The Falkirk FC Thread

[Rob1885]

I see Partick Thistle signed a boy from Ayr. Strange one considering there’s no guarantee of league reconstruction and then there’s no guarantee league one and league two will play at all this season. Am I correct in thinking new signings can’t be furloughed either? 

He was a pre contract they're honouring and you're right, new signings can't be furloughed.

[TxRover]

6 hours ago, Scottydog said:

With that kind of moolah you could buy Eastend Park and rent it back to the Scum.

Why not look to win enough to buy the Morrison’s and rebuild Brockville the right way?

[Shadwell Dog]

6 hours ago, TxRover said:

Why not look to win enough to buy the Morrison’s and rebuild Brockville the right way?

It would take another 30 years to get planning permission.

[Proudtobeabairn]

I don't understand the 'Superfan' jibes towards SA over the South Stand purely because he takes an agreed £ back each year to recover his expense.  

I can understand him wanting to protect some inheritance from his wealth rather than dishing up a free stand to FFC.  When it was agreed we were looking at regular premier league crowds and it must have been calculated that the annual cost to SA was less than the stand was likely to bring in through additional revenue.  Makes sense when recent posts about how the main stand is managed are considered.  

Are folk just angry with SA because he didn't give us a multi million pound gift?  

[WestfieldBairn]

12 hours ago, Rob1885 said:

13 hours ago, CC52 FFC said:

I see Partick Thistle signed a boy from Ayr. Strange one considering there’s no guarantee of league reconstruction and then there’s no guarantee league one and league two will play at all this season. Am I correct in thinking new signings can’t be furloughed either? 

He was a pre contract they're honouring and you're right, new signings can't be furloughed.

Ah I see, cheers. 

[HopeStreetWalker]

14 hours ago, bairn88 said:

Hope De Vita stays gone, utterly chronic signing from M and M. Any of those types of signings this summer or whenever we do business will make me extremely worried. 

No signings. No new contracts until there is a fixture list. Because without that you cannot get an estimate of your income, and therefore in no position to offer anybody employment. Also players contracted for next season, should there be a non promotion get out clause and the deadline is reached without this fixture list. Then regrettable as it is FFC cannot afford their wage bill.

[Shadwell Dog]

3 hours ago, Proudtobeabairn said:

I don't understand the 'Superfan' jibes towards SA over the South Stand purely because he takes an agreed £ back each year to recover his expense.  

I can understand him wanting to protect some inheritance from his wealth rather than dishing up a free stand to FFC.  When it was agreed we were looking at regular premier league crowds and it must have been calculated that the annual cost to SA was less than the stand was likely to bring in through additional revenue.  Makes sense when recent posts about how the main stand is managed are considered.  

Are folk just angry with SA because he didn't give us a multi million pound gift?  

Like anything else we really need some clarification on this whole deal. Is it rent or are we actually paying off the cost of the stand and it will become ours once that happens? Perhaps if its rent SA will leave it to the club when he passes. Who knows but without clarification it's open to interpretation whether good or bad.

[falkirkthebigclub]

3 hours ago, Proudtobeabairn said:

I don't understand the 'Superfan' jibes towards SA over the South Stand purely because he takes an agreed £ back each year to recover his expense.  

I can understand him wanting to protect some inheritance from his wealth rather than dishing up a free stand to FFC.  When it was agreed we were looking at regular premier league crowds and it must have been calculated that the annual cost to SA was less than the stand was likely to bring in through additional revenue.  Makes sense when recent posts about how the main stand is managed are considered.  

Are folk just angry with SA because he didn't give us a multi million pound gift?  

It's a simple argument: he shouldn't take rent for the stand while we're unable to charge spectators to sit in the thing.

[Bainsfordbairn]

14 minutes ago, badgerthewitness said:

It's a simple argument: he shouldn't take rent for the stand while we're unable to charge spectators to sit in the thing.

If we have an AGM in November and someone asks the question, I suspect the answer will be that there was no charge during the period when there is  /was no football.

As has been discussed before, he won't see a profit for decades, if ever. I'm fairly sure he's not short of a bob or two either. So it seems unlikely that he'd take money out of the club at the time we need it most.

I doubt the same can be said for FCSL though.

I imagine there will be a number of searching questions asked about stadium financials the next time the fans have a chance to grill the board. If nothing else, Gary Deans will have to give  details as to why he thinks the current deal is a good one for us.

 

[AL-FFC]

59 minutes ago, Bainsfordbairn said:

If we have an AGM in November and someone asks the question, I suspect the answer will be that there was no charge during the period when there is  /was no football.

As has been discussed before, he won't see a profit for decades, if ever. I'm fairly sure he's not short of a bob or two either. So it seems unlikely that he'd take money out of the club at the time we need it most.

I doubt the same can be said for FCSL though.

I imagine there will be a number of searching questions asked about stadium financials the next time the fans have a chance to grill the board. If nothing else, Gary Deans will have to give  details as to why he thinks the current deal is a good one for us.

 

The only way i can think that is the general maintenance of the stadium i.e. storm damage as am pretty sure its had a few occasion where the sheet has came off to one or all of the stands due to high winds over the years if its upto FCSL to maintain those then its a fair shout the club doesn't get stung for those costs over the years

[Reggie Perrin]

The only way i can think that is the general maintenance of the stadium i.e. storm damage as am pretty sure its had a few occasion where the sheet has came off to one or all of the stands due to high winds over the years if its upto FCSL to maintain those then its a fair shout the club doesn't get stung for those costs over the years

Last time there was some storm damage a few months back Lex was on the scene doing his best Bob the Builder routine.
Hopefully he left the grown ups to do the actual work.

[Shadwell Dog]

2 hours ago, badgerthewitness said:

It's a simple argument: he shouldn't take rent for the stand while we're unable to charge spectators to sit in the thing.

If it's an annual payment I would presume we'll just pay it when we have the money. Hope is that season tickets etc will get sold at some point and the club will finally get some cash in.  I doubt he'll send folk with baseball bats round if it's a bit late this financial year.

 

 

 

 

[TxRover]

Not to be ignorant, but I am in this. Is FFC locked into maintaining offices and such AT TFS? If FFC were to acquire the ability to maintain offices near, but not in TFS, and perhaps a way to conduct some portion of hospitality offsite before the match, with arranged transport, could they not put the screws to the Council? That would put the profits directly to the club and hobble the Council nursing at the teat. There doesn’t appear to be much in the immediate area of TFS, so it simply might not be possible, but is the contract such that it’s impossible?

[HopeStreetWalker]

10 minutes ago, TxRover said:

Not to be ignorant, but I am in this. Is FFC locked into maintaining offices and such AT TFS? If FFC were to acquire the ability to maintain offices near, but not in TFS, and perhaps a way to conduct some portion of hospitality offsite before the match, with arranged transport, could they not put the screws to the Council? That would put the profits directly to the club and hobble the Council nursing at the teat. There doesn’t appear to be much in the immediate area of TFS, so it simply might not be possible, but is the contract such that it’s impossible?

The less the club has to do with being a never ending money fountain to the council the better.

In the post pandemic world its a new business environment. There has to be a renegotiation with the council. With a rethink of the facilities and when we use when.

Block book for the seasons fixtures plus access and guaranteed secured access for postponed / re arranged / replays / cup games. 

Train at Stirling University.

As for offices relocate the shop to Falkirk High Street with offices upstairs there are plenty premises about.

Hospitality ! if as has been suggested FFC get 5p for a bottle of beer sold goodness knows the pennies we get for meals, pies and bovrils after the council get the hand crossed with silver. 

The thinking has to be can we get better value facilities elsewhere ? if so go for it.

Use the white elephant for the match then offski ! and leave the council with their ego trip !

FFC and its support should have no emotional loyalty to the place.

Things have changed over the last couple of months and the sooner the board tell the council that the better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BountyBairn]

In quite sure there are some details being missed off (I doubt whether the council get money from our stalls!) but in any case, the ‘behind the goals’ revenue wouldn’t make money for the cooncil. Unless SA had a similar deal with a cut from there.

[HopeStreetWalker]

31 minutes ago, BountyBairn said:

In quite sure there are some details being missed off (I doubt whether the council get money from our stalls!) but in any case, the ‘behind the goals’ revenue wouldn’t make money for the cooncil. Unless SA had a similar deal with a cut from there.

The staff at the stalls are employed by the stadium company. So there will be a healthy mark up on their hourly rate.  Mark up on labour ranges are from 200-500%

[Shadwell Dog]

Stirling university isn't cheap to hire that's for sure. That's why we moved all our training to the stadium in the first place once the artificial pitch was put in so that we would cut costs.  The pitch belongs to us too and if you give it up it will be the council who makes any cash from renting it out daily.  Shire could possibly become the main tennants then  and we'd need to play second fiddle to them when it comes to fixture clashes which is really a non starter.

[HopeStreetWalker]

40 minutes ago, Shadwell Dog said:

Stirling university isn't cheap to hire that's for sure. That's why we moved all our training to the stadium in the first place once the artificial pitch was put in so that we would cut costs.  The pitch belongs to us too and if you give it up it will be the council who makes any cash from renting it out daily.  Shire could possibly become the main tennants then  and we'd need to play second fiddle to them when it comes to fixture clashes which is really a non starter.

The whole stadium deal is a mess. Everybody from Uncle Tom Cobble has a stake in the place. In all my year in business I have never encountered such a convoluted consortium of different factions owning bits of the place. 

We should still re negotiate. Most companies are talking to the leaseholders telling them some hard realities of the situation. 

There is a large % of what FFC takes in on a matchday goes straight to the Council and that sticks in my throat.

As for the pitch I think we own the artificial pitch but not the land it sits on. Plus that pitch is coming to the end of its life, think it was a 6 -8 year lifespan when it was put in.

The sooner you win the lottery and make Shadwell Park a reality the better !

[Gaz FFC]

3 hours ago, HopeStreetWalker said:

The less the club has to do with being a never ending money fountain to the council the better.

In the post pandemic world its a new business environment. There has to be a renegotiation with the council. With a rethink of the facilities and when we use when.

Block book for the seasons fixtures plus access and guaranteed secured access for postponed / re arranged / replays / cup games. 

Train at Stirling University.

As for offices relocate the shop to Falkirk High Street with offices upstairs there are plenty premises about.

Hospitality ! if as has been suggested FFC get 5p for a bottle of beer sold goodness knows the pennies we get for meals, pies and bovrils after the council get the hand crossed with silver. 

The thinking has to be can we get better value facilities elsewhere ? if so go for it.

Use the white elephant for the match then offski ! and leave the council with their ego trip !

FFC and its support should have no emotional loyalty to the place.

Things have changed over the last couple of months and the sooner the board tell the council that the better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Should have sold the club to Mark Campbell.

He was talking to the council about buying them out and we would have signed some top talent by now to have us flying

[WestfieldBairn]

So this mysterious beneficiary that Ann Budge has brought to the SPFL is giving over 4 million to the 42 clubs. Will it be shared equally? What does he want in return ?