The Falkirk FC Thread

[tamthebam]

7 hours ago, Jackie Myles said:

Easy to be debt free when you keep being allowed to write it off in huge amounts . 7.2 million the first time was quite remarkable and 300k was a huge amount to just write off when councils need all the penny's they can get. God knows how much you must have avoided paying back  people since your inception having gone through is it only 2 administrations or 3 I can never remember. Be still lucky if season tickets pass a thousand and considering Livingston has a pop of  over 55k it's bloody awful.

Nothing to do with FFC (btw good user name- enjoyed seeing Jackie Myles when he played for Dunbar United towards the end of his career) but the first bankruptcy was under the less than skilled leadership of Bill "Blobby" Hunter. According to an insider Bill f*cked up building a second stand at Almondvale, which was no surprise to us Thistle fans. 

One of Blobby's directors, ex Thistle manager John Bain, actually came up to us at a Spartans v Edinburgh City game at the time and said "looks like you boys were right". You won't read that in the history Bain later wrote though.

Blobby himself went on to be a "stadium advisor" to East Fife which is why they play at a one stand shitehole I suppose. He then was a director at Morton when the hated Hugh Scott was owner.

Having effectively won his battle and moved the club to Livingston many years later Blobby published an autobiography (tbh Topsy and Tim is a more intellectual read) and was still repeating the lie that he got death threats from the Thistle fans. That is the measure of the man.

[Guest]

54 minutes ago, tamthebam said:

Nothing to do with FFC (btw good user name- enjoyed seeing Jackie Myles when he played for Dunbar United towards the end of his career) but the first bankruptcy was under the less than skilled leadership of Bill "Blobby" Hunter. According to an insider Bill f*cked up building a second stand at Almondvale, which was no surprise to us Thistle fans. 

One of Blobby's directors, ex Thistle manager John Bain, actually came up to us at a Spartans v Edinburgh City game at the time and said "looks like you boys were right". You won't read that in the history Bain later wrote though.

Blobby himself went on to be a "stadium advisor" to East Fife which is why they play at a one stand shitehole I suppose. He then was a director at Morton when the hated Hugh Scott was owner.

Having effectively won his battle and moved the club to Livingston many years later Blobby published an autobiography (tbh Topsy and Tim is a more intellectual read) and was still repeating the lie that he got death threats from the Thistle fans. That is the measure of the man.

Thing is, there wasn’t an administrative process back in 1994/95, but in terms of that being the genesis of the first massive debt avoidance play, then it was certainly that.

The fist admin was the first time any club used deliberate debt accrual as a business tool. The fact that they were allowed to continue to field a team that was way beyond their means was a blight on Scottish football. This effectively allowed a team to “win” the Scottish League Cup by fielding a side that they couldn’t feasibly afford……and all with no penalty whatsoever. A disgraceful time.

In between, there was the much rumoured scam of the proposed sale of the stadium to the “club” at well below market value so that they could then sell it on to a commercial enterprise for a massive profit that could then be shared as appropriate. Apparently a couple of key figures in the public sector got cold feet when their local friendly political figure got thrown in the nick.

So they rumbled on to admin 2, and then close to admin 3 then persons unknown got Martindale in there for reasons unknown, and now he is the kingpin who cannot be sacked regardless of fortunes on the park. I think lots of people have a good idea of why that is……apart from their supporters that is who still try to convince themselves and others that everything is above board. I think following that mob gives you a great deal of practice in learning to look the other way.

[HopeStreetWalker]

11 hours ago, Amarillo Bairn said:

I'm taking this to mean, Sibbald and Simon Murray were in yesterday doing their medicals and Bainsfordbairn is going in tomorrow to do the photos of them in the new kits!
Am I close?

What is commendable by the new board is the way they have gone about their business regarding signings rightly keeping things confidential 

The days of some arsehole on the board giving blow by blow account of what's going on are in the past.

Therefore Clubs and Individuals the club are involved with can have confidence that they are dealing with a club and management that operate to the highest standards. That can only be good for our image and the standard of player that is enticed to sign for the club.

Long may it continue.

[roman_bairn]

What is commendable by the new board is the way they have gone about their business regarding signings rightly keeping things confidential 
The days of some arsehole on the board giving blow by blow account of what's going on are in the past.
Therefore Clubs and Individuals the club are involved with can have confidence that they are dealing with a club and management that operate to the highest standards. That can only be good for our image and the standard of player that is enticed to sign for the club.
Long may it continue.

I agree with aspects of this ‘highest standards’, but I think it’s a bit blinkered overall. There have been mistakes made and still are in my opinion.
As for the leaks, they are certainly not as pronounced as previous but the names of a couple of signings have been leaked, although I am not sure it’s possible to always be so scrupulous that it can be avoided sometimes…

[18BAIRN76]

12 hours ago, Reggie Perrin said:

Anyone writing off Blair Alston after his pretty ineffective second spell with us should remember that he was surrounded by utter, utter shite.

Not disagreeing with this at all, but what pissed me off was the fact he totally threw the towel in by the end of the season. I previously thought highly of Alston, and that really dented my opinion of him.

Edited June 13, 2022 by 18BAIRN76

[Newbornbairn]

14 hours ago, Bainsfordbairn said:

Nope. If anyone was in for a medical they would have signed and then been snapped immediately afterwards so that the story could be released ASAP before it got leaked. It's very rare for the club to sit on news of signings if all the paperwork is concluded. 

So what you're saying is Sibbald is signing, just paperwork to be done?

[Jackie Myles]

1 hour ago, roman_bairn said:

I agree with aspects of this ‘highest standards’, but I think it’s a bit blinkered overall. There have been mistakes made and still are in my opinion.
As for the leaks, they are certainly not as pronounced as previous but the names of a couple of signings have been leaked, although I am not sure it’s possible to always be so scrupulous that it can be avoided sometimes…

You've always got two sides to it too. Whilst we can try to keep it water tight on our side you can't prevent the players side letting the cat put the bag.

[bairn88]

Leaks over potential signings happens to literally every club in the country. More often than not caused by the player himself, agents, or friends/family of the player. 
 

The far more important decisions eg Holt getting binned are where I’ve been impressed. 

[bejazz1]

Pretty quiet on here just now.

I was just thinking (Dangerous I know)

The CI guys have done a brilliant job with the renaming of the south stand.

Just for fun and looking to the future, who would be the next deserving former bairn for the renaming of our north stand?

What about the Russell Latapy Stand?

Any better ideas?

[Kevin James Left Knee]

1 minute ago, bairn88 said:

Leaks over potential signings happens to literally every club in the country. More often than not caused by the player himself, agents, or friends/family of the player. 
 

The far more important decisions eg Holt getting binned are where I’ve been impressed. 

This Board is much more leak proof than before. So far I have been impressed - I have gotten to know a couple of them since their election and they tell me nothing that is important to keep secret.  It is how it should be even if it is frustrating not to hear the gossip. In the past people liked to show off or even leak to manipulate opinion (we all know the worst person for that) so it is is good to see they are more serious.

It may be in the future we need to criticise the Board but so far not on this issue.

[Forever_Blue_]

2 minutes ago, bejazz1 said:

Pretty quiet on here just now.

I was just thinking (Dangerous I know)

The CI guys have done a brilliant job with the renaming of the south stand.

Just for fun and looking to the future, who would be the next deserving former bairn for the renaming of our north stand?

What about the Russell Latapy Stand?

Any better ideas?

Yogi purely for getting them relegated. 

On a more serious note, probably Alex Totten? 

[Kevin James Left Knee]

2 minutes ago, Forever_Blue_ said:

 

On a more serious note, probably Alex Totten? 

Not for me. I have no dislike for the guy but his "work" for the club was overstated and turned into myth more than the reality imho

[Sortmeout]

14 hours ago, Reggie Perrin said:

Anyone writing off Blair Alston after his pretty ineffective second spell with us should remember that he was surrounded by utter, utter shite.

I’m not saying Alston was fantastic, far from it, but you do just get certain players/teams who don’t seem to gel as well as they should.

[Harry Kinnear]

Simon Stainrod Stand next for me. I love wee Crunchie to bits and he is so deserving of this accolade. In terms of some of my favourite moments following the Bairns it would have to be God next.

Edited June 13, 2022 by Harry Kinnear

[Marshmallo]

The Arnau Riera East Terracing

[Scott]

Would love a statue of Simon Stainrod. 1 of him standing on that table on the Brockville Turf holding the league trophy above his head would be outstanding

Edited June 13, 2022 by Scott

[CrunchiesRightBoot]

3 minutes ago, Scott said:

Would love a statue of Simon Stainrod. 1 of him standing on that table on the Brockville Turf holding the league trophy above his head would be outstanding

I mind actually being there when the big man did this. I cannot remember but can anyone confirm it was a wallpapering table he stood on? The more I think of it it couldn't have been as he was some size of a man.

[Bigbri Bairn]

The Arnau Riera East Terracing

The Dan Turner Stand

[Long Suffering Bairn]

How about the Leigh Griffiths Main Stand Toilets?  Or insert which ever big disappointment of a player that turned out to be a dud.

 

Edited June 13, 2022 by Long Suffering Bairn

[ShaggerG]

Should be the Reggie Smith stand really, although there's an ever decreasing number of fans who remember his achievements.