I see in this week's Free Press Stranraer under 17s have folded due to lack of funding. Can't really get my head round this....

Why are they wasting money on a reserve team, instead of investing in their future?? Let's face it how many of their reserve squad are ever going to make a mark at first team level....surely funds would have been better invested in you? If they have some playes in between the team, why not loan them out? Makes more sense than a team mostly over 25.

This is a real shame i hate to see youth teams being scrapped to fund other things, at the end of the day you need youth to keep clubs going.

I really hope the youngsters find another club to play for.

The SFA in their wisdom have decided not to help fund clubs under 17 teams this season.

any truth in the rumour that stranraer big team are having money trouble now as well

Athletic going out has helped the reserves and Wigtown who will both be strong,how are Creetown and N Stewart profiting from the demise?

Have had for the last few years! Debts were run up which the club can't afford and this is hampering the current committee.

For a long time the so called supporters were shouting to get the old committee out and the crowds would go up i haven't seen this so whats wrong when the locals dont turn up. Also there never seemed to be money worries highlighted when the old committee were there so why are they struggling now is the knew committee paying higher wages or not getting as many sponsors whats the answer?

Says the guy who supports Rangers.

As I have said before sorties into Div 1 are expensive and apart from the expectations of the fans give very little return financially due to our location, this is also a factor in transport costs with most of our squad based in the central belt every week is an away game. Add to that the reluctance of many locals to go/return to Stair Park for what ever reason, the Social Club fire at one of the most important times of the year for any business, the credit crunch meaning people have less money to sponsor events, buy club lottery tickets etc etc and you should get the picture but on reading Stranraer FC the first 100 years local journalist, club historian at the time and a lifelong fan John S Boyd wrote

" In the course of a century they (Stranraer FC ) had many ups and downs. There were moments of triumph, times of despair, great victories, sad and unexpected defeats.
On more than one occasion the club faced extermination, but always someone rose to the occasion and the team was carried on in the face of adversity".

This extract was taken from his centenary book of 1970 and little has changed, we try to punch above our weight and often succeed in this aim, while there are people at the club who care there will always be a Stranraer FC.
We are not alone in feeling the pinch the difference between ourselves and many other clubs is our members club status meaning no sugar daddy can bail us out every time the going gets tough but is this such a bad thing we do not have to look to far down the region to see that , that system is also fraught with danger.

And what does it matter who i support I'm on about people who said they would go to stair park when the old committee were out well they are out and the crowds are no bigger if anything smaller and for your infomation i never said i would go to stair park as a football fan that takes an intrest in footbal i was stating a fact so pull your head back in

You are right, many used that as an excuse for years the other favourite was "the teams sh*te I'm not going out there" but even when the team did reach the first division they still found an excuse, "I'm no going they will get beat anyway" or Na they play on green grass or the ones of the other persuasion Na the sky above the park is blue.
Most of us who do go know that many will never bother venturing out unless they have one of the big guns in the cup but this is the reason for targeting the youth of the town now, get them interested and at least a percentage will remain Stranraer fans for life, sure we will lose a fair few to the O/F but what club doesn't. It's hard work but people throughout the country at all Scottish clubs are trying similar ideas to at least retain some local support.

Just saying, fans say a lot of things. The ammount of folk that dislike Queens in Dumfries is outstanding. I can imagine its the same in Stranraer.

Poor crowds and money are generally attributed to folk going to watch one of the ugly sisters.

They were maybe never 'highlighted' but that's when they started!

I dont dislike Stranraer i just dont support them but being a Stranraer person i hear whats being said in town all the excuses as to why people who say they support them aren't actually going to games and the most common excuse was i'm not going because of who is on the committee well its all change on the committee now so why is the people who say they are supporters not now going to the games. Another excuse was there's no local lads involved well now knoxy is assistant manager and bringing a couple of local boys through they still dont go, but fair play to the handfull of people who have stood by the club through good and bad times and attend games home and away

It's all just excuses from people, I have heard them all before. Just in a different town, trying to justify not going to support the local team. Instead they go and support a team 70 miles away or in most cases don't go.

Why don't you just ask them then? I'm guessing the ones who post on here probably do go!

Why do you care if you don't seem to care about your local team?

Which was the point I was making.

Is it true there is a meeting tonight about Stranraer FC's financial difficulties?

Correct me if i am wrong its a free country you can live where you like and support who you like. And everyone entitled to their opinion

Apart from nobody outside the old firm cares about there views.

Isnt that what everyone else is expressing too ? Their opinions. All they are saying that if fans supported their local teams then they would have more money and probably be more sucessful. They would then be playing in higher leagues, attracting more fans home and away and bringing more people and money to their towns. For instance I wonder where the few hundred Gretna fans will be now ? Maybe away back to their first team....Rangers ? Or will the East league teams be in for a great bonus this season !

I must be missing the point here. You can surely support a number of teams by going to the games and paying your money at the gate. Just because you say your a Rangers, Celtic Queens or Stranraer supporter doesn't mean you cant still support your local team.???????????????

It is strange, why support two teams?

Your not supporting your local team when your at Ibrox though ? When clubs like Stranraer are really struggling with money problems do all the buses up the road stop and head for Stair Park instead ? If your a Rangers fan you can maybe have an interest in another teams results but I wouldnt say your another teams supporter !

i agree, i know alot of people who support rangers or celtic or even man united and if they can the get along to palmerston in my eyes that is supporting your local team, you can support as many teams as you want. since when did queens have 15,000 fans? but did i look upon them as anything other than queens fans in the final...well no i didnt (apart from those who were wearing rangers tops at the queens end). i must admit that i was brought up by my dad as a rangers fan but from a young age i was going along to palmerston and i see queens as the team i support, but in actual fact i still have a soft spot for rangers. what i dont like is that young fans are encouraged to wear rangers/celtic tops to go watch a queens game. and of the day thought we cant control what they wear.

i think your bang on to have a concern for your local club even though you dont support them as your "1st" team

QUOTE (footie fan @ Jul 17 2008, 17:58) Just because you say your a Rangers, Celtic Queens or Stranraer supporter doesn't mean you cant still support your local team.???????????????




Having a concern for your local club and supporting them are not the same though. If Stranraer really are having money problems how many of the Old Firm supporters from the town that have a concern for Stranraer are going to go to Stair Park and give Stranraer their money rather than go to Ibrox or Parkhead ? Everyone can support and follow who they want but the main way of supporting a club is to go and pay their money at the gate and buy their merchandise at a game. You cant do that when your up the road.

I really think you need to get your priorities sorted if you think i should be concerned about Stranraer's finacial short comings i am not. At the end of the day i will support the team i was brought up to support and work and family commitments permitting i will also support local teams by paying my money at the gate and hope it gets to where it should.(last comment getting really fed up with this one )

Look this is for you and 1919 I was brought up to support rangers from as far back as i can remember myself and my brothers were all brought up to be blue noses we all have season tickets for ibrox and unlike others on this site we dont jump from team to team i can remember watching the gers with 4000 in ibrox, but what i will say is i never say i,m going to go to stair park although when rangers are away and stranraer are home i pay my money and watch them i,m also a member of the social club and play the lottery so i think i have a right to an opinion!!!!!!!!!!!

QUOTE (footie fan @ Jul 17 2008, 17:58) Just because you say your a Rangers, Celtic Queens or Stranraer supporter doesn't mean you cant still support your local team.???????????????




I dont seem to get your point ! On one hand you say people can support Rangers, Celtic, Queens and Stranraer and on the other you are saying you dont care if one of those teams goes to the wall ! Not practicing what you preach or are you one of those people that boyfaethetoon goes on about in his post about jumping from one team to the other ?

someone having a bad day !

remember everyone entitled to one !!!!!!!

No not having a bad day. Just dont understand why a thread that started because of the under17's being finished is giving me a hard time because i dont fiance Stranraer.Dont even live there, know people from there tho and if i am through and there is a game on i go. I do hope that all those who have gave me there opinion tho are helping Stranraer in their hour of need