The Falkirk FC Thread

[Anthony Fitzgerald]

Absolute waste of a wage. Too old to play in the under 20s. Next they'll have McCracken signed up on a 2 year extension.

[Monkey Tennis]

5 minutes ago, Skyline Drifter said:

Such things would inevitably be much higher than a terracing would be. Our own terracing is the highest in the country now and you'd still barely fit a room or two underneath it.

The point is of course Falkirk have absolutely no need to build a 4th side purely for their own capacity and are not going to do so whether it be seating, safe standing, old style standing or picnic tables and hot-tubs.

The idea of a 4th side only works for them if someone else pays for it as part of a commercial development underneath. And if you are going to do that it's not realistically going to be old style terracing.

They need a fourth side in order to have four sides.

Until we start using triangular pitches, I'd see four sides as desirable.

Edited April 5, 2017 by Monkey Tennis

[The Grass Is Greener.]

The boy must have some agent.

[Skyline Drifter]

7 minutes ago, Monkey Tennis said:

They need a fourth side in order to have four sides.

Until we start using triangular pitches, I'd see four sides as desirable.

With respect what you see as "desirable" is pretty much irrelevant to the discussion here unless you are offering to pay for it.

[Monkey Tennis]

Just now, Skyline Drifter said:

With respect what you see as "desirable" is pretty much irrelevant to the discussion here unless you are offering to pay for it.

Well that's silly isn't it?

Why would suggesting something require that I pay for it?  Did the people who proposed a channel tunnel fund it from their own pockets? 

I get that the bottom line dominates all your thoughts about football.  You're allowed to let a soul peek out occasionally though.

[Bainsfordbairn]

14 minutes ago, Trump said:

Absolute waste of a wage. Too old to play in the under 20s. Next they'll have McCracken signed up on a 2 year extension.

He's not too old, as you're allowed (I think) up to five overage players. Presumably he'll play most of his game with the U20s but will be expected to be challenging for a place in the first team.

Next year is the last year of the U20 League anyway. After that we'll revert to a Reserve League, and an Under-18 League as part of Project Brave.  Assuming we're one of the new Elite Academies, which we plan to be.

[Skyline Drifter]

1 minute ago, Monkey Tennis said:

Well that's silly isn't it?

Why would suggesting something require that I pay for it?  Did the people who proposed a channel tunnel fund it from their own pockets? 

I get that the bottom line dominates all your thoughts about football.  You're allowed to let a soul peek out occasionally though.

Well no, it isn't silly, because what we're discussing here isn't what we'd all like to see sitting along the 4th side of Falkirk pitch (because the pitch DOES have four sides despite your daft foray into suggesting I implied otherwise in the previous post) but what's a feasible option. The Falkirk fans have already made it perfectly clear their club are not going to fund any build on the 4th side as they don't need it and that any such build will need to therefore be commercially viable for an external funder. It therefore isn't going to be old style terracing no matter how much you'd like it to be. If it happens it will be commercial accommodation with either a seated stand or potentially safe standing on top.

Musing about old style terracing is equivalent to you saying you'd like to be Cristiano Ronaldo in a discussion about your next realistic career move. It's a nice dream but utterly pointless in the context of the discussion.

[Bainsfordbairn]

I'm pleased for Scott. I've seen virtually all his games for the U20s this season and IMO he's done well enough to get one last chance of making it as a first team player.

[Monkey Tennis]

5 minutes ago, Skyline Drifter said:

Well no, it isn't silly, because what we're discussing here isn't what we'd all like to see sitting along the 4th side of Falkirk pitch (because the pitch DOES have four sides despite your daft foray into suggesting I implied otherwise in the previous post) but what's a feasible option. The Falkirk fans have already made it perfectly clear their club are not going to fund any build on the 4th side as they don't need it and that any such build will need to therefore be commercially viable for an external funder. It therefore isn't going to be old style terracing no matter how much you'd like it to be. If it happens it will be commercial accommodation with either a seated stand or potentially safe standing on top.

Musing about old style terracing is equivalent to you saying you'd like to be Cristiano Ronaldo in a discussion about your next realistic career move. It's a nice dream but utterly pointless in the context of the discussion.

The silly bit was suggesting I'd need to pay for it - a line you used before when I moaned about our own failure to open Terregles Street for a Cup tie.

We fundamentally disagree on the number of sides a ground should ideally aim to house people in.  I think that having an entirely blank length of the pitch is regrettable and that all avenues should be explored to change that.  The fact that seating is no longer needed in Scotland might present new opportunities in that regard.

You appear to have unilaterally decided otherwise though.

[Skyline Drifter]

6 minutes ago, Monkey Tennis said:

The silly bit was suggesting I'd need to pay for it - a line you used before when I moaned about our own failure to open Terregles Street for a Cup tie.

We fundamentally disagree on the number of sides a ground should ideally aim to house people in.  I think that having an entirely blank length of the pitch is regrettable and that all avenues should be explored to change that.  The fact that seating is no longer needed in Scotland might present new opportunities in that regard.

You appear to have unilaterally decided otherwise though.

No we don't. You just choose to see it that way due to your stubborn refusal to accept the commercial realities of life. I've absolutely no wish to limit people to less than four sides of a ground. However, pointless pipe dreams suggesting a commercially suicidal approach just aren't going to happen and I'll continue to throw that line at you as long as you continue to put them out there. I make no apology for it.

Your last line is another "silly bit".

[ilostmyself]

Not sure what to make of Shepards new deal. Realistically he can't be on that high a wage so it's probably not that much of a risk for the club and a great opportunity for him to prove his worth. Biggest issue will be whether he gets any game time and where.
Does he play as a striker for the U20s?

[Crawford Baptie]

Absolute waste of a wage. Too old to play in the under 20s. Next they'll have McCracken signed up on a 2 year extension.

He's fully fit but only a couple of games away from receiving an automatic extension.

[ANEWHOPE]

I'm pleased for Scott. I've seen virtually all his games for the U20s this season and IMO he's done well enough to get one last chance of making it as a first team player.

He has been the standout in the games that I've seen this season also. Only a handful I admit, but he has been excellent. However he hasn't done much in the extremely limited game time for the 1st team and for me that highlights the inadequacy of the development league. Completely failing to bridge the gap between academy system and first team player. Someone can shine at one and struggle at the other. There comes a time when it is sink or swim and I think that needs to happen with some of our development kids. Shepherd performances have earned him this final chance but he must be given meaningful 1st team chances next season or otherwise a complete waste of a wage.

[MrDust]

46 minutes ago, Bainsfordbairn said:

I'm pleased for Scott. I've seen virtually all his games for the U20s this season and IMO he's done well enough to get one last chance of making it as a first team player.

2yrs tho ?

He hasnt done anything first team since the Holt days, when he had lightning pace. One year contract I can live with, but two years is taking the piss

[Bainsfordbairn]

3 minutes ago, ANEWHOPE said:

 that highlights the inadequacy of the development league. Completely failing to bridge the gap between academy system and first team player. Someone can shine at one and struggle at the other. There comes a time when it is sink or swim and I think that needs to happen with some of our development kids. Shepherd performances have earned him this final chance but he must be given meaningful 1st team chances next season or otherwise a complete waste of a wage.

 

I think that's why the game is being restructured. Kids will play at Under 18 level to begin with and then they progress to the Reserve League. In that league they'll be up against teams composed of experienced pros, albeit ones who're not good enough to play for the first team. It will give the youths a gentler introduction to senior football. If they can prosper there, then the final jump to the first team will be much less. Shepherd is a good example of the type of guy who ought to benefit from this, in that at the moment he's too good for U20s and not good enough for the first team. Or at least if he is good enough, then he hasn't shown it consistently enough when given the chance. 

I like the idea, other than the drawback that it will cost more money because clubs will need bigger squads as they'll be running three teams rather than two.

[Bainsfordbairn]

23 minutes ago, ilostmyself said:

Not sure what to make of Shepards new deal. Realistically he can't be on that high a wage so it's probably not that much of a risk for the club and a great opportunity for him to prove his worth. Biggest issue will be whether he gets any game time and where.
Does he play as a striker for the U20s?

90% of the time, yes. Occasionally he has to go out on the wing if we're short of players but that's the exception rather than the rule.

[ftk]

The problem with the falkirk stadium is they build the 3 stands too big instead of 4 smaller stands. A 4th terraced stand would be a good addition though.

[Monkey Tennis]

50 minutes ago, Skyline Drifter said:

No we don't. You just choose to see it that way due to your stubborn refusal to accept the commercial realities of life. I've absolutely no wish to limit people to less than four sides of a ground. However, pointless pipe dreams suggesting a commercially suicidal approach just aren't going to happen and I'll continue to throw that line at you as long as you continue to put them out there. I make no apology for it.

Your last line is another "silly bit".

I fully accept the commercial realities of life.  

Within them though, I'd perhaps prioritise differently from you.  That's all.

 

Now could the Falkirk fans stop polluting this thread with reflections on some bloke getting his contract extended please? 

[ebobsboy]

Bizarre giving Shepherd a 2 year deal i fully expected him to be punted and im rather disappointed he hasnt been. He just doesnt look good enough at first team level. And its not like its a great standard.

[BountyBairn]

1 hour ago, Monkey Tennis said:

I fully accept the commercial realities of life.  

Within them though, I'd perhaps prioritise differently from you.  That's all.

 

Now could the Falkirk fans stop polluting this thread with reflections on some bloke getting his contract extended please? 

We'll pollute the thread on the subject of FFC however which we we want. Deal wi it.