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Everything I am about to say is without any knowledge of what may or may not be happening behind the scenes.

We appear to be absolutely screwed financially so we need to be asking; what are Jamie Swinney and Sam McGivern doing to rectify this situation? Are they actively contacting our old sponsors to try and build bridges and get them back on board again? Are we talking to the guy at Central Demolition, for instance, to get him to pony up some cash and to maybe even get involved at board level? Are we knocking on doors of potential new investors to see if we can convince them to sign up? Are we going cap in hand to Alex Totten to ask for his little black book of contacts?

Are the board using all of their networking skills and contacts to bring new people in? Are we / they doing some outside the box thinking to get new investment? I don’t think any of this is precluded by our “three legged stool” approach for investment and management of the club, is it?

We have to be using everything in our locker to make things happen. How about next season having “Strathcarron Hospice” emblazoned on our home shirts for free? Good advertising for them, great PR for the club. Obviously to compensate we need to find somebody prepared to invest to replace the shirt sponsorship monies. For the next couple of seasons I am prepared to forego the aesthetics of our strip as long as it brings in some money. Have a look at the Karlstad strip here. Sure, it looks like a Formula 1 drivers kit but who cares, I could live with something like that, if it's allowed.

It’s all hands to the pumps.

Most sponsors ever? Take look on this Sweden new club's kit with various  logos - Ghana Latest Football News, Live Scores, Results - GHANAsoccernet

Edited by Bairn in Exile
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Guest Ecosse83

The most important decision a football board will have to make is appointing a manager that will succeed. Appoint the right one this summer and their job will be easier in the long term. 
 

It will be interesting to see which route they go down when the season is over! 

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44 minutes ago, Bairn in Exile said:

Everything I am about to say is without any knowledge of what may or may not be happening behind the scenes.

We appear to be absolutely screwed financially so we need to be asking; what are Jamie Swinney and Sam McGivern doing to rectify this situation? Are they actively contacting our old sponsors to try and build bridges and get them back on board again? Are we talking to the guy at Central Demolition, for instance, to get him to pony up some cash and to maybe even get involved at board level? Are we knocking on doors of potential new investors to see if we can convince them to sign up? Are we going cap in hand to Alex Totten to ask for his little black book of contacts?

Are the board using all of their networking skills and contacts to bring new people in? Are we / they doing some outside the box thinking to get new investment? I don’t think any of this is precluded by our “three legged stool” approach for investment and management of the club, is it?

We have to be using everything in our locker to make things happen. How about next season having “Strathcarron Hospice” emblazoned on our home shirts for free? Good advertising for them, great PR for the club. Obviously to compensate we need to find somebody prepared to invest to replace the shirt sponsorship monies. For the next couple of seasons I am prepared to forego the aesthetics of our strip as long as it brings in some money. Have a look at the Karlstad strip here. Sure, it looks like a Formula 1 drivers kit but who cares, I could live with something like that, if its allowed.

It’s all hands to the pumps.

Most sponsors ever? Take look on this Sweden new club's kit with various  logos - Ghana Latest Football News, Live Scores, Results - GHANAsoccernet

Alex Totten has been helping out since the new Board came in. 

 

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The big question is though can we afford to be in this league for another 3 or 4 seasons?  I'm not sure how we can afford that long for a manager to get things right.  How can you plan for that length of time when there's talk of a part time hybrid set up if we don't go up in the near future.  The main thing the fans want to see is improvement and the team moving in the right direction. Players playing for the strip and putting a shift in should be a basic minimum. We need a manager in place that doesn't accept anything less than that.

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3 hours ago, Back Post Misses said:

. Murray has taken 4 seasons to build Airdrie, Hartley 3 seasons at Cove and Petrie 4/5 at Montrose

Whilst I can understand why this sort of thing has been mentioned a few times by Falkirk supporters, it's worth keeping in mind that whilst Murray has been in post a few years, it isn't only this year he's had us in the top end of the league. We were tucked in just behind Raith and Falkirk when the season was ended due to Covid and were well on track for the playoffs at least. We finished second last season by 2 points and made the playoff final. This season seems to have been the first he's had no interference from a director when it comes to signings and he created an almost entirely new team in the summer which has us absolutely motoring, but it hasn't taken Ian Murray 4 years to make us a competitive presence at the top end of the division.

There is no reason a competent management team and coaching staff could not do the same with Falkirk and have them competing in the top 4 and for the title; even if it takes them multiple years to make them as good as the current Airdrie or cove sides, it doesn't need to take that time to make them a genuine title contender, or at least a top 4 team. It didn't with us. 

After the last few seasons, I assume 3rd and 2nd place finishes would be viewed as an improvement, even if it didn't ultimately lead to promotion. I see 'it took Murray years to build this Airdrie' but it's not like Airdrie fans had to put up with 5th and 6th place finishes for a number of successive years under Murray before it all clicked this season. 

Ditto the other two clubs you mention. Cove finished 3rd last season. Montrose finished 4th. Both teams are again in the top 4. Falkirk are looking at another season behind these teams, and well behind them. These teams have not suddenly been successful this season after toiling under the same manager for multiple seasons before. Ian Murray's Airdrie have done better than the season before in every season he has been with us. Keep that in mind when considering how much time to give a manager. There should be clear signs of progress along the way.

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3 minutes ago, AndyDD said:

Whilst I can understand why this sort of thing has been mentioned a few times by Falkirk supporters, it's worth keeping in mind that whilst Murray has been in post a few years, it isn't only this year he's had us in the top end of the league. We were tucked in just behind Raith and Falkirk when the season was ended due to Covid and were well on track for the playoffs at least. We finished second last season by 2 points and made the playoff final. This season seems to have been the first he's had no interference from a director when it comes to signings and he created an almost entirely new team in the summer which has us absolutely motoring, but it hasn't taken Ian Murray 4 years to make us a competitive presence at the top end of the division.

There is no reason a competent management team and coaching staff could not do the same with Falkirk and have them competing in the top 4 and for the title; even if it takes them multiple years to make them as good as the current Airdrie or cove sides, it doesn't need to take that time to make them a genuine title contender, or at least a top 4 team. It didn't with us. 

After the last few seasons, I assume 3rd and 2nd place finishes would be viewed as an improvement, even if it didn't ultimately lead to promotion. I see 'it took Murray years to build this Airdrie' but it's not like Airdrie fans had to put up with 5th and 6th place finishes for a number of successive years under Murray before it all clicked this season. 

Ditto the other two clubs you mention. Cove finished 3rd last season. Montrose finished 4th. Both teams are again in the top 4. Falkirk are looking at another season behind these teams, and well behind them. These teams have not suddenly been successful this season after toiling under the same manager for multiple seasons before. Ian Murray's Airdrie have done better than the season before in every season he has been with us. Keep that in mind when considering how much time to give a manager. There should be clear signs of progress along the way.

Exactly. I think the whole time we’ve been down here you’ve owned us and you’ve looked roughly the same team each time. Maybe a quality addition or 2 this year to take you to that next level. 

I do not believe that Falkirk fans should be willing to accept 5th/6th in the league, 21 points off second place. 

I don’t think ANY manager can come in and get us fighting for 1st next season. But properly in the playoff mix, with the odd actual result against someone that isn’t Dumbarton or East Fife, would keep most fans happy, after the utter shit we’ve been served up from 2 awful coaches 

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1 minute ago, bairn88 said:

Exactly. I think the whole time we’ve been down here you’ve owned us and you’ve looked roughly the same team each time. Maybe a quality addition or 2 this year to take you to that next level. 

I do not believe that Falkirk fans should be willing to accept 5th/6th in the league, 21 points off second place. 

I don’t think ANY manager can come in and get us fighting for 1st next season. But properly in the playoff mix, with the odd actual result against someone that isn’t Dumbarton or East Fife, would keep most fans happy, after the utter shit we’ve been served up from 2 awful coaches 

On the bolded part, this season not so much. Gallagher, Forydce and Currie are the only ones from last season. Josh Kerr, too, but he has been kept out the starting lineup most of the season. Everyone else was brought in this summer or in January. Callum Smith did play for us in the season curtailed by Covid, mind you, but Murray brought in the majority of this squad in the summer.

The rest of your post I agree with. It seems to me that Falkirk supporters (or rather, some falkirk supporters) are wanting Rennie binned not because he finished 2nd and lost out in the playoff final, or finished third with games left to play against the top two in a curtailed season, or even because they are narrowly missing out on playoffs. It seems to me that they are wanting him binned because he has not done better than his predecessor was doing (despite being touted as just the guy for a quick improvement) and because there are no tangible signs of real progress, nor evidence that he is having a positive impact. All evidence would suggest they will miss out on the playoffs comfortably, rather than narrowly, too. 

 

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45 minutes ago, Shadwell Dog said:

The big question is though can we afford to be in this league for another 3 or 4 seasons?  I'm not sure how we can afford that long for a manager to get things right.  How can you plan for that length of time when there's talk of a part time hybrid set up if we don't go up in the near future.  The main thing the fans want to see is improvement and the team moving in the right direction. Players playing for the strip and putting a shift in should be a basic minimum. We need a manager in place that doesn't accept anything less than that.

Clarity is required and soon. It comes down to money because that will drive the key decisions that will all be linked that decides the future  direction and even the existence of the club.

Finance = Full time/Hybrid/Part time =  Quality of player that will sign = Quality of manager that will be attracted = Level we complete at. 

If the fans are going to put money into the club and buy season tickets in what will be a financially challenging time for all its only fair to be upfront and honest and tell it as it is.

 

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21 hours ago, NavyBlueArmy1876 said:

When you look through the list of the players under contract for next season I'd want binned in the summer (or right now if possible) it isn't actually as bad as first feared:

Luke Holt

Brad McKay

Steven Hetherington

Seb Ross

Aidan Nesbitt

Jamie Wilson

Unless I've missed anyone? The other players still under contract (Williamson, Watson, McCann, McGuffie & Morrison) I'd keep or would be easy to move on

 

 

14 hours ago, ShaggerG said:

From that list I'd want McKay & Hetherington away for sure. Nesbitt we know has something so may be worth keeping as back-up. Ross hasn't really had a chance as he's had very little game time and, tbh, hasn't really been a complete bomb scare when called on. It would free up a wage though so probably best away. As a striker I'd certainly want Wilson away however, if he is any good as a wing-back then he may be worth keeping as Williamson will most certainly miss games through injury. Can't really understand why Holt gets the press that he does? It's not his fault he's his father's son and, for all we know, he may be a capable goalkeeper. Martin on the other hand just looks like a bag of nerves whenever he plays.

There's a lot of rebuilding to be done so it's a shame that Dowds and Telfer will be off as they're definitely two that I'd like to see stay.

 

13 hours ago, PedroMoutinho said:

If having a few good games and then doing nothing for 8 months is a reason to keep a player at the club, we’ll be down here for a lot longer yet.

We’ve had lists of players over the last few seasons living off reputations. Ability is totally meaningless if a player doesn’t  contribute anything.

 

12 hours ago, ShaggerG said:

Up to whatever manager that we have to get his ability out and improve him. We've seen plenty of utter horseshit footballers in a Falkirk shirt, Nesbitt's not one of them.

All I said was that, based on what we've seen, he wouldn't be bad back-up. I'm not suggesting that he should be expected to be the main man.

I've just checked TransferMarket and, according to them, Nesbitt is out of contract this May, not next. If that is accurate I'm pretty sure he won't be offered a new contract (unless any new manager really rates him) and I would certainly want to use his wage in other areas. If it's not accurate then, assuming we couldn't afford to pay off everyone that's under contract, I would keep him as back-up. This was the point that I was trying to make in the first place.

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22 minutes ago, ShaggerG said:

 

 

 

I've just checked TransferMarket and, according to them, Nesbitt is out of contract this May, not next. If that is accurate I'm pretty sure he won't be offered a new contract (unless any new manager really rates him) and I would certainly want to use his wage in other areas. If it's not accurate then, assuming we couldn't afford to pay off everyone that's under contract, I would keep him as back-up. This was the point that I was trying to make in the first place.

 

287FE0C4-9BCB-42A1-A5F9-5F910C4A3A74.jpeg

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1 hour ago, bairn88 said:

Exactly. I think the whole time we’ve been down here you’ve owned us and you’ve looked roughly the same team each time. Maybe a quality addition or 2 this year to take you to that next level. 

I do not believe that Falkirk fans should be willing to accept 5th/6th in the league, 21 points off second place. 

I don’t think ANY manager can come in and get us fighting for 1st next season. But properly in the playoff mix, with the odd actual result against someone that isn’t Dumbarton or East Fife, would keep most fans happy, after the utter shit we’ve been served up from 2 awful coaches 

Eh, naw.

P.S. No offence but I gave you a greenie by mistake, sorry.

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42 minutes ago, gav-ffc said:

 

287FE0C4-9BCB-42A1-A5F9-5F910C4A3A74.jpeg

Thanks for that. Transfer market talking pish then!

I would look to be keeping him then rather than trying to find the money to pay him off. Might be able to offload him on loan though I suppose.

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2 hours ago, HopeStreetWalker said:

Clarity is required and soon. It comes down to money because that will drive the key decisions that will all be linked that decides the future  direction and even the existence of the club.

Finance = Full time/Hybrid/Part time =  Quality of player that will sign = Quality of manager that will be attracted = Level we complete at. 

If the fans are going to put money into the club and buy season tickets in what will be a financially challenging time for all its only fair to be upfront and honest and tell it as it is.

 

That will certainly be a first. (Current BOD excluded)

As said even the most loyal supporters have just about had their fill. Last Saturdays display was a despicable show of players that couldn’t give two Fcks. I’d drop the lot for the last five games and play one of the youth teams.

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1 minute ago, Springfield said:

As said even the most loyal supporters have just about had their fill. Last Saturdays display was a despicable show of players that couldn’t give two Fcks. I’d drop the lot for the last five games and play one of the youth teams.

Yeah that's a great idea.

The young lads losing 13-0 will be superb for their development, and the fine from the SPFL will help us too.

Give me strength.

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55 minutes ago, Ranaldo Bairn said:

Yeah that's a great idea.

The young lads losing 13-0 will be superb for their development, and the fine from the SPFL will help us too.

Give me strength.

That guy's like Shadwell on steroids!

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14 hours ago, Caractacus Potts said:

Was listening to Super Scoreboard earlier and a Kilmarnock fan was talking about the impact of McInnes. Said he’s basically taken Wright’s players and brought some consistent performances with players such as Alston and Stephen McGinn now looking like new signings. 

 

Your first mistake of course was listening to "Super" Scoreboard. And while McInnes has got them playing a bit better, the fact they are top of the league now and likely to win the Championship is down to two things - signing Kyle Lafferty and Abroath running out of steam. They aren't playing any better football, in fact it's pretty dull and basic and they grinding out results rather than blowing teams away. And had Arbroath been able to keep their run going then they'd still be top - as it is they have started drawing games they previously would have won and so Killie haven't really had to do anything other than keep plodding along before they eventually caught up.

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