi-final experience or even the previous regime for a rough idea of what to expect?

The finances are concerning. What happens if the team don’t perform and crowds drop? What if the commercial department doesn’t meet its targets? Or, what if we get to September and we need to pay off the management team? Then we are in real bother.

[Shodwall cat]

Absolute nonsense to me that clubs aren't provided with full financial breakdowns of the money received and costs of Scottish cup semi finals. Doesn't surprise me with the clowns in charge though. 

[PedroMoutinho]

10 minutes ago, Braes_Bairn said:

For how long though are the board going to use not having any experience as an excuse? You’d think they could have picked up the phone to the SFA, other clubs with recent semi-final experience or even the previous regime for a rough idea of what to expect?

The finances are concerning. What happens if the team don’t perform and crowds drop? What if the commercial department doesn’t meet its targets? Or, what if we get to September and we need to pay off the management team? Then we are in real bother.

Yes- not great that they seem to have just plucked a number out of the air rather than speaking to people with previous experience.

Glad to hear that the idea that the FSS would get to 4000 members seems to have gone and that the club are open to the right external investment coming in.

[Zbairn]

7 minutes ago, PedroMoutinho said:

Yes- not great that they seem to have just plucked a number out of the air rather than speaking to people with previous experience.

Glad to hear that the idea that the FSS would get to 4000 members seems to have gone and that the club are open to the right external investment coming in.

I think it is right that the club is always alert to and considering external investment, as long as it is carried out with due diligence and is beneficial, both in short and long term. 

In all likelihood, any external investor would rightly be looking at control of the club.

However, one note of caution. The Govt. grant of around £300k was a lifesaver and based on the principle of fan ownership. Should the club lose that pathway for funds (i.e. the FSS buying what limited shares are left), or the club is no longer fan owned, then the Govt could rightly question why they gave us that cash and perhaps try to recoup.

Edited - just another thought....if the club is sold on to an external investor, why would fans want to contribute to the FSS if it is no longer fan owned....other than a donation to the club ? 

Edited August 5, 2023 by Zbairn

[gav-ffc]

33 minutes ago, Shodwall cat said:

Absolute nonsense to me that clubs aren't provided with full financial breakdowns of the money received and costs of Scottish cup semi finals. Doesn't surprise me with the clowns in charge though. 

Can’t be cheap feeding all the special guests who rocked up for the old firm semi. 

[PedroMoutinho]

19 minutes ago, Zbairn said:

I think it is right that the club is always alert to and considering external investment, as long as it is carried out with due diligence and is beneficial, both in short and long term. 

In all likelihood, any external investor would rightly be looking at control of the club.

However, one note of caution. The Govt. grant of around £300k was a lifesaver and based on the principle of fan ownership. Should the club lose that pathway for funds (i.e. the FSS buying what limited shares are left), or the club is no longer fan owned, then the Govt could rightly question why they gave us that cash and perhaps try to recoup.

Edited - just another thought....if the club is sold on to an external investor, why would fans want to contribute to the FSS if it is no longer fan owned....other than a donation to the club ? 

I don’t think the suggestion is that the club be sold to an external investor. The proposed model was always to have three stools- Patrons, the FSS and external investment.

Given the Rawlins are no longer interested in occupying that stool, it makes sense to explore whether others can be brought on board as in my view you cannot rely purely on the fanbase to keep putting hands in pockets. In many ways that has been proven by the soft loans required from MSG members to keep the club afloat last season (and very possibly again this season).

[Zbairn]

1 minute ago, PedroMoutinho said:

I don’t think the suggestion is that the club be sold to an external investor. The proposed model was always to have three stools- Patrons, the FSS and external investment.

Given the Rawlins are no longer interested in occupying that stool, it makes sense to explore whether others can be brought on board as in my view you cannot rely purely on the fanbase to keep putting hands in pockets. In many ways that has been proven by the soft loans required from MSG members to keep the club afloat last season (and very possibly again this season).

My opinion only - The 3rd leg of the stool was to be major shareholders. In that sense, it includes Sandy Alexander, the Rawlins and possibly Martin Ritchie. They are entitled to put bodies onto the BoD's but have declined to so in favour of the FSS/Patrons Group. 

I'm pretty sure that any external investor putting in significant cash would likely want to "control" the club. To only be part of a 3 legged stool model and have minority voting rights would probably not be in their interest. 

My thoughts only.....are that any external investor coming in probably means the end of fan ownership and the "3 legged" model.

[PedroMoutinho]

2 minutes ago, Zbairn said:

My thoughts only.....are that any external investor coming in probably means the end of fan ownership and the "3 legged" model.

That may be inevitable if the only way to have a sustainable fan-owned club is to have 3-4000 FSS members. That is never going to happen through no one’s fault.

[Bairns1994]

19 hours ago, Zbairn said:

The club uses 2nd class post. Expect it for the last game of the season. If it doesn’t arrive, go into the shop and they will print you a paper ticket.

I emailed Laura at the club shop yesterday, she emailed this morning saying it would be printed to collect for the game today. I went down and collected it this morning

[PedroMoutinho]

Glad to hear also that there will not be a reserve team next season and a good number of the young guys will be going out on loan. The sensible decision in my view.

[Bluegrass Bairn]

Blah blah blah... lots of big talk from McGlynn and McGinn about intent, starting well, early goal, fans have heard it all before, time to deliver, etc etc 

Yeah, heard it all before; so let's see this "intent" - and let's see some pace and drive from the team right from the start today, not the usual half paced square ball pish.

After all the bluster, McGlynn's team selection will be telling.  

[LatapyBairn.]

27 minutes ago, PedroMoutinho said:

I don’t think the suggestion is that the club be sold to an external investor. The proposed model was always to have three stools- Patrons, the FSS and external investment.

Given the Rawlins are no longer interested in occupying that stool, it makes sense to explore whether others can be brought on board as in my view you cannot rely purely on the fanbase to keep putting hands in pockets. In many ways that has been proven by the soft loans required from MSG members to keep the club afloat last season (and very possibly again this season).

Did the former MSG members provide all the soft loan offerings last year? I was told the majority came from members of the patrons group? 

[Guest]

43 minutes ago, Zbairn said:

I think it is right that the club is always alert to and considering external investment, as long as it is carried out with due diligence and is beneficial, both in short and long term. 

In all likelihood, any external investor would rightly be looking at control of the club.

However, one note of caution. The Govt. grant of around £300k was a lifesaver and based on the principle of fan ownership. Should the club lose that pathway for funds (i.e. the FSS buying what limited shares are left), or the club is no longer fan owned, then the Govt could rightly question why they gave us that cash and perhaps try to recoup.

Edited - just another thought....if the club is sold on to an external investor, why would fans want to contribute to the FSS if it is no longer fan owned....other than a donation to the club ? 

Listening to JS, he slipped in a statement there with regard to FSS. He said “now the shares have been bought”. Is that effectively saying “no more shares being sold to FSS” even though there remains unsold shares? Why is that?
FSS isn’t a donation organisation……it was about fan ownership, and currently the FSS shareholding is below 25%, and I am pretty sure that means limits on what it can do.

That would be the polar opposite of how FSS was sold, and isn’t what everyone signed up to. So if the club won’t entertain selling the unsold shares to the FSS, then the FSS better be making that crystal clear to the membership.

Has the FSS Director communicated that back to the FSS Chairman and Committee if it’s true?

[Guest]

19 minutes ago, PedroMoutinho said:

That may be inevitable if the only way to have a sustainable fan-owned club is to have 3-4000 FSS members. That is never going to happen through no one’s fault.

Then be as well handing the government money back if that’s the case as it was provided on the proviso of building up a large shareholding for the FSS.

Can’t see any external investor paying over £2m for a controlling stake though. Also no investor is going to continually put £400k/year to just keep the club running so we need to find a way of running the club with current income levels, which in all honesty shouldn’t be a problem when we are still currently bringing in near £2m each year before cups etc.  

[Sarcastic Bairn]

[Believe The Hype]

Pleased with that line up 

[Andy Dufresne]

Oliver and McGinn injured