The Falkirk FC Thread

[Nearly Sane]

19 minutes ago, Brockvillenomore said:

You’re a newbie targeting one subject. - Didn't realise that wasn't allowed - apologies if that offends you

 

Youth development is all about opinions and how or when they mature. - correct. So why is the "opinion" of one person who is leaving the club, having failed, being allowed to decide the future of young players at the club - contradictory to many other qualified peoples opinion? It's symptomatic of the poor decision-making that has ruined the club being demonstrated again. But you would have us believe this type of incompetence/poor practice has been eradicated.

But,  there is none of this reality or even nuance in your posts, only criticism driven from a narrow / selective perspective. - I'll review your posts to find an example of the nuance you refer to and ensure to include it future posts. That you've even written that shows a distasteful level of arrogance and perceived superiority - hilarious.

The very definition of self interest. - How? By advocating for young players to be given a chance? How is that self interest?

I’m a member of FSS and see that as a catalyst for change. - not everyone agrees and doesn't need to be part of this group to have a valid opinion or contribution.

But ten years of rack and ruin isn’t fixed overnight. - agreed so why continue to allow mistakes to be made in the short term that will affect the long term. Best get it right now, no?

If the club can't afford youth development then show good leadership and finish it in a professional and proper way. Then share a vision/plan for restarting an Academy (or not as the case may be) and what the milestones are for triggering actions (promotion, sponsors, investment etc). Instead, in the last two months we've had accusations of "rogue" employees, youth staff resigning en masse, teams being disbanded, inaccurate figures being thrown about to justify decisions, young players who'd been at the club for a year released by telephone and Martin Rennie deciding the future of youth players after he'd announced he was leaving the club. Does that sound like change to you?
 

Perhaps the above paragraph contains too much criticism, self interest and not enough nuance for you?
 

 

[Springfield]

4 minutes ago, Shadwell Dog said:

You'll struggle to find anyone on here that thinks that closing the academy wasnt a dreadful idea and that doesn't want a proper academy back at the club but it has to be done at the right time.  Spending money on a b team won't sell season tickets I'm afraid and short termism as it may be we can't really look any further ahead than putting everything into getting out of this league.  There's also no point in putting under 18s into a first team full of absolute shitebags like our first 11.  They need an environment where they can play alongside players they can look up to and rely upon. 

It's not exactly a surprise to some of us to find out that decisions are changing on various things considering the fact that the bod are uncovering new issues at the club by the day. If we can't afford a b team just now then unfortunately we just need to wait till we can afford it it's as simple as that. If the previous incumbents hadn't signed a pile of dross and pissed the clubs cash reserves down the drain on all sorts of stuff we probably could've afforded a b team.

With all respect and after five plus months in charge are the board still uncovering “new issues” by the day ? 

[Nearly Sane]

9 minutes ago, Shadwell Dog said:

You'll struggle to find anyone on here that thinks that closing the academy wasnt a dreadful idea and that doesn't want a proper academy back at the club but it has to be done at the right time.  Spending money on a b team won't sell season tickets I'm afraid and short termism as it may be we can't really look any further ahead than putting everything into getting out of this league.  There's also no point in putting under 18s into a first team full of absolute shitebags like our first 11.  They need an environment where they can play alongside players they can look up to and rely upon. 

It's not exactly a surprise to some of us to find out that decisions are changing on various things considering the fact that the bod are uncovering new issues at the club by the day. If we can't afford a b team just now then unfortunately we just need to wait till we can afford it it's as simple as that. If the previous incumbents hadn't signed a pile of dross and pissed the clubs cash reserves down the drain on all sorts of stuff we probably could've afforded a b team.

How much would a B Team cost?

[Nearly Sane]

1 minute ago, Springfield said:

With all respect and after five plus months in charge are the board still uncovering “new issues” by the day ? 

Some folk are in complete denial and fall for that excuse. While ignoring the mistakes or poor decisions that continue to be made - whether with the best of intentions or not.,

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Nearly Sane said:

Some folk are in complete denial and fall for that excuse. While ignoring the mistakes or poor decisions that continue to be made - whether with the best of intentions or not.,

Rennie appointment aside what other mistakes have been made? 

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, Nearly Sane said:

How much would a B Team cost?

You tell us? 

[Zbairn]

48 minutes ago, ChrispPancake said:

now we can leave league matters aside...

 

Anyone know why Dumbarton were always invited to play in the Stirlingshire cup?

Dumbarton for some reason were members of the Stirlingshire FA when it was part of Scottish footballs organisational structure. Think it’s defunct now, but historical links still apply

 

 

 

 

[Donathan]

3 minutes ago, Zbairn said:

Dumbarton for some reason were members of the Stirlingshire FA when it was part of Scottish footballs organisational structure. Think it’s defunct now, but historical links still apply

 

 

 

 

 

The Stirlingshire FA didn't just cover Stirlingshire itself, but also West Lothian (Then known as Linlithgowshire), Clackmannanshire, East and West Dunbartonshire.

 

That explains why Alloa and Dumbarton were included in the competition, as well as the four clubs that are actually in Stirlingshire.

 

I'd like to see it rebooted with the likes of Stirling University, Broomhill, Sauchie, Linlithgow Rose, Camelon, Blackburn, Bo'ness, Dunipace and Broxburn involved. You could easily make a 16 team knockout tournament.

[Shadwell Dog]

18 minutes ago, Springfield said:

With all respect and after five plus months in charge are the board still uncovering “new issues” by the day ? 

Yes and let's not forget that not all of them have been on the bod for that long. We still had Bateman and white hanging about until not that long ago.

[Shadwell Dog]

27 minutes ago, Back Post Misses said:

Rennie appointment aside what other mistakes have been made? 

Exactly other than we haven't got an under 20s team we've heard hee haw else.

[Bairn in Exile]

41 minutes ago, Back Post Misses said:

Rennie appointment aside what other mistakes have been made? 

 

13 minutes ago, Shadwell Dog said:

Exactly other than we haven't got an under 20s team we've heard hee haw else.

Trying to sign Goodwillie, allegedly?

[gav-ffc]

1 minute ago, Bairn in Exile said:

 

Trying to sign Goodwillie, allegedly?

Do the board suggest signings?

[HopeStreetWalker]

54 minutes ago, Shadwell Dog said:

You'll struggle to find anyone on here that thinks that closing the academy wasnt a dreadful idea and that doesn't want a proper academy back at the club but it has to be done at the right time.  Spending money on a b team won't sell season tickets I'm afraid and short termism as it may be we can't really look any further ahead than putting everything into getting out of this league.  There's also no point in putting under 18s into a first team full of absolute shitebags like our first 11.  They need an environment where they can play alongside players they can look up to and rely upon. 

It's not exactly a surprise to some of us to find out that decisions are changing on various things considering the fact that the bod are uncovering new issues at the club by the day. If we can't afford a b team just now then unfortunately we just need to wait till we can afford it it's as simple as that. If the previous incumbents hadn't signed a pile of dross and pissed the clubs cash reserves down the drain on all sorts of stuff we probably could've afforded a b team.

The club would have to make a firm budget commitment inflation proofed to fund the academy for the next 10 years. That would be the minimum timespan to give it credibility with talent breaking through, being sold on and therefore becoming self funding and that's crucial for it to succeed long term. 

The situation we find ourselves in makes that impossible and a half arsed half way house is doomed to failure.

[Guest Caractacus Potts]

45 minutes ago, Back Post Misses said:

Rennie appointment aside what other mistakes have been made? 

Trying to sign Goodwillie and spending a fortune on Leigh Griffiths. 
 

 

[Numbers_One_To_Eleven]

1 hour ago, Brockvillenomore said:

You’re a newbie targeting one subject. Youth development is all about opinions and how or when they mature. How many succeed? It’s a tiny percentage. But,  there is none of this reality or even nuance in your posts, only criticism driven from a narrow / selective perspective. The very definition of self interest. 
 

And yes, I am partly to blame. Standing back and criticising but doing nothing constructive about it while the club was driven into the ground. I’m a member of FSS and see that as a catalyst for change. But ten years of rack and ruin isn’t fixed overnight. 
 

 

Not into this 10 years of “rack and ruin”. 5 years of middling (academy bearing fruit, cup final, 2015/16) then 5 years of “rack and ruin”.

[Shadwell Dog]

4 minutes ago, Caractacus Potts said:

Trying to sign Goodwillie and spending a fortune on Leigh Griffiths. 
 

 

That's surely comes under appointing Rennie.  He would've put those two signings to the bod I very much doubt that the bod said we  must try and  sign either. The bairn for life  money was ringfenced for a player the manager signed the wrong player.

[Bairn in Exile]

10 minutes ago, gav-ffc said:

Do the board suggest signings?

No, but they would have to sanction and fund the signing.

I refer you to the club statement of January 5th 2022.

"None of this will happen overnight, and we fully expect it will take the entire duration of our three-year directorships to come to fruition. Our short-term priority is, of course, to support Martin and Kenny and give them the resources they need to put a winning team on the pitch. To do that, we’ll always make decisions we believe to be in the best interests of the club, whether those decisions are popular with all fans or unpopular with some. Longer-term our goal is to rebuild the whole club on and off the pitch and to restore, in full, its former status as one of Scotland’s best run football clubs. We thank you all for your warm welcome and support so far, and commit to always working hard in the best interests of Falkirk Football Club. Our club belongs to all of us, and we all have a part to play in getting us back to the Premiership. We look forward to working with you over the coming months and years"

[Guest Caractacus Potts]

14 minutes ago, Shadwell Dog said:

That's surely comes under appointing Rennie.  He would've put those two signings to the bod I very much doubt that the bod said we  must try and  sign either. The bairn for life  money was ringfenced for a player the manager signed the wrong player.

Yes and no. I think the Board at all times must protect the clubs reputation so regardless of who the manager wants, if it’s someone like Goodwillie then they must draw the line for the sake of the club. Managers will only be concerned with putting a winning team on the park. 

Griffiths is more on the manager however with the money we were allegedly paying him then I think there’s a big question on whether the club can afford to take the risk on paying so much for a player. I said the same regarding Yogi spending fortunes on old players. At some point the board has to consider if it’s value for money. 

I didn’t think it was worthwhile at the time but had it came good then it would be justified. Point is it didn’t work out so was a bad decision. Regardless of whether it was BFL money, it has been wasted when finances are going to be more crucial than ever. 

Do we know that the signing of Griffiths was pushed by the management by the way? 

 

Edited April 25, 2022 by Caractacus Potts

[Shadwell Dog]

6 minutes ago, Bairn in Exile said:

No, but they would have to sanction and fund the signing.

I refer you to the club statement of January 5th 2022.

"None of this will happen overnight, and we fully expect it will take the entire duration of our three-year directorships to come to fruition. Our short-term priority is, of course, to support Martin and Kenny and give them the resources they need to put a winning team on the pitch. To do that, we’ll always make decisions we believe to be in the best interests of the club, whether those decisions are popular with all fans or unpopular with some. Longer-term our goal is to rebuild the whole club on and off the pitch and to restore, in full, its former status as one of Scotland’s best run football clubs. We thank you all for your warm welcome and support so far, and commit to always working hard in the best interests of Falkirk Football Club. Our club belongs to all of us, and we all have a part to play in getting us back to the Premiership. We look forward to working with you over the coming months and years"

The goodwillie issue is one thing. Who knows the full extent of that but it needs to be the manager who decides on how his  budget is spent in 99 percent of cases.  If Rennie says to the bod the money that has been ringfenced for a striker I want to use to sign Lee Griffith's then the board surely have to back the manager or we'll struggle to get any manager in if the bod are having the final say on each and every player we sign.

[AJ77]

Just weighing in on the Ian Murray speculation these are quotes from himself whilst being questioned about the Hibs job - 

“I’m very, very happy where I am. I’ve enjoyed tremendous backing from my own board and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know Airdrie as a football club.

“I’ve been given time to build the football club and I’ve absolutely loved it.

 

“I love the group of players that I’ve got and my relationship with the board and chairman."

I'd like to think there'll be a new contract waiting for him at the end of the season regardless if we go up or not.

Edited April 25, 2022 by AJ77