The Falkirk FC Thread

[HopeStreetWalker]

Once again its a new team assembled the 4th in 3 seasons. so the team line up and  set up on the field is any bodies guess.  Signing the standard of player our position in the game warrants. - Nothing special !

Lets hope they produce the goods on the park and for once get a decent start in the league campaign.

Its going to be another long slog

 

 

[ebobsboy]

17 minutes ago, MrDust said:

Squad numbers don't mean you will be playing I suppose it will depend on the Dundee incoming transfers. A lot of players are in front of him with the current squad so wouldn't be surprised if he was on the move again.

If anything he will go back down south for the £££'s.  I'd rather see us sign two decent forwards permanently though. Loans are ok but if the player does well it's a struggle to keep them beyond the season. McManus being the perfect example. Then your left scratching about trying to get a replacement in which doesn't always work for whatever reason ie Keena. 

[MrDust]

10 minutes ago, HopeStreetWalker said:

Once again its a new team assembled the 4th in 3 seasons. so the team line up and  set up on the field is any bodies guess.  Signing the standard of player our position in the game warrants. - Nothing special !

Lets hope they produce the goods on the park and for once get a decent start in the league campaign.

Its going to be another long slog

 

 

One decent signing can win you the league for the full time teams, we had keystone cops in defence and had the best defence, the big picture is the way to goal.

Tiffoney and a fit Rudden got Partick over the line. I'm still of the opinion McManus would've got us over the line if we had completed the season. 

We need our signings to be more creative with goals and Keena to show what he is capable of, we very much need a striker or two in tho.

 

[MrDust]

1 minute ago, ebobsboy said:

If anything he will go back down south for the £££'s.  I'd rather see us sign two decent forwards permanently though. Loans are ok but if the player does well it's a struggle to keep them beyond the season. McManus being the perfect example. Then your left scratching about trying to get a replacement in which doesn't always work for whatever reason ie Keena. 

I'd rather have our own also but sometimes a bit quality will only be available on loan with us paying £s for it on loan.

See McManus our highest paid player that season 

[Zbairn]

1 hour ago, Caractacus Potts said:

It’s important sometimes to do a little research. It helped with Mark Campbell and it helped with those Ayr fans who were skeptics when Hugh Clarke tried to buy them. They were ultimately proven correct too. Funny reading their thread as there are similar people like yourself having a pop to those who were a little cynical. 

I did a little research and the signs aren’t great but that doesn’t automatically mean there’s something dodgy. I’ll put down what I’ve found and you can judge for yourself.

He had 4 previous companies. Each one started and was struck off within a 2 year period and didn’t appear to trade or file accounts. The company Restoraroof sponsored many things included Ayr whom he then tried to buy.  3 of these companies were formed using a company called Cosec. That is a company that exists to create SLPs and was included in several investigations to many money laundering schemes from Eastern Europe. Again that doesn’t necessarily mean the guy who owned Cosec knew about it(he said so himself) or that there’s any connection to Hugh Clarke.

This latest company began in August last year. They have been throwing money in sponsorship to Go Radio, St.Mirren and sponsor our shirt and Whitlett Juniors. CD apparently paid more than £30k/year to be our sponsors. There is no sign as to where the company makes money. It is ran from an office in Eurocentral and the 1 review on it’s Facebook page is from an employee. The website still isn’t up and running and the Twitter and FB pages are poorly run and the vast majority of posts are about things they sponsor as opposed to how the business is run. 
 

When Ayr fans criticised him, a new poster appeared claiming to know HC and threatened one of those who criticised him. Again this does not mean the guy had anything to do with it. 

This guy has made it clear he wants to own a football club so he may just have had a string of failed businesses that somehow made him enough money to buy a club and that somehow didn’t appear to trade. I’m not sure but I am definitely concerned.

Another worry is that the Rawlins can increase their stake holding to 45% at any time. Interestingly the exact number of shares the board bought in from the previous MSG coupled with the Rawlins and a guy called John Bonner(pal of Phil’s who bought 62,500 shares) would get them just over 50% of the voting rights. They want to make money and if they did this then, with the help of the board, they could sell to whoever they wanted.

If this guy was able to stump up enough cash then who knows. Could be a genuinely good guy though but does seem to have an odd business history and the new one looks to follow in the same vein.

Worrying that our major sponsor appears to have no real ongoing business to back up all his spending. Would be interesting to find out where all the cash is coming from.  

[ebobsboy]

I think the back up keeper also needs to be of decent quality, Mutch just wasn't pushed after PJ went back to Motherwell and M&M for whatever reason didn't want to put Cantley in.  

[Bairn in Exile]

4 minutes ago, ebobsboy said:

  I'd rather see us sign two decent forwards permanently though. 

This.

Imagine the scene, we're away from home, it's 0-0 in the 89th minute and our striker is through on the keeper, one on one.

Who do you want there - an 18 year old loanee on a grand a week and it doesn't really matter too much to him if he scores, or, a 27 year old permanent signing, married with 2 kids and on 500 quid a week and he will get a couple of hundred quid as a win bonus if he scores? I know who I'd want pulling the trigger.

[joozy]

1 minute ago, Bairn in Exile said:

This.

Imagine the scene, we're away from home, it's 0-0 in the 89th minute and our striker is through on the keeper, one on one.

Who do you want there - an 18 year old loanee on a grand a week and it doesn't really matter too much to him if he scores, or, a 27 year old permanent signing, married with 2 kids and on 500 quid a week and he will get a couple of hundred quid as a win bonus if he scores? I know who I'd want pulling the trigger.

The one who's not feeling all that additional pressure?

[Ranaldo Bairn]

1 minute ago, Bairn in Exile said:

This.

Imagine the scene, we're away from home, it's 0-0 in the 89th minute and our striker is through on the keeper, one on one.

Who do you want there - an 18 year old loanee on a grand a week and it doesn't really matter too much to him if he scores, or, a 27 year old permanent signing, married with 2 kids and on 500 quid a week and he will get a couple of hundred quid as a win bonus if he scores? I know who I'd want pulling the trigger.

The one who is not thinking of the wife and mortgage, who anxiously drags the shot wide?

[Ranaldo Bairn]

Just now, joozy said:

The one who's not feeling all that additional pressure?

Jinx 

[Stainrod]

3 hours ago, FFC 1876 said:

I'd much rather see us bring in a young promising player on loan that we can see is here to better themselves and better us at the same time than a haddy that's banded about club to club. Brad Mckay for example. 

We don't have the luxury of bringing our own players through at the moment so there's no sour grapes in bringing other teams youngsters in to improve the team. They need to actually be capable of improving the team and as Sheerin has been working in the u20's for a fair few years he should have spotted a few good options to bring in. Also adds a bit of energy to the team and is key in areas that are hard to recruit permanently ie upfront or a goalkeeper as we saw with PJ Morrison last season.

We'll hopefully get back to cultivating our own breed of youngsters soon but for now I'm more than happy for us to be warming up other clubs seeds and reaping the benefits as we do.

How are we going to cultivate talented youngsters when we don’t qualify ( no indoor pitch nearby ) to be part of the elite set up. 
The plan seems to be a development squad made up of guys who have lost their way or had fallen out of love with the game . Remember the elite clubs are cherry picking the best from ten years old ! Whilst it’s possible we could pick up a Vaulks or shankland percentage wise that’s a very different probability than the conveyor belt we had with our previous acadamy ! 
It’s a disgrace that Falkirk council can’t do more to support elite sport in our own community and get moving with some sort of scheme or partnership to get a full size indoor facility built pronto . 

[FFC 1876]

4 minutes ago, Bairn in Exile said:

This.

Imagine the scene, we're away from home, it's 0-0 in the 89th minute and our striker is through on the keeper, one on one.

Who do you want there - an 18 year old loanee on a grand a week and it doesn't really matter too much to him if he scores, or, a 27 year old permanent signing, married with 2 kids and on 500 quid a week and he will get a couple of hundred quid as a win bonus if he scores? I know who I'd want pulling the trigger.

Trying to tell me Zac Rudden didn't care about what happened to us? 

[Bairn in Exile]

10 minutes ago, joozy said:

The one who's not feeling all that additional pressure?

 

9 minutes ago, Ranaldo Bairn said:

The one who is not thinking of the wife and mortgage, who anxiously drags the shot wide?

So, by your reckoning we should play 5 signed players and 6 loanees? These loanees will play with gay abandon, unfettered by the worries of kids and mortgages, score barrowloads of goals and we will have the league won by Christmas, eh?

 

[Reggie Perrin]

12 minutes ago, Stainrod said:

How are we going to cultivate talented youngsters when we don’t qualify ( no indoor pitch nearby ) to be part of the elite set up. 
The plan seems to be a development squad made up of guys who have lost their way or had fallen out of love with the game . Remember the elite clubs are cherry picking the best from ten years old ! Whilst it’s possible we could pick up a Vaulks or shankland percentage wise that’s a very different probability than the conveyor belt we had with our previous acadamy ! 
It’s a disgrace that Falkirk council can’t do more to support elite sport in our own community and get moving with some sort of scheme or partnership to get a full size indoor facility built pronto . 

Where are the Council getting the funds for this?

[ebobsboy]

Looking through the league 1&2 top scorers from last season Hester from Elgin and Megginson from Cove both scored 14 league goals. Paton from Stranraer who we have been linked with scored 6 in 21 games with 1 assist. And looking through both lists there's about three or four from league 1 you would take but obviously no chance of getting them ie Megginson, Graham, Rudden and Goodwillie. I hope Sheerin has a couple of aces up his sleeve. 

[Ranaldo Bairn]

2 minutes ago, Bairn in Exile said:

 

So, by your reckoning we should play 5 signed players and 6 loanees? These loanees will play with gay abandon, unfettered by the worries of kids and mortgages, score barrowloads of goals and we will have the league won by Christmas, eh?

 

Don't be so touchy.

You know fine well a balance is required. Youthful enthusiasm and desire to impress and improve, coupled with experience and understanding of the game and its requirements.

Your example was completely in isolation and frankly begged the responses it got.

[FFC 1876]

2 minutes ago, ebobsboy said:

Looking through the league 1&2 top scorers from last season Hester from Elgin and Megginson from Cove both scored 14 league goals. Paton from Stranraer who we have been linked with scored 6 in 21 games with 1 assist. And looking through both lists there's about three or four from league 1 you would take but obviously no chance of getting them ie Megginson, Graham, Rudden and Goodwillie. I hope Sheerin has a couple of aces up his sleeve. 

Hester's on a 3 year deal at Elgin and has his betting ban on his record which normally puts us out the running. Paton was obviously rumoured but that's went quiet with no doubt his agents touting him left right and centre. Mcglynn normally does well recruitment wise so I wouldn't be surprised to see him sign on there. Miles Storey could be a goer due to the Aberdeen link but Sheerin may have loans in mind so upfront. 

Be interesting to see if there's a match report from the game against Cowden on Saturday as I'm keen to see what formation he's planning on playing and obviously who's playing where.

[Shadwell Dog]

2 hours ago, Caractacus Potts said:

It’s important sometimes to do a little research. It helped with Mark Campbell and it helped with those Ayr fans who were skeptics when Hugh Clarke tried to buy them. They were ultimately proven correct too. Funny reading their thread as there are similar people like yourself having a pop to those who were a little cynical. 

I did a little research and the signs aren’t great but that doesn’t automatically mean there’s something dodgy. I’ll put down what I’ve found and you can judge for yourself.

He had 4 previous companies. Each one started and was struck off within a 2 year period and didn’t appear to trade or file accounts. The company Restoraroof sponsored many things included Ayr whom he then tried to buy.  3 of these companies were formed using a company called Cosec. That is a company that exists to create SLPs and was included in several investigations to many money laundering schemes from Eastern Europe. Again that doesn’t necessarily mean the guy who owned Cosec knew about it(he said so himself) or that there’s any connection to Hugh Clarke.

This latest company began in August last year. They have been throwing money in sponsorship to Go Radio, St.Mirren and sponsor our shirt and Whitlett Juniors. CD apparently paid more than £30k/year to be our sponsors. There is no sign as to where the company makes money. It is ran from an office in Eurocentral and the 1 review on it’s Facebook page is from an employee. The website still isn’t up and running and the Twitter and FB pages are poorly run and the vast majority of posts are about things they sponsor as opposed to how the business is run. 
 

When Ayr fans criticised him, a new poster appeared claiming to know HC and threatened one of those who criticised him. Again this does not mean the guy had anything to do with it. 

This guy has made it clear he wants to own a football club so he may just have had a string of failed businesses that somehow made him enough money to buy a club and that somehow didn’t appear to trade. I’m not sure but I am definitely concerned.

Another worry is that the Rawlins can increase their stake holding to 45% at any time. Interestingly the exact number of shares the board bought in from the previous MSG coupled with the Rawlins and a guy called John Bonner(pal of Phil’s who bought 62,500 shares) would get them just over 50% of the voting rights. They want to make money and if they did this then, with the help of the board, they could sell to whoever they wanted.

If this guy was able to stump up enough cash then who knows. Could be a genuinely good guy though but does seem to have an odd business history and the new one looks to follow in the same vein.

I thought they had to increase their share percentage by the 31st of may.

[Shadwell Dog]

32 minutes ago, Stainrod said:

How are we going to cultivate talented youngsters when we don’t qualify ( no indoor pitch nearby ) to be part of the elite set up. 
The plan seems to be a development squad made up of guys who have lost their way or had fallen out of love with the game . Remember the elite clubs are cherry picking the best from ten years old ! Whilst it’s possible we could pick up a Vaulks or shankland percentage wise that’s a very different probability than the conveyor belt we had with our previous acadamy ! 
It’s a disgrace that Falkirk council can’t do more to support elite sport in our own community and get moving with some sort of scheme or partnership to get a full size indoor facility built pronto . 

Teams like Raith have no problems bringing through good young talent despite the Fife academy only being on the 3rd rung of the  ladder never mind elite.. This rubbish about the elite academies getting all the good players was a made up yarn to get the academy closed and nowt else.

[lionel wickson]

Hester's on a 3 year deal at Elgin and has his betting ban on his record which normally puts us out the running. Paton was obviously rumoured but that's went quiet with no doubt his agents touting him left right and centre. Mcglynn normally does well recruitment wise so I wouldn't be surprised to see him sign on there. Miles Storey could be a goer due to the Aberdeen link but Sheerin may have loans in mind so upfront. 
Be interesting to see if there's a match report from the game against Cowden on Saturday as I'm keen to see what formation he's planning on playing and obviously who's playing where.

Hester is also awaiting trial with several others, on a conspiracy charge in relation to an alleged betting fix.