The Falkirk FC Thread

[Shadwell Dog]

10 minutes ago, Baxters Wynd said:

As a supporter my desire is to escape league one, via promotion.  Thats it.  It would be good to do it with some style but I would take it by any means.

The team performance gets poorer as each week passes.  The manager (coach) didn't know how to fix it and had to go.  The Director of Football has failed in his primary role, to identify players who can perform individually and collectively at  level which guarantees promotion.  So he also has to go.  In my opinion we should not attempt to replace this post.

The current board have failed in their primary responsibility relating to the football side of the club.  For that reason It seems obvious that they should all go.  We were also asked for patience with promises of great things to come.  So where is the vision, the strategic plan etc.    

As far as the players go, as at 23 November, Shadwell Dog was able to post "the plan I hear is to..........".  The plan being to bring in several players at a higher salary level and for the rest of the squad to be part time.  So jettison the current squad and start from scratch.   Again.

If you are a member of the squad I wonder how it would affect your outlook to know that by the summer, latest, you will be looking for a new club.  Now, of course, this could just be a rumour.  The new board need to put a stop to this type of leak, whether accurate or not. Though note the date of the post.

The current board met with the Patrons group of over 20 on 21 November with each reported as investing 10K or more.  As supporters I think we have to accept that those investing significant sums of money have a right to lead the club and impose their view of what must be done.  Rationally, anyone investing a sum of money is going to want to have their view listened to.

In August last year three directors were appointed.  Colborn, McFarlane and Wright.  It followed a "rigorous independent selection process"  and this was led by the former FFC Chief Executive Ronnie Bateman.

So Colborn resigns.  He is also is one of the 20 Patrons.  McFarlane and the very silent Wright are still in situ.  Wright is a Patron.

There is an announcement that Jamieson and Gourlay (both Patrons) will join the board having been elected by the group of 20.  Additionally, Serafini and White are to join the board on an interim basis.  They do so having been selected (not elected) by the committee of Falkirk Supporters Society.  Serafini and White are both Patrons.

A fifth new  board member is also announced.  This is Bateman.......... who is a Patron.  Of course he is also the guy who led the process to appoint three directors to a board that have led the club disastrously over the last 15 months.  Who elected/selected/parachuted Bateman on to the board?

So the new board will, at its outset, have six of the 20 Patrons on the board.  This is the board who will elect the Chairman.  The new board and Chairman will have been installed by around 30 people.

"Balanced ownership and democratic governance are key"  - Kenny Jamieson.      Really.

We can all of us understand that the Patrons including Colborn, having invested their money, will want to participate in guiding the club forward.   We can also understand, that with limited time available, the supporters society committee should select two candidates on an interim basis.  However, even on an interim basis it seems bizarre that these should both be Patrons.  Rather more concerning is that Back Post Misses (who is a Patron) stated here that not only is it fine for Patrons to be members of the society but, in future, perfectly acceptable that they could be elected to the board as society reps.

This is ludicrous.  The Supporters Society should be electing two reps who are entirely independent of the Patrons group. 

Sheerin has gone.  Holt should be next.  Deans is going but all others on the current board should also  go.  The committee of supporters society should demonstrate we can have some faith in them by organising an election of their 120ish members to supply two independent reps on the board. 

I didn't want to get involved in a discussion about governance.   I just want my team to get promoted.  However, what appears to be going on is clearly not a case of us all pulling together.    It seems more of a case of 20 pushing.  Fine, as long as there isn't a load of nonsense about the club being led differently to previously. 

 

 

  

 

Give them a chance FFS. The fss reps are only temporary just now as they needed to get things moving. From then on its up to the fss who they vote in to represent themselves. If you want to influence that then join up. 

I'm not sure there will be a mass clear out next season. Will depend on the wording in the contracts of players who are on more than one year deals. Anyway next year's set up shouldn't matter a jot. Players know that if you perform you stay if you don't chances are you get punted. That happens no matter what the next season's set up is reported to be. If you want a just b perform and there's a good chance you'll keep yours.

[Bigbri Bairn]

I will definitely sign up as will many but first I want to see the back of Holt. Smug condescending twat

[ilostmyself]

Scott Harrison/Ruben Sammut/Prince Buaben - No Club

Bring them home

[AsimButtHitsASix]

4 minutes ago, ilostmyself said:

Bring them home

 

Sammut's now involved with scouting at Charlton and the youth development at Chelsea. Ideal Holt replacement. 

[STUL]

Anyway, moving on, what do the club have to do now? 
 

We have to sort out the problems first. It’s all very well having an objective (Premiership), but we need to get out of this league first. 
 

To quote an old maxim, it’s no good saying you are trying to cross the swamp when you are up to your Airchie in alligators.
 

We need a manager who would have a free hand to make the required changes. THAT MEANS NO DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL.

IIRC, Jim Jeffries and Chipper used to go all over to look at players, and this is hard work , but it payed off. 
 

The state we are currently in , realistically we aren’t going to change in 6 months . 
 

We need a plan and the club to be honest about the plan. Most of us are grown-ups and will accept the truth.

[Russ]

Having a talk in work about Falkirk's hilarious 2018/19 season and how bad that team was. We looked up the players in question

Who would win in a match between this lot and your current imposters?

Here's where they all are now if you have any interest. (content warning - contains Dimitris Froxylias)

Paul Dixon/Robbie Mutch - still at club
David Mitchell - Hibernian
Jordan McGhee - Dundee
Zak Rudden/Ciaran McKenna - Partick Thistle
Mark Russell - Morton
Kevin O'Hara/Nikolay Todorov - Dunfermline
Aaron Muirhead - Ayr United
Thomas Robson - Queens Park
Paul Paton/Ross MacLean/Joe McKee - Dumbarton
Lewis Kidd - Edinburgh City
Dylan Mackin - Stirling Albion
Jason Jarvis - University of Stirling
Ian McShane - Darvel
Marcus Haber - Visakha (Cambodian 1st tier)
Shayne Lavery - Blackpool (English 2nd tier)
Rees Greenwood - IR (Icelandic 2nd tier)
Andy Irvine - Türkgücü München (German 3rd tier)
Harry Burgoynbe - Shrewsbury Town (English 3rd tier)
Cieran Dunne - Sunderland (English 3rd tier)
Dimitris Froxylias - Omonoia 29th May (Cypriot 3rd tier)
Patrick Brough - Barrow (English 4th tier)
Tom Dallison - Crawley Town (English 4th tier)
Aaron Jarvis - Scunthorpe United (English 4th tier)
David Keillor-Dunn - Oldham Athletic (English 4th tier)
Deimantas Petravičius - Aguilas (Spanish 4th tier)
Leo Fasan - Nola (Italian 4th tier)
Dennon Lewis - Boreham Wood (English 5th tier)
Tom Owen-Evans - Hereford (English 6th tier)
Dan Tuner - Leamington (English 6th tier)
Abdul Osman - Walton Casuals (English 7th tier)
Mark Waddington - Warrington Town (English 7th tier)
William Edjenguélé - Barwell (English 7th tier)
Scott Harrison/Ruben Sammut/Prince Buaben - No Club

Hartleys squad of jobbers would still comfortably put this pile of shite to the sword.

Btw I’m sure Ruben Sammut has retired.

[Bairnardo]

Having a talk in work about Falkirk's hilarious 2018/19 season and how bad that team was. We looked up the players in question

Who would win in a match between this lot and your current imposters?

Here's where they all are now if you have any interest. (content warning - contains Dimitris Froxylias)

Paul Dixon/Robbie Mutch - still at club
David Mitchell - Hibernian
Jordan McGhee - Dundee
Zak Rudden/Ciaran McKenna - Partick Thistle
Mark Russell - Morton
Kevin O'Hara/Nikolay Todorov - Dunfermline
Aaron Muirhead - Ayr United
Thomas Robson - Queens Park
Paul Paton/Ross MacLean/Joe McKee - Dumbarton
Lewis Kidd - Edinburgh City
Dylan Mackin - Stirling Albion
Jason Jarvis - University of Stirling
Ian McShane - Darvel
Marcus Haber - Visakha (Cambodian 1st tier)
Shayne Lavery - Blackpool (English 2nd tier)
Rees Greenwood - IR (Icelandic 2nd tier)
Andy Irvine - Türkgücü München (German 3rd tier)
Harry Burgoynbe - Shrewsbury Town (English 3rd tier)
Cieran Dunne - Sunderland (English 3rd tier)
Dimitris Froxylias - Omonoia 29th May (Cypriot 3rd tier)
Patrick Brough - Barrow (English 4th tier)
Tom Dallison - Crawley Town (English 4th tier)
Aaron Jarvis - Scunthorpe United (English 4th tier)
David Keillor-Dunn - Oldham Athletic (English 4th tier)
Deimantas Petravičius - Aguilas (Spanish 4th tier)
Leo Fasan - Nola (Italian 4th tier)
Dennon Lewis - Boreham Wood (English 5th tier)
Tom Owen-Evans - Hereford (English 6th tier)
Dan Tuner - Leamington (English 6th tier)
Abdul Osman - Walton Casuals (English 7th tier)
Mark Waddington - Warrington Town (English 7th tier)
William Edjenguélé - Barwell (English 7th tier)
Scott Harrison/Ruben Sammut/Prince Buaben - No Club

You can pick an 11 from that season that comfortably scuds this team.

Any of Burgoyne, McGhee, Lavery, DKD, Rudden would all walk into our team and immediately be our best player by miles now.

It wouldnt be a close team, mostly it would be McKinnons diddies rather than Hartleys, but they would rinse this team. With Sheerin in charge it would be another one by brackets

[Sortmeout]

15 hours ago, 18BAIRN76 said:

I actually have no hard feelings toward Sheerin. He seems like a decent human being, and on a personal level I hope he is okay and wish him well. It's not his fault that he was underqualified for the role, should never have been appointed in the first place, and should have been sacked about 2 months ago when his lack of qualifications became clear to see for everyone - bar the BoD.

Holt has now been in charge of 2 transfer windows where we have regressed massively each time. We have got worse on every metric since he has come into the club. When Partick signed Tiffoney and Bell, we signed teenagers. We went from 1st to 5th last season; he couldn't get a point to get us into the top 4 as interim manager.  He led the process which saw Sheerin hired. He recruited a large bulk of the players Sheerin had to work with, and what the next manager will have to work with too. We're sitting closer to the bottom of the table than the top; he claims "recruitment has improved", while signing his son, who has no footballing pedigree to speak of, on a two-year deal.  To top it off, he comes across as a smug, snarky, arrogant p***k. There is no way he can be allowed to survive this.

Scottish Cup winner though.

[Reggie Perrin]

3 minutes ago, Bairnardo said:

 

 

You can pick an 11 from that season that comfortably scuds this team.

Any of Burgoyne, McGhee, Lavery, DKD, Rudden would all walk into our team and immediately be our best player by miles now.

It wouldnt be a close team, mostly it would be McKinnons diddies rather than Hartleys, but they would rinse this team. With Sheerin in charge it would be another one by brackets

 

Five good players there and we were still rotten.

[Broken Algorithms]

In fairness, Spiers calls out them out and says it would be implausible to think that McGlynn would leave us and both the fans say its very much a "if you don't ask you won't get".

[Guest Back Post Misses]

26 minutes ago, Baxters Wynd said:

As a supporter my desire is to escape league one, via promotion.  Thats it.  It would be good to do it with some style but I would take it by any means.

The team performance gets poorer as each week passes.  The manager (coach) didn't know how to fix it and had to go.  The Director of Football has failed in his primary role, to identify players who can perform individually and collectively at  level which guarantees promotion.  So he also has to go.  In my opinion we should not attempt to replace this post.

The current board have failed in their primary responsibility relating to the football side of the club.  For that reason It seems obvious that they should all go.  We were also asked for patience with promises of great things to come.  So where is the vision, the strategic plan etc.    

As far as the players go, as at 23 November, Shadwell Dog was able to post "the plan I hear is to..........".  The plan being to bring in several players at a higher salary level and for the rest of the squad to be part time.  So jettison the current squad and start from scratch.   Again.

If you are a member of the squad I wonder how it would affect your outlook to know that by the summer, latest, you will be looking for a new club.  Now, of course, this could just be a rumour.  The new board need to put a stop to this type of leak, whether accurate or not. Though note the date of the post.

The current board met with the Patrons group of over 20 on 21 November with each reported as investing 10K or more.  As supporters I think we have to accept that those investing significant sums of money have a right to lead the club and impose their view of what must be done.  Rationally, anyone investing a sum of money is going to want to have their view listened to.

In August last year three directors were appointed.  Colborn, McFarlane and Wright.  It followed a "rigorous independent selection process"  and this was led by the former FFC Chief Executive Ronnie Bateman.

So Colborn resigns.  He is also is one of the 20 Patrons.  McFarlane and the very silent Wright are still in situ.  Wright is a Patron.

There is an announcement that Jamieson and Gourlay (both Patrons) will join the board having been elected by the group of 20.  Additionally, Serafini and White are to join the board on an interim basis.  They do so having been selected (not elected) by the committee of Falkirk Supporters Society.  Serafini and White are both Patrons.

A fifth new  board member is also announced.  This is Bateman.......... who is a Patron.  Of course he is also the guy who led the process to appoint three directors to a board that have led the club disastrously over the last 15 months.  Who elected/selected/parachuted Bateman on to the board?

So the new board will, at its outset, have six of the 20 Patrons on the board.  This is the board who will elect the Chairman.  The new board and Chairman will have been installed by around 30 people.

"Balanced ownership and democratic governance are key"  - Kenny Jamieson.      Really.

We can all of us understand that the Patrons including Colborn, having invested their money, will want to participate in guiding the club forward.   We can also understand, that with limited time available, the supporters society committee should select two candidates on an interim basis.  However, even on an interim basis it seems bizarre that these should both be Patrons.  Rather more concerning is that Back Post Misses (who is a Patron) stated here that not only is it fine for Patrons to be members of the society but, in future, perfectly acceptable that they could be elected to the board as society reps.

This is ludicrous.  The Supporters Society should be electing two reps who are entirely independent of the Patrons group. 

Sheerin has gone.  Holt should be next.  Deans is going but all others on the current board should also  go.  The committee of supporters society should demonstrate we can have some faith in them by organising an election of their 120ish members to supply two independent reps on the board. 

I didn't want to get involved in a discussion about governance.   I just want my team to get promoted.  However, what appears to be going on is clearly not a case of us all pulling together.    It seems more of a case of 20 pushing.  Fine, as long as there isn't a load of nonsense about the club being led differently to previously. 

 

 

  

 

Why can’t a FSS member not be a Patron? 

 

[Blame Me]

15 minutes ago, STUL said:

Anyway, moving on, what do the club have to do now? 
 

We have to sort out the problems first. It’s all very well having an objective (Premiership), but we need to get out of this league first. 
 

To quote an old maxim, it’s no good saying you are trying to cross the swamp when you are up to your Airchie in alligators.
 

We need a manager who would have a free hand to make the required changes. THAT MEANS NO DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL.

IIRC, Jim Jeffries and Chipper used to go all over to look at players, and this is hard work , but it payed off. 
 

The state we are currently in , realistically we aren’t going to change in 6 months . 
 

We need a plan and the club to be honest about the plan. Most of us are grown-ups and will accept the truth.

I agree with most of your points except one - Sporting Director

I disagree that successful managers need to control everything. I don't think it's the role that is an issue, it's the person filling it that is the problem!

I might need my head read for writing this but there is an argument to be made that Ray MacKinnon would be better suited than Holt 

RM track record of signings indicates he at least had an eye for a player. Getting a coherent team out of them was where he failed -

• Rudden
• Lavery
• McShane
• McKenna
• Doyle
• DKD

Edited December 6, 2021 by Blame Me

[Cardle is Magic]

41 minutes ago, Shadwell Dog said:

I know people that work at Raith and have confirmed that that's about the size of it.

Does anyone actually believe this?

3 minutes ago, Broken Algorithms said:

both the fans say its very much a "if you don't ask you won't get".

f**k, if that’s the logic they’re using why not ask Klopp if he fancies a real challenge?

[Proudtobeabairn]

38 minutes ago, Baxters Wynd said:

As a supporter my desire is to escape league one, via promotion.  Thats it.  It would be good to do it with some style but I would take it by any means.

The team performance gets poorer as each week passes.  The manager (coach) didn't know how to fix it and had to go.  The Director of Football has failed in his primary role, to identify players who can perform individually and collectively at  level which guarantees promotion.  So he also has to go.  In my opinion we should not attempt to replace this post.

The current board have failed in their primary responsibility relating to the football side of the club.  For that reason It seems obvious that they should all go.  We were also asked for patience with promises of great things to come.  So where is the vision, the strategic plan etc.    

As far as the players go, as at 23 November, Shadwell Dog was able to post "the plan I hear is to..........".  The plan being to bring in several players at a higher salary level and for the rest of the squad to be part time.  So jettison the current squad and start from scratch.   Again.

If you are a member of the squad I wonder how it would affect your outlook to know that by the summer, latest, you will be looking for a new club.  Now, of course, this could just be a rumour.  The new board need to put a stop to this type of leak, whether accurate or not. Though note the date of the post.

The current board met with the Patrons group of over 20 on 21 November with each reported as investing 10K or more.  As supporters I think we have to accept that those investing significant sums of money have a right to lead the club and impose their view of what must be done.  Rationally, anyone investing a sum of money is going to want to have their view listened to.

In August last year three directors were appointed.  Colborn, McFarlane and Wright.  It followed a "rigorous independent selection process"  and this was led by the former FFC Chief Executive Ronnie Bateman.

So Colborn resigns.  He is also is one of the 20 Patrons.  McFarlane and the very silent Wright are still in situ.  Wright is a Patron.

There is an announcement that Jamieson and Gourlay (both Patrons) will join the board having been elected by the group of 20.  Additionally, Serafini and White are to join the board on an interim basis.  They do so having been selected (not elected) by the committee of Falkirk Supporters Society.  Serafini and White are both Patrons.

A fifth new  board member is also announced.  This is Bateman.......... who is a Patron.  Of course he is also the guy who led the process to appoint three directors to a board that have led the club disastrously over the last 15 months.  Who elected/selected/parachuted Bateman on to the board?

So the new board will, at its outset, have six of the 20 Patrons on the board.  This is the board who will elect the Chairman.  The new board and Chairman will have been installed by around 30 people.

"Balanced ownership and democratic governance are key"  - Kenny Jamieson.      Really.

We can all of us understand that the Patrons including Colborn, having invested their money, will want to participate in guiding the club forward.   We can also understand, that with limited time available, the supporters society committee should select two candidates on an interim basis.  However, even on an interim basis it seems bizarre that these should both be Patrons.  Rather more concerning is that Back Post Misses (who is a Patron) stated here that not only is it fine for Patrons to be members of the society but, in future, perfectly acceptable that they could be elected to the board as society reps.

This is ludicrous.  The Supporters Society should be electing two reps who are entirely independent of the Patrons group. 

Sheerin has gone.  Holt should be next.  Deans is going but all others on the current board should also  go.  The committee of supporters society should demonstrate we can have some faith in them by organising an election of their 120ish members to supply two independent reps on the board. 

I didn't want to get involved in a discussion about governance.   I just want my team to get promoted.  However, what appears to be going on is clearly not a case of us all pulling together.    It seems more of a case of 20 pushing.  Fine, as long as there isn't a load of nonsense about the club being led differently to previously. 

 

 

  

 

I don't doubt for a second that those involved in the Patrons group and FSS are going into this with the best of intentions and to do whats right for the club.   However, it's easy once in the door to get too used to the blazers and to start to turn a blind eye to some things that you wouldn't have when just a paying fan.  I hope that doesn't happen but letting Colburn and Wright to be part of the group feels like its maybe the first poor decision.  The fact Wright hasn't been hounded along with Colburn is strange, through his silence he's been just as complicit as the others.  

Ronnie Bateman being given a board role is also very strange and stinks of keeping 'the old guard' in place.  As you've said, he oversaw the disastrous appointment of the 3 new directors last year.  What exactly is he bringing to the table other than being old and having been 'around a while'? 

One of the reasons I was keen to give the Rawlins time and space  in the summer to get things done was because they had a football background and seemed independent of any tribal or 'group' mentality.  The fact they have proved largely impotent is really disappointing. 

I hope this really is a new dawn and emptying Holt in the next 24hrs is going to be the only thing that has a chance of bringing everyone together.  That would be an excellent first move and hopefully a sign that this really is a new start.  

 

[embow]

37 minutes ago, Shadwell Dog said:

I know people that work at Raith and have confirmed that that's about the size of it.  Anyway I doubt money will be the issue anyway.

Money will certainly not be the issue, and you'll just have to accept that that's not the size of it. Enjoyed the discussion but there's no more I can say due to discretion etc. Hope you guys get out the mess you seem to be in. Can happen to any club at any time.

[lanky_ffc]

Imagine Petravicius in a footrace against Ben Hall 

[lanky_ffc]

1 hour ago, Rocco said:

UNBELIEVABLE! You’ll all love this. As if the club haven’t wasted enough money, I’ve just read an email from a reliable source that Gary Holt has been sent on a Sporting Director course by the Rawlins. 

This just gets better and better!

If this turns out to be true I'd be seriously questioning the Rawlins' decision-making going forward. 

[falkirkzombie]

4 minutes ago, Proudtobeabairn said:

I don't doubt for a second that those involved in the Patrons group and FSS are going into this with the best of intentions and to do whats right for the club.   However, it's easy once in the door to get too used to the blazers and to start to turn a blind eye to some things that you wouldn't have when just a paying fan.  I hope that doesn't happen but letting Colburn and Wright to be part of the group feels like its maybe the first poor decision.  The fact Wright hasn't been hounded along with Colburn is strange, through his silence he's been just as complicit as the others.  

Ronnie Bateman being given a board role is also very strange and stinks of keeping 'the old guard' in place.  As you've said, he oversaw the disastrous appointment of the 3 new directors last year.  What exactly is he bringing to the table other than being old and having been 'around a while'? 

One of the reasons I was keen to give the Rawlins time and space  in the summer to get things done was because they had a football background and seemed independent of any tribal or 'group' mentality.  The fact they have proved largely impotent is really disappointing. 

I hope this really is a new dawn and emptying Holt in the next 24hrs is going to be the only thing that has a chance of bringing everyone together.  That would be an excellent first move and hopefully a sign that this really is a new start.  

 

while I agree with a lot of this, I would make the point that the patrons group have not bought a majority of the shares therefore don't have overall control, its very much based on the "three legged stool" approach. The club still have major shareholders (Rawlins, SA, MR) and because of the %ages have a right to have their interests represented on the board if they so wish - this may be why GW and RB are on the new board, although that is complete speculation by me. Its going to take time for the FSS to build a membership and appoint long term board members - the quickest way to make this happen is for as many of us as possible to sign up.

I share your frustration with the Rawlins - first trip to the club and some heat from fans and they decide to take a back seat, not really the leadership I thought/hoping we would get from them.

as many have said it will be a massive step in the right direction for Holt and AT to be shown the door swiftly.

[Baxters Wynd]

53 minutes ago, Shadwell Dog said:

Give them a chance FFS. The fss reps are only temporary just now as they needed to get things moving. From then on its up to the fss who they vote in to represent themselves. If you want to influence that then join up. 

I'm not sure there will be a mass clear out next season. Will depend on the wording in the contracts of players who are on more than one year deals. Anyway next year's set up shouldn't matter a jot. Players know that if you perform you stay if you don't chances are you get punted. That happens no matter what the next season's set up is reported to be. If you want a just b perform and there's a good chance you'll keep yours.

I would simply have hoped that the society would have clear articles of association.  These would include a stipulation that someone who is a Patron and can be elected to the board by that group cannot stand for election by the supporters association.  

obviously, you are entitled to post whatever you want in relation to the team.  Personally, I don’t think posts which circulate rumours based on people claiming they are in the know are very helpful.

 

[LatapyBairn.]

37 minutes ago, Back Post Misses said:

Why can’t a FSS member not be a Patron? 

 

I don’t understand why this would be an issue either? Why shouldn’t a fan be allowed to invest in both groups. A big part of the whole idea behind it for me is that it isn’t a closed shop and any fan prepared to invest should be welcomed with open arms into either group. If they then prepared to put themselves forward as a candidate to be elected to take one of the BOD positions then good on them provided it’s democratic amongst the membership as it has/will be. 

Edited December 6, 2021 by LatapyBairn.