Red Watch
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Posts posted by Red Watch
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3 hours ago, Magic Hat said:
One thing I think both sets of young fans need to cut out is throwing lemon and strawberry bon bon coloured smoke bombs, they add absolutely SFA.
Fully agree with that. In addition an object was hurled at an Alloa player from the north end of the West Stand. Surely someone will know who threw it? Are all of our stewards blind? What each club should be doing is requiring someone to own up/turn someone else in under fear of banning the whole group.
Further, why weren't the police outside to prevent the Stirling youths from hurling missiles into the Alloa fans inside the ground. This is a repeat of what happened at the previous home game against Montrose whose fans were also targets, so it should have been anticipated.
It is high time for the clubs to step up before someone suffers serious injury. If they don't, will the SFA get off their backsides and cease to warm their haemorrhoids?
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16 hours ago, WC Boggs said:
I believe you! I could tell something was going on but wasn't sure exactly what, as the said bawbags couldn't be seen from the west stand for the east wall. I could see a handful of young Montrose fans throwing something behind that wall. Presumably some of the stones they were being pelted with.
I did see some of them running away from that area when I left the ground. The oldest looked about 15 or 16 and the rest between 12 and 14 some dressed in black hoodies. The oldest was shouting abuse and challenging adult Montrose supporters to fight, while running backwards away from them. More a fannybaws than a bawbag.
I'm sorry mate. I'm absolutely sick of this group's behaviour and hope they can be identified and barred for good.
This is the mob which caused damage to seats and the plastic pitch at Alloa - for which SAFC had to pick up the tab. They most certainly should be barred for good - they bring nothing to the club except trouble. Essential that this is done before the next Alloa game otherwise they will have scores to settle. One of the main protagonists is a larger (taller) youth who looks like he has been scoffing pies for some time. He should be fairly easy to identify.
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Match postponed. Frozen Pitch.
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On 07/11/2023 at 10:58, unitedbino said:
Has there been any word from the police on this?
It wouldn't surprise me if the police have spoken to the club. These youths will have been on the police radar for some time. Notably there was a police presence amongst the group on the south terrace on Saturday.
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On 05/11/2023 at 09:43, BFTD said:
The young team certainly seemed like they had a good time yesterday
They certainly did - they decamped around 4.30! So much for their support of the team. They were only interested in baiting the Alloa fans at the end of the East Stand fans and even this was nipped in the bud when the stewards insisted that they congregate in the centre of the terracing. They slunk away with barely a murmur. Why doesn't this spotty horde of immature adolescents wear any team colours and lend vocal support to the team rather than hurling childish insults at away fans?
Some of them were behaving in a disorderly and threatening way in the town centre afterwards. The occupants of four police vehicles converged on Friars Street at 5.45 to ensure that things did not get out of hand. There were other police officers outside the rail station monitoring things. I did not witness any bother from Alloa fans and credit to them for that. The same cannot be said for the youths who purport to support SAFC.
They have had enough warnings from the club - it is time for them to be excluded.
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Aberdeen match 7.45pm on Friday 18 August.
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On 23/07/2023 at 13:43, BB_Bino said:
Yeah, that’s my experience of them as well @Believe The Hype and they don’t paint the club in a positive light. I get that the Board see them as the future of the club and they need to be welcomed and encouraged but I don’t think they are. There are plenty of other youngsters throughout the club that are there for the right reasons that we should concentrate on before these lads.
I see that today's Stirling Observer is carrying a piece about the behaviour of individuals in the self-styled 1945 Crew and in particular that Alloa FC have sought recompense for seats damaged by the neds during the cup match at the Recs last week.
Drawing upon the statement on the SAFC website, the newspaper also refers to Morrisons supermarket having complained to the club about fighting in the store after the Ayr cup game.
Last season I urged that the club needed to get a grip on the behaviour of these cretins and take steps to exclude them thus preserving the good name of the club. These youths really now are in the "last chance saloon" and are on a final warning. I urge all supporters, regardless of affiliation, to report any future incidents to SAFC so that we can rid ourselves of the cancer that is the 1945 Crew.
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9 hours ago, unitedbino said:
I walked in behind a load of them a few weeks ago and they all paid (and were all handed a note of some kind that I presumed warned them against using flares).
And yet despite this, subsequently, they still persist in having and using flares. Last year during the hot weather they set an embankment alight in Forthside Way with the fire brigade having to be called to deal with it. Then the idiots posted the clip on You Tube clearly linking the club with illegal and dangerous activity.
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The Young Team, aka the 1945 Crew, are spotty adolescents whose balls have yet to drop and have been warned many times this season as to their behaviour particularly on the use of flares both inside and outside football stadiums. Some of them are known to the police and a bunch of them were being closely monitored in the town centre after yesterday’s game.
In my view the negatives far outweigh the positives in that they could be mistakenly seen as role models by those youngsters with their mums and dads at the game yesterday. Potentially these morons could do the club damage unless they are clamped down upon and the troublemakers excluded.
Yesterday’s antics will have been noted by the SPFL representative and it would not surprise me if someone has a quiet word in the Club’s ear.
It is worth mentioning that the adolescents weren’t the only ones who misbehaved at the Annan match last weekend. When Duffy scored the third goal near the end this was greeted by an idiot in his 30’s in the away stand igniting a red flare. This was dealt with promptly by the stewards who removed the flare from him and him being unceremoniously ejected from the ground.
Whether they are young folk yet to reach adulthood or 30 year old cretins who misbehave, we surely do not need them at our club?
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Given all the rain which we had yesterday, what is coming down at the moment, and what is forecast well into this afternoon, the match must be in doubt.
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The Chairman has resigned:
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I see that the Stenny fans are to be occupying the East Stand, apparently to avoid the like of the pie-throwing incidents when the two sides met last season.
Does anyone know if we have now permanently excluded the so-called casuals who infested the Morrisons end of the West stand? They were not at all in evidence at the Elgin game and I understand that they had been ejected at the Peterhead game for vaping and using foul and abusive language to the stewards.
I see that there is a video clip on YouTube showing these idiots with lit flares on Forthside Way on their way to the Aberdeen game. They set the undergrowth alight with the result that the fire brigade had to be called to extinguish the fire.
These troublemakers haven't even got the courage to show their faces on the videos they post under the ridiculous name of the 1945 Crew. They are bad news for the club.
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37 minutes ago, WC Boggs said:
That is the last thing I have to say on this matter while this mediation proceeds.
Peace at last! We should all be grateful.
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16 minutes ago, WC Boggs said:
The smell of shite filled underwear around the Trust board must be overwhelming. What a peace plan. Give them everything they want or we'll say you wouldn't have peace. It's a sort Red Watchy stinky sort of peace plan.
Is that a serious response? I would have thought that your nurse would have counselled you against such negativity.
But you are right in one respect. What has now been proposed bears reasonable comparison to what was envisaged by me and others in my post last Saturday evening - a proposal that was ridiculed as one which you wanted nothing to do with.
In my view these are serious proposals which merit serious consideration rather than the reaction you have displayed. I suggest you have a lie down before commenting further - you will only make a fool of yourself otherwise.
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Below is the text of the document referred to in the aforementioned statement:
PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION OF STIRLING ALBION FOOTBALL AND
ATHLETIC CLUB LIMITED
1. Board of Directors
a. The make up of the board should be:
i. Three operational roles from the Club, being the managing director or similar
position, the commercial director and the finance director, or such similar roles
as may be appropriate.
ii. Three representatives of the Trust or independent shareholders.
iii. An independent chairperson.
b. The chairperson of the board should be non-executive and not hold either a position on
the Trust board or an operational position within the Club
c. No person shall be appointed as a director to the Company without the prior written
approval of the Trust.
d. Directors hold office for a term of 3 years after which they must seek re-election.
e. All directors to be put up for re-election at the first AGM after the adoption of new
Articles and, subsequently directors to be put up for re-election on a rotational basis
such that no more than 1/3 of the board may change at any point in time.2. Matters Requiring the Approval of the Trust
a. Any change in the name or nickname of Stirling Albion Football Club.
b. Any change in the badges, logos or other devices used in the branding of the Club.
c. Any change in the colours of the Club’s home playing strip.
d. Any change in stadium location or name.
e. Any transaction involving land or buildings with a market value over £30,000.
f. Any borrowings, secured or unsecured, apart from those incurred in the normal course
of trade.
g. Any lease commitment in excess of £10,000 per annum.
h. Any changes to the capital structure of the Club including the issue of new shares.
i. Any changes to the Articles of Association of the Club.
j. The incorporation of any new subsidiary or associated company.
k. The appointment of a receiver or administrator.
l. An annual budget.
m. Individual items of expenditure over £20k not in the approved annual budget.
n. Individual items of capital expenditure over £20k
o. The appointment of a team manager.
p. The appointment of anyone on the Club's payroll with a salary over £25k, excluding
player’s contracts.
q. A strategic business plan.3. Information Requirements
a. Information to be laid before or otherwise distributed to the board:
i. Monthly management accounts.
ii. An annual budget, to be prepared in advance of the start of a new financial year.
iii. A business plan.0 -
News from the trenches. The Trust Board has just issued this statement:
The Board of the Stirling Albion Supporters’ Society Limited (the “Trust”) are willing to enter into mediation, in good faith, with the Board of the Stirling Albion Football and Athletic Company Limited (the “Company”; the “Club”). We all want what is best for our football club and we will work constructively with the Club Board.
For the Trust the purpose of this mediation is to put in place a governance structure similar to that of other fan-owned clubs, which will require changes to the Club’s Articles of Association. These changes will help safeguard the long-term stability of Stirling Albion and we hope will provide a framework to support joint working and importantly improve the relationship between the Trust, as the majority shareholder, and the Club Board. We recognise this joint approach and improved relations are the wish of everyone associated with Stirling Albion.
Past failed attempts at mediation and discussions had led the Trust Board to believe the only way to put appropriate rules in place would be to remove the existing board before doing so. We acknowledged this was extreme but felt we were left with no other option.
However, in an attempt at reconciliation and with the interests of Stirling Albion at heart, if the Club Board is willing to engage in discussions, we are willing to not vote for the action to remove the current Club Directors. We are happy for an independent mediator to oversee these discussions and would support one involved in fan-owned football in Scotland or from a specialist mediation organisation.
We will send a legal proposal to the Club with the following terms for mediation:
- For an interim period, three additional board members to be appointed, representing the Trust and independent shareholders.
- Role of Chairperson and Operations Director to be split and an independent, non-executive chairman to be appointed.
- Discussions to be entered into by this interim board to make changes to the Club’s Articles of Association.
- New Articles to be adopted no more than 4 months from the date of the agreement to enter mediation.
If the Club agree to these terms and a legally binding agreement is entered into, the Trust will not vote for the current motion to remove the existing Club Directors.
For clarity, attached is the Trust Board’s starting position for discussion on suggested changes to the Articles to let you see what type of rule changes we mean. As we have previously stated, these provisions are normal in corporate governance and standard practice in other fan-owned clubs’ structures.
Additionally, we are aware the Trust rules need to be updated to reflect current best practice and we will undertake this exercise with reference to other fan-owned clubs’ supporters associations.
The Trust Board sincerely hopes this proposal is accepted and the Trust and Club can begin to work harmoniously together for the sole benefit of Stirling Albion Football Club.
The SAST Board
26th July 20220 -
47 minutes ago, Cardle is Magic said:
Holy christ, I saw this on Twitter and had assumed it was someone taking the piss 🫣
An activity all too prevalent in the Boardroom, unfortunately.
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1 hour ago, Sergeant Wilson said:
If you don't have time to catch up, you might refer to this.
Glad you are finding it entertaining! It must be pleasing to have Disneyworld at your fingertips (subscription-free, as well) with our closet Pinocchio making regular appearances.
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3 minutes ago, LeodhasXD said:
What is interesting is that in this situation the loyalties of the physio and doctor are apparently tied to Stuart Brown. Not to Stirling Albion FC...
That is an excellent point.
Notwithstanding this, I have my suspicions about the trigger for this "letter".
I remember being told in 2016, the physio was actively touting support from amongst the squad in support of the appointment of Martin Corrigan, then Assistant Manager, to the vacant managerial post (Stuart McLaren having gone).
Stuart Brown was known to favour Martin but got overruled by the Board who appointed Dave Mackay. Shortly after, Martin left.
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8 minutes ago, LeodhasXD said:
To sign it Stirling Albion Players in fancy font gives it so more legitimacy.
Oh ye of little faith - what makes you think this did not emanate from the playing squad?
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Readers will have seen my post of 20.40 on Saturday which attempted to promote a conciliatory approach to the current problems which also drew upon views garnered at the Peterhead game. I appealed to Mr Boggs to become involved constructively with a view to engineering a solution likely to avoid disruption at the club. You will have seen his reaction and drawn your own conclusions as to his motives for reacting in the way that he has.
Since my post we have seen the publication via Twitter (but not via the Club’s official website) of a missive from the Club Board and the publication of a communication purporting to be from solicitors acting on behalf of the Club Board.
In order for readers to have a more balanced picture, I set out below the text of an email issued by the Trust Board late last night in response to the Club’s earlier communication:
The Stirling Albion Supporters’ Trust seek to clarify a number of points raised in the Club communication today.
The Club’s communication, a letter from Gilson Gray LLP, the solicitors acting on behalf of Mr Brown, and associated statement, focuses on two points: the offer of mediation and voting by members. The Club says the letter was not answered.
We stated in a communication with the Membership on 8th July 2022, that previous attempts at mediation had failed. Mediation has been attempted before, in 2018, but the agreed outcome was then rejected by the Club Board and, subsequently, an accusation of bias was leveled at the mediator by the Club Chairman. When a new Trust Board was elected, it was hoped that some progress to address these issues could be made but all attempts have failed: in 2021 attempts to set up Terms of Reference for a Joint Working Group were ignored by the Club; and, in February 2022, a joint meeting which agreed a way forward was rejected by the Club less than 48 hours later.
In May of this year, after a further mediation suggestion at the Club EGM, a telephone conversation took place the following day and once again the Club placed obstacles in the way of progress, the Club chairman stating he was unwilling for his Board to work with three elected members of the current Trust Board.
Therefore, by the actions of the Club Chairman, we have every reason to believe the results of any mediation would be rejected by the Club Board. The Club Board have proven unwilling, time and again, to work with the Trust or be accountable to the Trust as the majority owners of the Club. Rules, via the Club’s Articles, need to be in place to ensure that this and future Club Boards are subject to the oversight and scrutiny of the Club’s owners - as is normal practice in all businesses.
Secondly, the letter suggests a proper vote of the Membership. Unfortunately, and as has been communicated, prior to the Trust AGM which had been scheduled for March, the membership was flooded with new members in a clear case of entryism engineered by the Club Board. Attempts to distort the membership included writing to members of Stirling Golf Club requesting they join and vote in a certain way. In addition, the voting process was abused in a clear breach of Trust rules - in one example, a Club Director was trying to vote on behalf of 42 others.
There will be a democratic vote of the Membership, but the appropriate rules and governance structure need to be in place to ensure the long term stability of the Club first. The current Club Board have shown themselves to be unwilling to work with the Trust to put these rules in place.
We have made it clear that new Board appointments will be selected after an interview process and put to the members for approval. Appointments will be for a fixed term. There will be no restriction on who may present themselves as a candidate to an elected board. We would also like to make it clear that there is no threat at all to anyone’s jobs or any volunteer positions at Stirling Albion. That is not what our actions are aimed at – they are aimed at putting
proper governance structures in place for the future. In the best interests of Stirling Albion we call upon the Club to participate in a full and appropriate handover with the incoming interim board.
It is clear the governance structure, including changes to the Club Articles of Association, is required to safeguard the long term stability of Stirling Albion, removing tensions that have existed over the years. It is essential that we move forward and improve the relationship between Trust, as the majority shareholders, and the Club Board. These changes will provide a framework for this and we hope make a start in uniting the support.
To reassure, members will be given a vote on the appointment of Club Directors following this interim period. We believe the Trust members should have a vote on the appointment of Club Directors - this is something that under the current structure does not exist.
Please let us know if you would like any further information, you can contact us by simply replying to this email.A couple of points occur to me. Firstly, are the solicitors aware that several previous attempts to mediate came to nothing and the reasons for that happening? Secondly, great store has been attached by the solicitors (and by our lavatorial correspondent on this forum) on the need for Trust members to have a vote on removing existing directors. One wonders whether the solicitors were or are aware of the jiggery-pokery whereby a Club Board member actively “recruited” a flood of previously unheard-of people interested in joining the Trust? One wonders, also, if the solicitors were or are aware of attempts being made to rustle up additional members from within Stirling Golf Club?
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15 minutes ago, WC Boggs said:
You spoke to him, why didn't you ask him? It's your urgent appeal and it's not like you're too shy or not wordy enough. You can be the go between for BOTH chairmen. Appealing to one and not the other isn't really a peace plan is it Dr Kissinger?
You have misread my post. I did not speak to the Chairman this afternoon.
I am not going to descend to your level of making snide remarks as it does not further what I am trying to do here. Will you assist or not? I am trying to find a way forward which might achieve an outcome appealing to all concerned.
If not, just say so!
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Whilst at the match today I had a chat to a number of fans about the impending discussions about the removal of Club board members including the Chairman. Almost without exception those fans were apprehensive about the Club and its future were it to lose overnight the services of key individuals who have contributed significantly to the matchday experience as well as at other times.
Quite apart from this the fans were of the opinion that the Club Board’s actions in not engaging with the Trust, as majority owners and shareholders, were beyond reason and not in the interests of Stirling Albion FC. Indeed, those fans considered the Club’s actions to have been detrimental to Stirling Albion and to the reputation of football in community.
A general view emerged that it was high time that certain individuals, on both sides, swallowed their pride and ceased to display the animosity to each other which has been all too evident. It was considered inevitable that there was no way of escaping the fact that the Club and the Trust are going to have to engage with each other constructively and work together for the advancement of the Club. Neither side has a monopoly on expertise in running a football club, whilst each side will be able to contribute ideas designed to strengthen the club to the point where its future in the short, medium and longer term can be assured.
The fans I spoke to believe that the Trust has on several occasions in the past offered an olive branch to the Club Board only to be rebuffed. Why should this be? What legitimacy prevails to support this negative attitude. If this persists, we will lose key individuals that we can ill-afford to lose through their removal from office and Stirling Albion FC will suffer as a consequence.
I know not if the Club Chairman reads this forum. If he does, I would urge him on behalf of fans to show that he is big enough by contacting the Trust Chairman without delay with a view to setting up discussions as a matter of urgency with a view reaching agreement on a mechanism to further understandings on a range of issues which have been allowed to fester for many months. If he does not read this forum, I would urge Mr Boggs to act as a go between to relay this message to him urgently.
Likewise, if anyone has contact with the Trust Chairman, can urgent contact be made with him to convey the pressing message that the two sides need to come together to obviate further conflict which is in the offing in the shape of the Special General Meeting of the Trust next Tuesday and then the General Meeting of the Club Limited Company just over a week later on 3rd August.
One fan suggested to me that the two sides appoint a mutually acceptable person to facilitate constructive dialogue on the way forward and this idea might have some merit.
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9 hours ago, WC Boggs said:
Sure I'll be specific. Go f**k a duck ya Greenock gremlin.
What a pity that Bellsdyke is not open to admit you!
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Stirling V Alloa. No controversy here.
in Scottish League 1 General Chatter
Posted
Excellent news. Let's hope they throw the book at him and make an example of him as a deterrent to others. It is disgraceful that our antiquated laws prevent him being named publicly