The Falkirk FC Thread

[Bairnardo]

If you wouldn't shout it at someone in Farmfoods, I don't see how you can justify it at football, other than with the weak as hell "it's the football, it's different" pish. 
 
If that's the only way you can think of to tell someone they are bad at their job, crack on. Just don't act outraged when the young lads around you grow up thinking that abusing people at a sports match is normal. 

Do you pay to get into and watch Farmfoods employees? Do you celebrate wildly when someone at Farmfoods correctly places a 1kg bag of frozen (raw) Tiger Prawns in the freezer?

Its not helpful and a massive over simplification to simply say "footballers are getting abused at their work" because if you take that through to its logical conclusion, football fans would leave in their droves having been forced to watch in a highly sanitised atmosphere, and footballers would have no work.

Anyone who wants to be a footballers surely does so having grown up watching and loving a highly competitive sport with the atmosphere that goes with it.

Saying "would you say that to someone on the street" is the same level as when a bad tackle goes in and someone says "If ye did that on the street....."

Professional sport and particularly is what it is. It has grown up and around the fans and that tribalism is at the heart of footballs success. Its no stretch whatsoever to say that if football had never inspired tribalism and fed off it, then it wouldnt be relevant as a sport and something else would be in its place.

What you are doing is conveniently ignoring something that is essentially human nature. To become part of a group/herd, to compete with and be aggressive towards others. I agree that there is a line but you are placing the line way to close to sanitising and therefore ruining the base experience of being a football fan IMO

[Poet of the Macabre]

"If you did that on the street you'd get done for assault" annoys the f**k out of me. You'd get arrested for almost anything you do on a football pitch. I'd want someone locked up if they tried taking a throw in down the town centre and would hugely perturbed if some twitchy fuckers tried jostling for position at a corner while waiting for the bus.

Football is not a normal industry and the passion it creates is why it's the most popular sport in the world and lends itself to making billions in TV deals. It's also why footballers get paid huge amounts of money and not one person can get involved in football and not expect to get some stick off the fans. As long as it's not creeping into racism/homophobic territory, I think people are quite withing their rights to say Player A is pish.

[Ontovictory]

4 hours ago, Newmember said:

Can anyone answer my Q 

Who are the major shareholders at Falkirk fc

 

4 hours ago, Newmember said:

Can anyone answer my Q 

Who are the major shareholders at Falkirk fc

Sandy Alexander and Martin Ritchie

[Nightmare]

15 minutes ago, Poet of the Macabre said:

"If you did that on the street you'd get done for assault" annoys the f**k out of me. You'd get arrested for almost anything you do on a football pitch. I'd want someone locked up if they tried taking a throw in down the town centre and would hugely perturbed if some twitchy fuckers tried jostling for position at a corner while waiting for the bus.

Football is not a normal industry and the passion it creates is why it's the most popular sport in the world and lends itself to making billions in TV deals. It's also why footballers get paid huge amounts of money and not one person can get involved in football and not expect to get some stick off the fans. As long as it's not creeping into racism/homophobic territory, I think people are quite withing their rights to say Player A is pish.

"if that happened off the pitch" chat is up there with folk banging on about footballers getting paid x amount more than the likes of military personnel or nurses. Absolute moon-howling drivel.

[Hank von Hell]

14 hours ago, EdiBairn said:

This 'consortium' were unable to prove they have sufficient funds to take over and keep the club afloat so the current BoD are quite rightly not prepared to sell to them. The guy at the head of it certainly doesn't have either the experience or finance needed for the role IMO.

They'll easily get the more gullible fans aboard with promises of reopening the academy and 'sack the board' but I've yet to see a serious plan that ensures the viability of the football club or what they'd do differently.

 

Delighted to see Craig 101 emerge to bury EdiBairn. I'm claiming the assist, an unintentional set-up but hugely satisfying nonetheless.

Has anyone checked Edi's doorstep for milk bottles?   

#TELT

#prayforedi    

Edited December 12, 2018 by Hank von Hell

[Skyline Drifter]

4 hours ago, Newmember said:

Can anyone answer my Q 

Who are the major shareholders at Falkirk fc

This info is available free of charge at Companies House.

There are 2,421,760 shares. Main shareholders appear to be:

Sandy Alexander 454,320

Edward Moffat 223,616

Gean Developments Ltd (Douglas McIntyre) 220,616

W Martin Ritchie 204,304

Colin Liddell 178,802

Paul Healey 163,204

Lex Miller 123,506

WJ Electrical (William Jeeves) 111,967

MR Timber Ltd (Martin Ritchie) 97,810

Just under 900 other smaller shareholders, a handful of whom have between 10,000 and 40,000 shares but mostly less than 1,000.

 

Edited December 12, 2018 by Skyline Drifter

[Guest]

Sandy Alexander and Martin Ritchie

Plus
Lex Miller, Colin Liddell, Douglas McIntrye, Willie Moffat and Paul Healy

[LeodhasXD]

23 minutes ago, Hank von Hell said:

You are missing the point. I'm not talking about 1 or 2 players. Hartley was allowed to sign 16 players, without having seen them "live" and many were young players with no real playing history in the senior game  - placing all his faith in a scout (who was rumored to also be an agent) . Don't you think that is just a little bit reckless?

Before you answer have a look at where FFC are now.

I'd expect at least some governance, or at least diligence, from the Chairman to prevent a potential catastrophic situation -  unless they were absolutely behind , & complicit in, this strategy.         

I still don't think the board would have time or the desire to vet players. I think that's outside of their job descriptions.

Trusting in a strategy of looking at English rejects? I'm not 100% on if Motherwell have actually done that pretty well because I don't have time to watch them but the impression I get is they have done a good job of it. The only difference being Falkirk picked the wrong people to do that job.

Again that's on the manager and the board acted pretty quickly to make you actually competitive again. From an outside perspective I think you could probably do worse than ML. The question and answer was pretty enlightening and she seemed to have a solid grip on the things you'd want from someone running the club.

 

[Newmember]

13 minutes ago, Back Post Misses said:

Plus
Lex Miller, Colin Liddell, Douglas McIntrye, Willie Moffat and Paul Healy

Is Sandy Alexander the guy who owns the shoe shops 

[Stainrod]

9 hours ago, badgerthewitness said:

@EdiBairn you OK, m8? 

Something in your eye?

Seagul shit 

[Hank von Hell]

2 hours ago, LeodhasXD said:

I still don't think the board would have time or the desire to vet players. I think that's outside of their job descriptions.

Trusting in a strategy of looking at English rejects? I'm not 100% on if Motherwell have actually done that pretty well because I don't have time to watch them but the impression I get is they have done a good job of it. The only difference being Falkirk picked the wrong people to do that job.

Again that's on the manager and the board acted pretty quickly to make you actually competitive again. From an outside perspective I think you could probably do worse than ML. The question and answer was pretty enlightening and she seemed to have a solid grip on the things you'd want from someone running the club.

 

I would not expect the BOD to vet players, but I would expect them to establish a process for the manager when bringing in players that extends beyond watching a 4 min youtube video. That signing strategy is a form of Russian Roulette and we never once got lucky. I would imagine that judging by their success Motherwell did the real due diligence on their English rejects.  Hartley was allowed to sign 16 players totally unchecked - it seems.

I agree the BOD acted quickly to their credit , unfortunately the damage was done. The point you make about ML having a sold grip on the things you'd want from someone running the club (badly) is one I made to EdiBairn before his demise as he was trying to pass her off/dismiss her as some "unpaid volunteer" like she was handing out bovril & pies on a Saturday or inside Fergus Fox, and therefore exempt from all blame.   

[Hank von Hell]

2 hours ago, Newmember said:

Is Sandy Alexander the guy who owns the shoe shops 

Shuh was him.

[knee jerk reaction]

Didn't bainsford bairn (he does actually seem a bit ITK) not say on here that Hartley did see or had been watching for a while most of the players? The hartley just signed guys without seeing them seems to be something that if you say it often enough it becomes true. How many games had the jak played before coming to us? Tommy Robson was another young inexperienced player from England, where should the board step in if a manager is bringing in players? The board have made some horrendous PR mistakes but I think they have backed our managers to get on with their jobs.

The chairmen and CEO could be A Hitler and Genghis Khan and no-one would say a word until results on the pitch were rubbish! How many were asking for the board's head when we got to the cup final or were beating hibs and rangers? How many, without hindsight, were wanting hartley out in the summer? From getting rid of Houston and most of his squad right through to getting Ray in, the board have been doing almost exactly what the vast majority on here have been wanting them to do.

[Bainsfordbairn]

48 minutes ago, knee jerk reaction said:

Didn't bainsford bairn (he does actually seem a bit ITK) not say on here that Hartley did see or had been watching for a while most of the players? The hartley just signed guys without seeing them seems to be something that if you say it often enough it becomes true. How many games had the jak played before coming to us? Tommy Robson was another young inexperienced player from England, where should the board step in if a manager is bringing in players? The board have made some horrendous PR mistakes but I think they have backed our managers to get on with their jobs.

I know he watched some (possibly the majority) of the eight English players who came in during the summer.  The number four or six is in my head for some reason.  I do remember being told that Dan Turner was one of his "spots".

He obviously saw Froxylias, Haber, Brett Young & Mark Russell before signing them. And I would be very surprised if he hadn't seen all four of the remaining Scottish recruits either. I know he wanted Demi at the last January window and had he not been on the bench against Hibs on the night that window closed we would have signed him then.  

So I think it's safe to say the claim that Hartley signed 16 players without seeing them other than on YT videos is wildly inaccurate. But then I don't agree with the whole "oversight" argument as I've posted before. I think the Alloa fan summed it up quite nicely.

Edited December 13, 2018 by Bainsfordbairn

[RC55 FFC]

I’d wager Hartley would prefer the rumour he hasn’t seen the majority of them.

If he’s watched them and thought they were good enough for Falkirk and for this division then it confirms how bad an eye for talent he has in the most.

[Hank von Hell]

1 hour ago, Bainsfordbairn said:

I know he watched some (possibly the majority) of the eight English players who came in during the summer.  The number four or six is in my head for some reason.  I do remember being told that Dan Turner was one of his "spots".

He obviously saw Froxylias, Haber, Brett Young & Mark Russell before signing them. And I would be very surprised if he hadn't seen all four of the remaining Scottish recruits either. I know he wanted Demi at the last January window and had he not been on the bench against Hibs on the night that window closed we would have signed him then.  

So I think it's safe to say the claim that Hartley signed 16 players without seeing them other than on YT videos is wildly inaccurate. But then I don't agree with the whole "oversight" argument as I've posted before. I think the Alloa fan summed it up quite nicely.

My nephew was told ,before the start of the season, by Hartley himself that he hadn't seen the English lads "live". He didn't have to , as we had an English scout that he trusted.  He had no reason to make this up back then.

How do you know he saw "some" or "the majority" or "four or six" or maybe twelvety ?  Seems a bit hairy fairy.

 

 

[Hank von Hell]

2 hours ago, knee jerk reaction said:

Didn't bainsford bairn (he does actually seem a bit ITK) not say on here that Hartley did see or had been watching for a while most of the players? The hartley just signed guys without seeing them seems to be something that if you say it often enough it becomes true. How many games had the jak played before coming to us? Tommy Robson was another young inexperienced player from England, where should the board step in if a manager is bringing in players? The board have made some horrendous PR mistakes but I think they have backed our managers to get on with their jobs.

The chairmen and CEO could be A Hitler and Genghis Khan and no-one would say a word until results on the pitch were rubbish! How many were asking for the board's head when we got to the cup final or were beating hibs and rangers? How many, without hindsight, were wanting hartley out in the summer? From getting rid of Houston and most of his squad right through to getting Ray in, the board have been doing almost exactly what the vast majority on here have been wanting them to do.

Wow this is all over the place. Jumping from this season to last to cup  finals , hibs & rangers back to the summer then Houstie and then now. My head is spinning with the chronological order and all the questions. A fair bit of rambling, and it's not all walking.

Why be happy to mention Hitler but not his first name, just "A" ,  while Genghis gets his full name?   "Board's head" ???? Mine hurts.

For the record I haven't said the BOD should go - just the CEO & the Chair for all the reasons mentioned previously.

 

[Bairn Necessities]

55 minutes ago, RC55 FFC said:

I’d wager Hartley would prefer the rumour he hasn’t seen the majority of them.

If he’s watched them and thought they were good enough for Falkirk and for this division then it confirms how bad an eye for talent he has in the most.

Agreed. Absolutely no way I'd be admitting to having seen this dross live before signing them. 

This whole situation still doesn't ring true. You can't have watched Dennon Lewis or TOE in any level of football and thought "aye, they'll do a job".

Unless of course there were other .. benefits.. to signing these particular players.

[gav-ffc]

If Hartley has really seen Dan Turner in the flesh and chased him all summer then he should give up.

Definetly nothing to do with Richard Mitchell being based in Stoke having previously been an agent 

[sick boy]

has @EdiBairn still not resurfaced from his burrow?