LatapyBairn.

Jest seen the FSS are now up to 800 members with many more existing members also recently upping they’re monthly debits. Noted the club are also really promoting the 1876 club at the moment where funds go direct to the academy, I’ve not been paying into to that one but intend on joining today after seeing the promotion. Seems to be going in the right direction, let’s keep pushing to get more signed up to both!

It’s rent, rumours that SA has left it to the club in his will but I’ve no idea if that’s true or not.

Also looks as though Hamiltons new owner is putting in a fair bit and until very recently add Inverness to your above list as well. Inverness are now needing to run on their own steam, cup run helped them out big style going into this season similar to ourselves.

You have not been specific about which clubs you are talking about but these clubs most likely have wealthy owners who fund or absorb the clubs losses, we don’t have that. As a fan owned club the fans are the clubs benefactor. We are also operating in the third tier of Scottish football where both the prize money, travelling support and sponsorship money is significantly less than it is even in the championship to the tune of around 3 or 400k.

If we get promotion then great, there’s no real issue, if we can significantly increase FSS subs there’s no real issue, if we can do both even better and we are in fantastic shape as a fan owned club. If we do neither of these things there will either be some form of part time set up next season or the club possibly gets put up for sale, we abandon fan ownership and we hope for the best.

Nail on head

Of course they don’t!

Did anybody stick out? Can we look forward to seeing one break through soon?

You do realise there’s roughly a 300k up lift in prize money alone just finishing mid table in the championship? Add to that increased gate money and sponsorship.

I’ve see no criticism of fans whatsoever, unless I missed something. Everything that was communicated via the AGM and subsequent statement released simply laid out the picture of exactly where our finances are and how our expenditure is likely to look going forward should we remain in this division next season. I’d rather we knew now so we can perhaps at least try to get ahead of it. If we are going to be fan owned then fans need to be able to have transparent adult communication with the club about this stuff.

Well if the projected operating loss for this year is circa 320k as per the AGM we would obviously need to somehow find that figure again just to simply maintain the current budget should we still be in league one next season. Not quite panic stations but I’d say it is a relatively serious situation that needs proactively highlighted and addressed now rather than later otherwise if we don’t go up we may well be looking at some form of part time set up next season unless there is an unforeseen cash windfall.

You can sign up and pay online very simply. Not sure if the FSS actually have a facility at the club to allow to sign up new members on their behalf but that actually makes sense now you say it. Perhaps the staff in the club shop could take payments or card transactions from new member sign ups on behalf of the FSS going forward? Unless maybe they already do that? https://falkirksupporters.org/subscribe/

Should the club just not communicate this to us then? Maybe wait until the shit has actually hit the fan then shout surprise?! ……..surely as a fan owned club the projected financial picture needs to be painted clearly and bluntly to let us all as fans and owners perhaps try and positively influence it no?

He’s been excellent for the most part and is continuously improving, has had one or two dodgy moments as well but so has Leon on the opposite flank yet he never seems to be picked up on a mistake to the same level Finn is on here. I can see Finn Yates kicking on and becoming an excellent right back for us, it speaks volumes for him Bisland can’t get a sniff.

Agree with most of what you say regarding the AGM and this 400k figure, in reality this season the operating loss is more like 320k (projected) which should be covered via cash reserves in the short term and I agree a combination of the things you mention would probably close that funding gap going forward as would a cup run or promotion but I think the point being pushed at the AGM with this figure of 400k is more that’s the target number they are aiming at to not just make us sustainable but to actually kick us on and allow us to compete with teams above who are backed by wealthy owners or in the worst case scenario should let us maintain our current playing budget should we remain in this division next year.

Could stick at least another 20 on to that figure I reckon. Just going on the players / management that signed up plus the handful I know personally that are saying they’ve either signed up or increased their current donation since yesterday. Also noticed a few on the club FB page saying they’d signed up for the first time.

I think it was only released tonight so I doubt anything significant just quite yet however I’m hearing there has been a slight boost in numbers already, hopefully that continues.

Agreed, hopefully it encourages a few more fans to do the same and sign up. Fantastic gesture from the players and management that have done so.

There is a handful of our “fans” where you do genuinely get the feeling they want shit to go tits up so they can say I told you so. I’m sure that genuinely is not the case and it is a minority but that is the vibe these people give of. They really need to realise that attitude helps nobody and only serves to compound any underlying issues that do exist , fans can actually be problem solvers or problem makers and we do have a few that fall into the latter category.

Actually think if we can go to Hamilton and still be top of the league it should suit us perfectly, they won’t be able to set up just to stifle us again and will have to be a bit more expansive which should in theory play right into our hands.

What can Falkirk actually do here? The pitch is brand new 4g so will be perfectly playable. I doubt the club have any sway with police Scotland or whatever authority makes these decisions.

Don’t think you’ve read the statement properly, it would be be a way of bridging the gap between those teams with wealthy backers or bigger budgets in the championship and we either manage to do that or we don’t (the likes of Dundee united or Queens Park at the moment) however with promotion and current levels of revenue we should still be “competitive” but would likely be working with a mid table type playing budget as was explained last night. I think it’s right to set ambitious targets to try and exceed that even if it means we end up someplace in the middle. Whether it’s simply to help remain full time in this division or help compete at the top of the championship remains to be seen but revenue does need to be driven upwards or at the very least maintained in all areas of the club and in fairness it has been growing steadily. Ambitious targets are never a bad thing if we are to do this. Do you think the only area of the club that is being pushed to perform better is the FSS? Listening to the detail it sounded like every single controllable income stream is being pushed / driven quite aggressively and for the most part revenue has indeed all been grown quite rapidly over the last 18 months or so as the accounts show.

I agree 2500 members is an ambitious target (but it is only a target!) and I think we are correct to be ambitious, if we don’t get there then fair enough but I’m glad the club and FSS intend to continue pushing membership. All that’s being pointed out here is the truth in that FSS membership will directly effect our playing budget going forward, I’ve absolutely no problem with that. Obviously at current levels of spending promotion would solve the 375k operating loss, this was stated at the AGM however in an ideal world we don’t want the club to simply tread water but should aim to increase our expenditure to compete with those teams at the top end of the championship which may or may not be possible but let’s at least try.

This!

Ship has been steadied and mostly all positives to take from the AGM but it’s pretty clear that anything bar championship football or another unexpected windfall then it’s going to be some form of hybrid part time set up for us next season should we still be in league one. On the flip side promotion this year and the club is in good shape to properly kick on, it’s very fine margins.