The Falkirk FC Thread

[Shadwell Dog]

1 hour ago, HopeStreetWalker said:

Firms will be cutting budgets for sponsorship and advertising. They will be very cautious until their is some certainty on the spending habits and the disposable income people will have. Nobody knows ! this is a situation without precedent and companies will allocate budgets accordingly.

If FFC have any business savvy ( that's a good subject to debate on the forum ) they will be talking to the decision makers of these income streams now to get an idea of what % of the money we can retain.

 

I'm sure kieran will have this all in hand. He's the one shining light we've had on the board over the last few years. I'm 100 percent confident he'll get things sorted.

[Shadwell Dog]

On 28/05/2020 at 07:16, Ecosse83 said:

Pinning my hopes? I was merely pointing the article out!

That's me done reading your rabble on here, ignore  button has been hit. 

I've done the same with virginton. Makes the board a much more enjoyable place.

[Bairnardo]

https://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/sport/football/falkirk-fc/ready-when-you-are-spfl-2866366
Gary Dean's keen to play the whole season from the off.

Theres some patter to be had there re the ability to play a full season with no crowds, and crowdwanking. Fucked if I can join it all up though, but it's there.

[Bainsfordbairn]

I thought this was interesting.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52843448

They are two very big "ifs", but if the Govt says yes and the SPFL can sort out a league structure for clubs who're willing to play, then we're less than two weeks away from the potential date when preseason training could begin.

From a recent Falkirk Herald article all our playing staff had their contracts extended to the end of June. Presumably that included the management.

Assuming M&M agree to stay on, they may have a VERY short window in which to jettison players who're not wanted, recruit new ones and mould them into a team.

[Shadwell Dog]

1 minute ago, Bainsfordbairn said:

I thought this was interesting.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52843448

They are two very big "ifs", but if the Govt says yes and the SPFL can sort out a league structure for clubs who're willing to play, then we're less than two weeks away from the potential date when preseason training could begin.

From a recent Falkirk Herald article all our playing staff had their contracts extended to the end of June. Presumably that included the management.

Assuming M&M agree to stay on, they may have a VERY short window in which to jettison players who're not wanted, recruit new ones and mould them into a team.

The herald only mentioned 3 players as being out of contract. Todd, joh stone and hall. Would be good to have clarification on the others.

[Bainsfordbairn]

3 minutes ago, Shadwell Dog said:

The herald only mentioned 3 players as being out of contract. Todd, joh stone and hall. Would be good to have clarification on the others.

Of the signed players, Hall, Johnstone, Longridge & McShane are out of contract. Todd signed an eighteen month deal when he signed in January.

Of the players who signed last summer on two year deals, which are rumoured to be cancellable after one season if we don't get promoted, I guess we'll need to wait and see.  

 

[Shadwell Dog]

46 minutes ago, Bainsfordbairn said:

Of the signed players, Hall, Johnstone, Longridge & McShane are out of contract. Todd signed an eighteen month deal when he signed in January.

Of the players who signed last summer on two year deals, which are rumoured to be cancellable after one season if we don't get promoted, I guess we'll need to wait and see.  

 

Yeah not sure why the herald highlighted todd as being out of contract unless his deal really was promotion dependant.  The promotion clause has been rumoured but never actually confirmed by the club.Would be good if the club could clarify who exactly is out of contract at the moment.

[HopeStreetWalker]

Have been saying this for a while now on the forum. Clubs will require 8 - 10 weeks minimum = Early mid September season start if things are sorted by the end of June. To get their budget sorted, stadium fit for purpose, playing squad signed and made fit and match sharp.

That can only be done once a fixture list in place. If that is not in place by the end of June then FFC have no choice but to clear the decks of the playing squad.

Any later then it has to be a shortened season and the financial implications of the drop in income that means.

Interesting times !

 

[Shadwell Dog]

58 minutes ago, HopeStreetWalker said:

Have been saying this for a while now on the forum. Clubs will require 8 - 10 weeks minimum = Early mid September season start if things are sorted by the end of June. To get their budget sorted, stadium fit for purpose, playing squad signed and made fit and match sharp.

That can only be done once a fixture list in place. If that is not in place by the end of June then FFC have no choice but to clear the decks of the playing squad.

Any later then it has to be a shortened season and the financial implications of the drop in income that means.

Interesting times !

 

Spfl is looking to start 1st of August.

[Guest]

Only two clubs have been in administration more than once. There is no habit like you claim.
Are you genuinely suggesting that because one board was shit and it ended up with the club in administration that every single subsequent board will do the same? Even though it's different people?
Seriously?

So.....you have steered this to a point where you saying it’s only one bad bunch that takes a club into admin, and suggesting subsequent boards wouldn’t do such a thing isn’t going to happen. Seriously? It was the same people involved both times at Dundee and Franchise FC? I never knew that.

[DA Baracus]

1 minute ago, Duncan Freemason said:

So.....you have steered this to a point where you saying it’s only one bad bunch that takes a club into admin, and suggesting subsequent boards wouldn’t do such a thing isn’t going to happen. Seriously? It was the same people involved both times at Dundee and Franchise FC? I never knew that.

A solid attempt at misconstruing things.

The original post implied that if a club went into administration once then that somehow became a 'habit' and those clubs would continue to spend money they didn't have and inevitably end up in administration again, and would always do so forever, as if it was somehow in the fabric of the club.

Two clubs have fucked things again, but they are the exceptions, not the rule.

[HopeStreetWalker]

1 hour ago, Shadwell Dog said:

Spfl is looking to start 1st of August.

Falkirk are in no position to play fixtures by then. It just can't be done without compromising the stability and future of the club.

 

 

[Shadwell Dog]

24 minutes ago, HopeStreetWalker said:

Falkirk are in no position to play fixtures by then. It just can't be done without compromising the stability and future of the club.

 

 

Mr Dean's seems to think so and has been planning just for that. Training starts back june 10th. 

Edited May 29, 2020 by Shadwell Dog

[HopeStreetWalker]

37 minutes ago, Shadwell Dog said:

Mr Dean's seems to think so and has been planning just for that. Training starts back june 10th. 

Then he is taking a big risk, due to the reasons we have both flagged up.

 

[Reggie Perrin]

Falkirk are in no position to play fixtures by then. It just can't be done without compromising the stability and future of the club.
 
 

The stability and future of the club, and just about every other club, is already compromised by the extraordinary circumstances in which we currently find ourselves.
None of us on here have any idea what the future for the club is and as usual the lack of leadership from the blazers at Hampden is only adding to the uncertainty.

[Guest]

I would say that every football blazer in Scotland is pretty much lower middle management in any other industry. The gene pool is very shallow, and they will without fail, always cede to what one or two clubs want. Ultimately, they will fake a bit of concern for all member clubs, but if push comes to shove, they would cast aside most members to save their own skin.
Doncaster could maybe cut it as a B&Q branch manager, but that’s about it. He makes Walker and Farry look like Einstein and Hawking.
My old boss said that “you manage steady state, but you lead through change. When you have real leaders in a steady state situation, be prepared for plenty of wtf moments. When you have dull managers trying to pretend they are leading change, be prepared for the Titanic’s maiden voyage.”

[HopeStreetWalker]

2 hours ago, Reggie Perrin said:

The stability and future of the club, and just about every other club, is already compromised by the extraordinary circumstances in which we currently find ourselves.
None of us on here have any idea what the future for the club is and as usual the lack of leadership from the blazers at Hampden is only adding to the uncertainty.

Then you do not guess, assume or pre-empt  You wait for a certainty before you commit to a course of action that if it is wrong endangers the company.

That certainty is a fixture list and a kick off date. From that you are in a position to decide on you budget. When you have an accurate estimate of your income then, and only then does the management team get the playing squad budget.

Starting training on the 10th June is all fine and dandy. But not one new contract or extension until there is that fixture list.

Get this wrong then its administration !

[BendtnerBairn]

Alright Bairns, just dropping in to say I have launched a new Scottish football / music magazine with Kickstarter. There are no Falkirk features in this issue unfortunately but there are articles for everyone in there: Scotland's last visit to a major tournament, The Homeless World Cup, The Culture Club with Freehounds Barber Club in Stirling, The Part Time Journal with Danny Denholm and lots more. If you're interested in a copy you can pledge via the link below - cheers Bairns! 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/scottkelly/stonewaller-magazine-number-1?ref=project_build

 

[Guest]

A solid attempt at misconstruing things.
The original post implied that if a club went into administration once then that somehow became a 'habit' and those clubs would continue to spend money they didn't have and inevitably end up in administration again, and would always do so forever, as if it was somehow in the fabric of the club.
Two clubs have fucked things again, but they are the exceptions, not the rule.

The policy of reaching for administration as a business tool is not the exception. Rangers, Motherwell, Hearts, Dunfermline, Franchise FC, Dundee FC have all used it to shed debt. I would reckon Falkirk and Raith would be two examples of clubs who have gotten into significant debt, but both paid it back in full......and other than a fully justified moral high ground, there has been precious little in the way of benefits for doing so. Christ, Franchise were allowed a league cup win to stand while they were in administration fielding a team of players they couldn’t afford. What a joke.

I would say the clubs that decide not to honour their debts have done pretty well out of it......Franchise adopted it as a valid business model from the get go, and would most likely have had three admins had they not managed to fleece the lottery winner out of every penny he had.

[Troy.1995]

1 hour ago, Duncan Freemason said:

The policy of reaching for administration as a business tool is not the exception. Rangers, Motherwell, Hearts, Dunfermline, Franchise FC, Dundee FC have all used it to shed debt. I would reckon Falkirk and Raith would be two examples of clubs who have gotten into significant debt, but both paid it back in full......and other than a fully justified moral high ground, there has been precious little in the way of benefits for doing so. Christ, Franchise were allowed a league cup win to stand while they were in administration fielding a team of players they couldn’t afford. What a joke.

I would say the clubs that decide not to honour their debts have done pretty well out of it......Franchise adopted it as a valid business model from the get go, and would most likely have had three admins had they not managed to fleece the lottery winner out of every penny he had.

Aye.All valid points.Its taken us years to rid ourselves of preceeding arses that just about finished us.Will give credit to those who ARE running my club now.Football people with no self interest of financial gain which is refreshing.My Franchise are where they are due to hard work both on and off the field. And for that im greatfull.Good luck to the Bairns for next season whenever that may be.