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Guest Ecosse83

Wasn’t aware of the email but I was expecting a lot worse after reading some of the comments on here. 90/10 thing could have been worded better but it’s not exactly that bad! 
 

Hopefully it’s prompts some more to sign up. 

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3 minutes ago, PedroMoutinho said:

Tbh it rarely ends well when any business starts attacking its customers or blaming them for not purchasing its product.

How that totally tone deaf email presumably got past a whole board of directors is beyond me. Accusing supporters who’ve continued to back the club in huge numbers frankly well beyond what it deserved of ‘sitting back’ is particularly offensive.

Clearly the number of FSS sign ups has been disappointing (through absolutely no fault of the guys involved) but to me you’ve got to look at what can be done to make it more attractive rather than trying to emotionally blackmail people.

Imo there should be a £5 a month option, particularly in these difficult times. There should also be a ‘share save’ option allowing people to purchase shares in their own name and get something more tangible for their investment.

There also needs to be a greater platform for FSS members who are not patrons to be involved in decision- making.

There seems to be a suggestion now from some BoD outriders that the plan is to effectively sideline the FSS and concentrate even greater control in the hands of the patrons, which would be totally the wrong approach Imo.

I agree it would be totally wrong approach, I also agree there should be a sharesave scheme for those not wanting to join FSS. Not really sure how those fans could be easily represented in the club without another organisation springing up called for example “small shareholders organisation” 

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7 minutes ago, Grangemouth Bairn said:

The reaction has certainly proved they have a real disconnect with the fans which is a shame as things were starting to look really positive on the pitch.

There is massive economic uncertainty in the UK just now. People either don’t have the money or due to the uncertainty won’t risk increasing their outgoings on what they don’t deem as a necessity. People are worried and rightly so.

The board have totally mis-read the room here.

In terms of the 10%/90% comment I agree. What else in note however is wrong? They have to get finance in and are laying it bare to the fans what is required. Imagine they didn’t give the fans that chance and sold the share set aside for the Partons and FSS to an outsider. What reaction would that have brought? 

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15 minutes ago, Shabba said:

They obviously feel it’s now desperation stage for money. It just could have been worded without the need for the good guy/w**k divide

I don’t think it is desperation I think it is laying out what has to happen or they will need to change course and modify the current plan. The fans have a month or so to raise the finance or the Board will have no option but to go to plan b. Back in 2010 the fans raised over 300k 

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8 minutes ago, Back Post Misses said:

In terms of the 10%/90% comment I agree. What else in note however is wrong? They have to get finance in and are laying it bare to the fans what is required. Imagine they didn’t give the fans that chance and sold the share set aside for the Partons and FSS to an outsider. What reaction would that have brought? 

The 90%/10% comment is what everyone is focused on though so the rest of the message isn’t as impactful.

I really don’t get how a group of successful people, supposedly with a high level of business acumen could proof read that and not pick up on it.

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Reading between the lines the club is trying to push/expedite the sale of the unsold shares which were originally intended for the FSS / Patrons Group to cover the end of year financial short fall. If this isn’t successful and the two fans groups don’t buy these shares it will either be back to soft loan territory which will hamstring the club going forward or the shareholding will then be flogged in bulk to which ever Tom, Dick or Harry is prepared to pay the money, the latter for me in itself is massively disappointing, it totally ruins any chance of proper fan ownership and opens the club up to more of your Lex Miller or Mark Campbell type owners who are in it for all the wrong reasons. 

Edited by LatapyBairn.
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Timing of the email is definitely a problem, pre mini budget might have been acceptable but releasing the email with all the uncertainty over mortgage rates etc is bad timing at worst. Obviously the club needs fans to step up and hopefully improvement on the park will attract extra fans and sponsorship. I know I've said on here that a % of fss money could go back to individuals as shares as it might make joining more attractive to new members

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10 minutes ago, Grangemouth Bairn said:

The 90%/10% comment is what everyone is focused on though so the rest of the message isn’t as impactful.

I really don’t get how a group of successful people, supposedly with a high level of business acumen could proof read that and not pick up on it.

That is unfortunate but look at one or two other bits in there 

55B66C12-A48A-47EC-99CF-9706F062B66D.jpeg

16555579-642D-4D33-A4F5-5CFE96269CDC.jpeg

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You'd have to be certified to invest substantially now when the club has put out this communication. 

Its the very definition of counterproductive. 

An appeal to the heart was required, not a lecture.  

Massive own goal.  

  

 

 

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Just checked my inbox and I am in receipt of this email. However, how many fans actually get these emails? What percentage of our fans receive them? An honest question as I don't know. I'm just thinking but by the tone of the email things are extremely serious. Maybe the uptake in FSS membership is low because not enough fans are actually aware as to how bad things are? That being the case, and again I am writing through ignorance here, would a flyer being handed out to every home fan at the game on Saturday when the board will have a captive audience of some 4,000 fans not be a worthwhile idea and an opportunity to get their message across? (I suggest that they edit the original email mind).It might lead to more fans, who can afford it, signing up.

 

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13 minutes ago, Back Post Misses said:

That is unfortunate but look at one or two other bits in there 

55B66C12-A48A-47EC-99CF-9706F062B66D.jpeg

16555579-642D-4D33-A4F5-5CFE96269CDC.jpeg

Absolutely but all the focus is in the headline statement which is my point.

There was a real feel-good factor at the club after the last two performances which should have been advantageous but the board have really made a mess of this comms.

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10 minutes ago, Bairn in Exile said:

Just checked my inbox and I am in receipt of this email. However, how many fans actually get these emails? What percentage of our fans receive them? An honest question as I don't know. I'm just thinking but by the tone of the email things are extremely serious. Maybe the uptake in FSS membership is low because not enough fans are actually aware as to how bad things are? That being the case, and again I am writing through ignorance here, would a flyer being handed out to every home fan at the game on Saturday when the board will have a captive audience of some 4,000 fans not be a worthwhile idea and an opportunity to get their message across? (I suggest that they edit the original email mind).It might lead to more fans, who can afford it, signing up.

 

I didn’t receive one yet I’m an ST holder, in FSS and have sponsored a player.

As to your suggestion, yes, great idea. You could even put one on every seat.

Also, maybe an apology regarding the tone of the email might take some of the heat out of the situation.

After all, it’s easy to get the tone wrong. Nobody’s perfect.

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Why did  the bod give the manager an increased budget if it appears we can't even afford the original budget? That to me just isn't a sensible way to run a football club and is how we ended up in financial problems in the past. They should be tightening the purse strings instead of spending more cash and then hoping a white knight appears suddenly to pay for it. Crazy stuff .

Edited by Shodwall cat
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Guest Caractacus Potts
54 minutes ago, LatapyBairn. said:

Reading between the lines the club is trying to push/expedite the sale of the unsold shares which were originally intended for the FSS / Patrons Group to cover the end of year financial short fall. If this isn’t successful and the two fans groups don’t buy these shares it will either be back to soft loan territory which will hamstring the club going forward or the shareholding will then be flogged in bulk to which ever Tom, Dick or Harry is prepared to pay the money, the latter for me in itself is massively disappointing, it totally ruins any chance of proper fan ownership and opens the club up to more of your Lex Miller or Mark Campbell type owners who are in it for all the wrong reasons. 

I’m not totally convinced by this argument to be honest.

There are around 1.2m shares left. They would cost about £500k to buy and would represent 26% of shares. If I’m not mistaken the board have the right to refuse anyone who offers to buy these shares so I just don’t see why they would sell to a Mark Campbell type. I also don’t think £500k for 27% of a League 1 club with little assets represents good value for money, particularly with no control of the board. 

Saying that too, why should we not look for an outside investor with a lot of money? We still need a third leg of the stool to fulfil, unless the Rawlins stump up. As long as fans have enough shares to Veto then would it not be a good thing to have a rich investor who can help stump up the cash to tide things over? 

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Struggling to see how some are defending the statement. If the club are struggling for cash, come out and say that. Don’t come out and accuse 90% of the fan base of not pulling their weight, especially in the current economic climate. I pay what I can, when I can. It is not my fault as a fan you have spent my funds on a fuckin garbage product.

I’ll continue to pay my gate fare, but releasing shite statements like this are doing the exact opposite in enticing me to spend any extra on the club. 

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2 hours ago, Shodwall cat said:

Why did  the bod give the manager an increased budget if it appears we can't even afford the original budget? That to me just isn't a sensible way to run a football club and is how we ended up in financial problems in the past. They should be tightening the purse strings instead of spending more cash and then hoping a white knight appears suddenly to pay for it. Crazy stuff .

It very much seems promotion or bust,   or could this be described as High Risk. High Reward...

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2 minutes ago, BottiBiabi said:

Struggling to see how some are defending the statement. If the club are struggling for cash, come out and say that. Don’t come out and accuse 90% of the fan base of not pulling their weight, especially in the current economic climate. I pay what I can, when I can. It is not my fault as a fan you have spent my funds on a fuckin garbage product.

I’ll continue to pay my gate fare, but releasing shite statements like this are doing the exact opposite in enticing me to spend any extra on the club. 

The crowds Falkirk get are about 4 times what Airdrie are averaging (1k) and I am led to believe you guys are paying substantially more a week ( upper championship wages apparently) than ourselves,  possibly approx  double an average Airdrie wage,   we are no means flush, but seem very well run and seem stable enough.....    What has happened at Falkirk too many noses in the trough  ex directors etc, 

We are lifers in League 1 and Falkirk better watch as they could be as well,  if austerity starts to hit home....  Interesting times.....

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