The Falkirk FC Thread

[ShaggerG]

8 minutes ago, Hank von Hell said:

All these folks talking of boycotts and voting based on where large supported clubs will be need to wake up and smell the coffee (not Brooklyn Coffee, that's not available yet).

There is no feasible way that fans will be allowed into stadiums next season - social distancing restrictions will remain in place until we have a vaccine, nearly every expert is saying this.

Large crowded gatherings at sporting events and gigs will be the very last thing to be allowed. Season 2021-2022 would be my guess. 

If that's the case then, unless there's some serious government help, Scottish football won't exist outwith the top league. 

[Spring Onion]

1 hour ago, CC52 FFC said:

I’ve never once crowd w**ked. I simply quoted what the Forfar chairman said. He has voted to keep my club down in the third tier of Scottish football in order to benefit him and his club.

But you said you would only attend two teams grounds next season. Did the chairmen that didn't vote the way you wanted also say the only reason they voted was to get the Bairn Buck?

Edited April 14, 2020 by Spring Onion
Spelling

[cb_diamond]

2 hours ago, kiddy said:

Is that Kilbowie in your profile pic?

Tragic, but unsurprising lack of wit.

[Hank von Hell]

3 hours ago, ShaggerG said:

If that's the case then, unless there's some serious government help, Scottish football won't exist outwith the top league. 

Correct.

Hard to see the Scottish Government helping , they are pretty skint and will be more so after this crisis with more deserving causes in the queue ahead of football.  

FFC have serious overheads , wonder what the council and Superfan will do, or are doing , to alleviate them in the short term. Does anyone know if anything is happening with this?  

Scottish clubs that survive will find their level , be it part time or amateur or a Sevco.    

 

[Shadwell Dog]

4 hours ago, Hank von Hell said:

Correct.

Hard to see the Scottish Government helping , they are pretty skint and will be more so after this crisis with more deserving causes in the queue ahead of football.  

FFC have serious overheads , wonder what the council and Superfan will do, or are doing , to alleviate them in the short term. Does anyone know if anything is happening with this?  

Scottish clubs that survive will find their level , be it part time or amateur or a Sevco.    

 

I doubt superfan has much to gain by not deferring payments if it came to that. Falkirk go bust and he'll get feck all full stop. As to the council I'd believe it when I see it.

[Hank von Hell]

59 minutes ago, Bantabairn said:

If we can all put our niceties to one side and look at what’s really important we might be able to reduce or eliminate the amount of pure shite on these threads.
Football, like  all sports will continue to be on lockdown indefinitely until we find an antidote/cure for this virus. Even with partial lifting of the lockdown, football is a contact sport, so can anyone really see football games being played ? Don’t think so. There’s talk about football being played behind closed doors ? How does this work ?

I genuinely think without an antidote/cure for horrendous virus, all sports will be on lockdown for a long time.

The infighting with the SPFL will be insignificant as without the paying supporters and money from TV, most clubs will face Armageddon and will simply fold.  Sobering thought, and it is shameful and disgusting that we have our Sporting body the SPFL, a body formed of self righteous people looking after number one. 
If I was a club chairman, I would be worrying how to keep my club in existence. 

Again I completely agree.

Apart from that I believe football can be played behind closed doors with a vaccine. The EPL will find a way as they are due to lose a billion quid if they can't fulfill the fixtures. Players maybe kept in isolation , training together and being tested before every game, along with any other officials involved. If a player tests positive he has to go into isolation like if he was injured.

This squabbling over the money in Scotland is so short term, the clubs will be desperate for cash in a couple of months and then what? Who is looking at this?

    

[Bainsfordbairn]

8 hours ago, ShaggerG said:

If that's the case then, unless there's some serious government help, Scottish football won't exist outwith the top league. 

I'm not so sure.

If I understand the principle of furlough correctly, the government are paying 80% of our staff wages. FFC have the cash reserves to make up the remaining 20%. Other clubs won't so are paying nothing.

I can't see that going on indefinitely without a restart date on the horizon. So eventually we reach the stage where Scottish football isn't paying for any staff, playing or otherwise.

What other costs are there? Ground maintenance? Rental? Insurance?

Those costs must have existed in some form between 1939 and 1945. Yet after a six year break football started again with the same clubs playing at the same stadiums in front of the same supporters. I've no idea how the financials worked, but I'd guess the clubs simply said something along the lines of "we're going into hibernation and we'll pay SFA to anyone until we reform again".

There's probably a very good article about it somewhere written by Michael White, if any of the posters on here want to look for it.

In present-day terms, I'd hope our BOD have a plan to tell Falkirk Council that we're suspending all stadium payments if football doesn't resume by a specific date, probably when all the playing contracts run out.

We might have to give up being primary tenants or even move out of the club offices, but as long as lockdown exists they can't replace us with anyone else.

 

[Hank von Hell]

4 hours ago, Bainsfordbairn said:

I'm not so sure.

If I understand the principle of furlough correctly, the government are paying 80% of our staff wages. FFC have the cash reserves to make up the remaining 20%. Other clubs won't so are paying nothing.

I can't see that going on indefinitely without a restart date on the horizon. So eventually we reach the stage where Scottish football isn't paying for any staff, playing or otherwise.

What other costs are there? Ground maintenance? Rental? Insurance?

Those costs must have existed in some form between 1939 and 1945. Yet after a six year break football started again with the same clubs playing at the same stadiums in front of the same supporters. I've no idea how the financials worked, but I'd guess the clubs simply said something along the lines of "we're going into hibernation and we'll pay SFA to anyone until we reform again".

There's probably a very good article about it somewhere written by Michael White, if any of the posters on here want to look for it.

In present-day terms, I'd hope our BOD have a plan to tell Falkirk Council that we're suspending all stadium payments if football doesn't resume by a specific date, probably when all the playing contracts run out.

We might have to give up being primary tenants or even move out of the club offices, but as long as lockdown exists they can't replace us with anyone else.

 

This is kinda what I suggested on another thread - that clubs go into complete hibernation for probably 2 years max. If the SFA take the lead on this they could protect the membership & licences of the clubs out with the top tier until it's all over.  

Unfortunately this would mean all players & staff would need to go on the dole, and FFC recruit a whole new group, or resign some players when we return. Much like what must've happened after those wars and we keep getting told this is a war we are in.   

[Proudtobeabairn]

A lot depends on how quickly an antibody test becomes available that can be mass produced and available over the counter.  If that happens in the next 4-6 weeks then football being played in August is entirely possible.  

[Hank von Hell]

4 minutes ago, Proudtobeabairn said:

A lot depends on how quickly an antibody test becomes available that can be mass produced and available over the counter.  If that happens in the next 4-6 weeks then football being played in August is entirely possible.  

Yes but behind closed doors......which is not financially viable for the lower leagues.

I assume you mean the test is for the players , not the fans. 

[Proudtobeabairn]

Both - if tests become available over the counter then nothing stopping fans who have had it going to games.  That + a sensible approach to live streaming/pay per view could enable the season to start.

[Shadwell Dog]

Dundee now saying relegated sides should get compensation but no mention of anyone else. Aye let's vote to give the teams we'll be competing with next season a nice cash boost.

[Hank von Hell]

5 minutes ago, Proudtobeabairn said:

Both - if tests become available over the counter then nothing stopping fans who have had it going to games.  That + a sensible approach to live streaming/pay per view could enable the season to start.

I heard the EPL were looking at this and some sort of fan health passport based on a positive antibody test which must be produced to buy a ticket. 

However they were warned off the idea as a positive antibody test does not guarantee immunity to CV and the system may be open to abuse & forgery. I can't imagine Bigot Brothers fans  missing out if their mates are going and getting dodgy forged passes from down the Barras/Govan.

Of course if you haven't had CV you won't have a positive antibody test and therefore cannot purchase a match ticket or a season ticket - which actually counts the vast majority of us out.

IMO it's a non starter and the only way fans get in a stadium is  once they have been vaccinated.  

Live streaming/PPV would certainly generate part of the income required for a club like Falkirk and would need a relaxation of the SFA rules on 3Pm kick offs being televised , cannot see it working for Annan vs Brechin but you never know if they cut their cloth accordingly. 

    

[Stainrod]

Again I completely agree.
Apart from that I believe football can be played behind closed doors with a vaccine. The EPL will find a way as they are due to lose a billion quid if they can't fulfill the fixtures. Players maybe kept in isolation , training together and being tested before every game, along with any other officials involved. If a player tests positive he has to go into isolation like if he was injured.
This squabbling over the money in Scotland is so short term, the clubs will be desperate for cash in a couple of months and then what? Who is looking at this?
    

Celtic are looking in to it . They need to make sure there is a bunch of Diddy teams to trounce home and away to allow them to continue to qualify (and get humped) in Europe.. The rest of only exist to supply the cannon fodder to allow them to pocket millions .So I expect Celtic will offer loans ( at a competitive interest rate) just to keep the charade afloat !

[TxRover]

2 hours ago, Proudtobeabairn said:

Both - if tests become available over the counter then nothing stopping fans who have had it going to games.  That + a sensible approach to live streaming/pay per view could enable the season to start.

Other than he fact that only around 25% of COVID recoverees show high antibody response, the majority show variable response, and another 25% have no measurable antibody response...oh, plus, the mutation potential of COVID is unclear. We’re not even certain of immunity after infection for some, let alone all, sufferers.

[Bainsfordbairn]

3 hours ago, Hank von Hell said:

This is kinda what I suggested on another thread - that clubs go into complete hibernation for probably 2 years max. If the SFA take the lead on this they could protect the membership & licences of the clubs out with the top tier until it's all over.  

Unfortunately this would mean all players & staff would need to go on the dole, and FFC recruit a whole new group, or resign some players when we return. Much like what must've happened after those wars and we keep getting told this is a war we are in.   

The players whose contracts run out would go on the dole. I imagine everyone else would remain furloughed indefinitely for as long as the government pays 80% of their wages. 

The whole thing does raise an interesting question though. Outwith staff, most of FFCs costs will presumably be related to the stadium contract.

Do we have a legal right to suspend tenancy payments for as long as we're not using the facility? Have we looked at it and if so what sort of discussions are we having with FCSL?

[Frankly, Mr Shankly]

LET’S ALL LAUGH AT FALKIRK

[falkirkthebigclub]

12 minutes ago, michaeljohnstone said:

LET’S ALL LAUGH AT FALKIRK

No need to shout, Michael.

[brokeville]

Unbelievable, why is it always us? After 56 years watching FFC I really feel like giving up.

[JulioBairn]

16 minutes ago, michaeljohnstone said:

LET’S ALL LAUGH AT FALKIRK

Take the caps lock off Michael. If you think today is the end of this saga then you’re deluded.