The Falkirk FC Thread

[Bairn in Exile]

6 minutes ago, Grangemouth Bairn said:

Don’t see how it can be. If teams go out of business, thousands of supporters will be lost to the game.
 

Personally I will lose something that’s been a big part of my life since 1978 (also a big part of my family life as over the years it’s something I’ve done with my papa, dad, brother, cousin and son - as well as my best mates)

Also, we will end up with future generations supporting either the bigot brothers or the huge clubs from England.

 

I think this will have happened already. 6 months since a ball was kicked in earnest in the lower leagues, how many fans who because they can't get out and about will already be living a virtual life online? Playing games, shopping etc.? If and when things do get back to like something approaching normal, how many of them will have got into a new routine where attending a live football game on a Saturday isn't part of their plans anymore?

[Long Suffering Bairn]

I don't want to see any club go bust, even teams we call rivals.  We are all in the same boat.  We generally support the team we grew up nearest to and we have no control where we are born.  Every team has supporters who are just as dedicated and emotionally connected to their team as we do.  

[HopeStreetWalker]

2 hours ago, Hank von Hell said:

I honestly think all of the above with the exception of PT.

What about us, I don't mean we will go belly up but surely with our costs increasing quite a bit recently with little or no income there has to be a time when we would worry - would 6 months with no guarantee of an end to restrictions start to get a bit scary? 

On the new investment from the US - are they putting money into the club & buying new shares not someone else's shares. And are they completely mad?  

Any Scottish Government bail out, which I think would be highly unlikely, would just dissipate across all the clubs much like the Anderson money which is all but forgotten - and definitely spent.  Oops that's me getting dark again. 

If clubs have set their budgets including crowds at games at some stage of the season. Then they are up shit creek !

[AL-FFC]

3 hours ago, R.R.FC said:

 

 

Our owner announced at the weekend we will post over £100k profit for the last year. That is for the period before we received £150k for Bowie or started selling season tickets and kits.

Unsure whether the £100k raised by the fans is included or not but our ex chairman confirmed this money hadn’t been fully spent yet (due to the furlough scheme being utilised) and would be set aside for the challenges that are likely to face all clubs in the season ahead.

Our owner also confirmed we will be in a position to see out the season regardless of whether fans are allowed in at any point. Obviously no guarantees but I’d say we are far from the most vulnerable.

So other than having the begging bowls out early and asking other clubs to fund your legal challenge against Hearts and PT your owner was just being a necky b*****d and brass necking it to see how much money they could get from elsewhere before having to dip his hands into his own pockets, theres low and theres that level of low.

Forgot about the furlough scheme but didnt your club opt not to top up the players and staffs wages to the fiull 100%

Edited September 23, 2020 by AL-FFC

[Reggie Perrin]

4 hours ago, Bantabairn said:

Another fair point, however I’m sure when we do get some sort of normal life back, and the thought of getting out with family’s, friends etc I’m sure we won’t loose too many. My original post regarding the Abyss was primarily aimed at how Scottish football could do with a complete revamp and removal of the self preservation society, and the self preservation rules that protect the chosen few.

I wouldn’t be surprised if crowds actually go up once we are allowed back into grounds.

Golf has boomed this year with my own club at full membership and the course very busy every day.

[FFC 1876]

https://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/sport/football/falkirk-fc/falkirk-boss-hopes-trio-return-training-time-kilmarnock-betfred-cup-meeting-2981097

Don't know if by "Hopefully more in the next week or so." he means more trialists in for us to have a look at or the trialists already there will hopefully be signed up by next week.

Edited September 23, 2020 by FFC 1876

[HopeStreetWalker]

1 hour ago, Reggie Perrin said:

I wouldn’t be surprised if crowds actually go up once we are allowed back into grounds.

Golf has boomed this year with my own club at full membership and the course very busy every day.

My dad told me when he came home from WW2 'If you wanted a good place to stand at Brockville you went down before 1.30pm to get well up the que, If you got a barrier to lean against you were doing well'

People will be desperate for a bit of normality and banter, for those that can afford it that is. We should not kid ourselves there will be many diehards that won't and out thoughts should be with everybody in that situation.

Balancing things out we will do well to get the same crowds as least full season.

[MrDust]

2 hours ago, Reggie Perrin said:

I wouldn’t be surprised if crowds actually go up once we are allowed back into grounds.

Golf has boomed this year with my own club at full membership and the course very busy every day.

Golf doesn't mirror watching football for me. I'd guess plenty folk who had been on furlough, no pubs and no real way to spend cash then thought fuk it, I can get out and it's fishing or golf. The golf boost will be like a January Gym membership.

I can see plenty of the older fanbase either not wanting to return or scared to return with no vaccine if we do get small crowd trials.

1 hour ago, HopeStreetWalker said:

 

People will be desperate for a bit of normality and banter, for those that can afford it that is. We should not kid ourselves there will be many diehards that won't and out thoughts should be with everybody in that situation.

Balancing things out we will do well to get the same crowds as least full season.

I think normality was first deemed with pubs reopening, it was great to see folk but was far from normality, fans back in grounds will be similar.

The Germans who lead the way for the return of football in Europe to complete the season are struggling to get fans back and Scotland/England are having covid cases a plenty at the moment.

I personally wouldn't be surprised to see lower league football in Scotland and England go tits up in some form in regard to length of season. I do await our 18 game league season if the predictions are to be believed.

 

Edited September 23, 2020 by MrDust

[Guest]

Football should expect no favours from Government. Those clubs who couldn’t see no fans in grounds this year and have not planned accordingly have only themselves to blame. No sympathy from me and it will be their fans that will bail them out

[Long Suffering Bairn]

Blair's letter to the fans - marketing department's instructions to Blair - "here sign this"

[roman_bairn]

Football should expect no favours from Government. Those clubs who couldn’t see no fans in grounds this year and have not planned accordingly have only themselves to blame. No sympathy from me and it will be their fans that will bail them out

I’ll disagree.
A big part of the problem has been the ridiculous split of SPFL cash in such a way that the clubs that actually need it least get overwhelmingly the biggest proportionate share.
Indeed the SPFL should also have been setting money aside for years to support clubs getting into trouble, instead they continue to bleat on and deliver little in terms of commercial income.
Yes, clubs share blame, but the authorities that run our game have done little to provide support when it’s needed....

[Reggie Perrin]

17 minutes ago, roman_bairn said:

I’ll disagree.
A big part of the problem has been the ridiculous split of SPFL cash in such a way that the clubs that actually need it least get overwhelmingly the biggest proportionate share.
Indeed the SPFL should also have been setting money aside for years to support clubs getting into trouble, instead they continue to bleat on and deliver little in terms of commercial income.
Yes, clubs share blame, but the authorities that run our game have done little to provide support when it’s needed....

Why should the Government bail out the incompetent SPFL?

[roman_bairn]

Why should the Government bail out the incompetent SPFL?

Where did I mention the Government though?....

My point is I disagree that clubs are entirely to blame.

[Hank von Hell]

10 hours ago, HopeStreetWalker said:

If clubs have set their budgets including crowds at games at some stage of the season. Then they are up shit creek !

I would guess most have including ours.

Why would you increase your cost base with a projection of little or no income.- that would be madness. So they must've have thought there would be crowds in before the end of the year. like most people did and the ScotGov certainly indicated to be fair.

Of course no one at all had thought of a potential second wave (warning - heavy sarcasm).

I think I mentioned it a few times and the potential for the season not starting or being suspended and you said we'd just sack everyone.   

  

[Top of Meeks Road]

It can only be a matter of time before a League 1 or League 2 clubs opts to accept hibernation for the remainder of the season. 

If one decides, then I think many will follow. 

At least the overheads can be trimmed back if the club opts to shut up shop for around 6 months. 

Juniors used to allow clubs to take non-playing break, abeyance they called it, and with little liklihood of spectators returning anytime soon then many may consider this a safer bet than running at a huge loss. 

Would need SPFL to guarantee a return to full membership once normality returns. 

[TxRover]

10 hours ago, AL-FFC said:

So other than having the begging bowls out early and asking other clubs to fund your legal challenge against Hearts and PT your owner was just being a necky b*****d and brass necking it to see how much money they could get from elsewhere before having to dip his hands into his own pockets, theres low and theres that level of low.

Forgot about the furlough scheme but didnt your club opt not to top up the players and staffs wages to the fiull 100%

I’ll skip debating the first part, but Raith topped up wages to 100%

12 minutes ago, Bantabairn said:

Believe that if the SPFL/SFA suspend or cancel the leagues the players contracts will become null and void.

Clause 12 actually tolls or suspends the contracts for the period that football is suspended. There are a number of legal questions regarding this, including how it impacts the contract lengths, etc.

 

16 minutes ago, Top of Meeks Road said:

It can only be a matter of time before a League 1 or League 2 clubs opts to accept hibernation for the remainder of the season. 

If one decides, then I think many will follow. 

I suspect you are correct, and that it’s inevitable. The open question is how some teams could proceed in that case, or if any would wish to try.

[Passionate]

20 minutes ago, Top of Meeks Road said:

It can only be a matter of time before a League 1 or League 2 clubs opts to accept hibernation for the remainder of the season. 

If one decides, then I think many will follow. 

At least the overheads can be trimmed back if the club opts to shut up shop for around 6 months. 

Juniors used to allow clubs to take non-playing break, abeyance they called it, and with little liklihood of spectators returning anytime soon then many may consider this a safer bet than running at a huge loss. 

Would need SPFL to guarantee a return to full membership once normality returns. 

The difference with the juniors as n the old central league,   If you chose abeyance on you return your are admitted to the bottom rung of the ladder, with this pyramid system where would clubs bottom out.

[Hank von Hell]

4 hours ago, Bantabairn said:

Believe that if the SPFL/SFA suspend or cancel the leagues the players contracts will become null and void.

Why didn't that happen last season then? Why are we still stuck with Sammon? 

Is it at the discretion of the clubs?

[Guest]

I’ll disagree.
A big part of the problem has been the ridiculous split of SPFL cash in such a way that the clubs that actually need it least get overwhelmingly the biggest proportionate share.
Indeed the SPFL should also have been setting money aside for years to support clubs getting into trouble, instead they continue to bleat on and deliver little in terms of commercial income.
Yes, clubs share blame, but the authorities that run our game have done little to provide support when it’s needed....

It is a members organisation FFS. They have put up with Doncaster and his legal boffin for years despite their incompetence. If it the governing body to blame sort it out.

[AL-FFC]

31 minutes ago, Bantabairn said:

From today’s daily rag. Sums up Scottish Football in one sentence:

He said: “We’re looking at a crisis situation in the top flight, never mind the lower divisions.
 

When you consider that 5 out of the clubs have been financially in the shit in the past does it surprise you, with one having to reincarnate themselves