Rengade Master

You don't get glamour signings in this league, you get players that buy into the club ethos and have the ability to step up. Coll Donaldson was one who did that with us and was quickly snapped up.

Dom Thomas, how well would he do with our current squad?

These 2 would be more than welcome!

30 minutes ago, Secure Par said:

The club is I league 1, not a lot of established players will drop below championship level. 
I however reckon in past seasons we would pay the wages demanded to get players but and I’m glad Mr Cook and the top guys aren’t willing to throw away money on getting bad players in just to make up the numbers.

I believe the squad we have should finish in the top 2… and need 2-3 players to finish top.

Money will be tight as we have the training facility to pay for but unlike the Hughes era where he signed utter dross the club has to wait and see what their best options are… if that’s the squad McPake has to deal with then it’s his job to get results and win games.

 

 

McPake isn't here to to languish, he is using us as a driving force for the club and himself.

Money should not be an issue, i'm fed up of hearing this excuse, like every other club with ambition previously in these leagues you speculate (somewhat) to accumulate. Falkirk are broke by all accounts but have mustered enough from somewhere to throw everything at promotion. We are under the control of multi millionaires and are referring to Dorrans as hampering us. It really is to the point where I refer to my previous posts and say go figure! 

33 minutes ago, Digs said:

I wasn't going to say that. I was going to say he's not leaving anything until the last day. It's been said many times how we are not in the driving seat here and we have to suck that up. We are not an attractive proposition for the players we want to sign. We are very much back of the queue.

We absolutely could have compromised on what we are after, but as has been said, shirt or bench fillers are pointless. It's spending money on players you don't trust who can't change a game and are merely there to act as cover. That doesn't make us better. Just because other teams have been willing to do so, doesn;t mean we should. 

We need players, no question, but I'd rather get some younger guys in on loan, as a last resort, than have a full bench now of players that can't cut the mustard.

Agree entirely, which is why it is frustrating to see other teams in this league getting their business done early, while we were sitting on our hands sorting out last years incompetence. 

We are allegedly the big club in the small pond, with the best facilities, best fans, best wages, big investors better than very many Championship clubs, a team playing for promotion back to the Championship, I'd say good and upcoming manager.

Boom nobody is interested!

9 minutes ago, Digs said:

You're right that there will be a reason but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a negative one or one within their control as a player. Players surplus to requirements rarely hold many cards in those scenarios other than choosing the club they want to move to.

If JM wasn't doing those things, then he should be sacked quite frankly as it is one of the most important parts of a managers job. I'm confident that he definitely is. We also already know of at least one player where a deal was on the table that we didn't know about until he told us, so I'm sure there are other irons in the fire. Whether they come off or not, as we have seen, isn't necessarily down to him, or us as a club.

Exactly but leaving it to the last day is hardly a fantastic way of doing business.

I know you will come back and say yes but free agents can be signed at any time once released by a club but I'm sure there are certain stipulations on registration of these players. Not sure of the ins and outs though.

Unfortunately a lot of the end of contract/free agents were around while we were in a state of flux with Hughes.

Generally as the window has progressed released players are almost being released to sign for a club waiting for them.

Any free agent still without a club today has a reason as to why he is still a free agent.

We have to hope that JM is actively talking to agents and clubs about players being released to him. With a deal ready and waiting.

If it's any consolation a few cars outside EEP and I saw Bill Brassy driving away about 25 minutes ago.

Didn't see Messi or Ronaldo though!

I'd be very worried today personally if we didn't see 1 or 2 players arriving. I've said it before and I'll say it again it's time for the German Investors to actually back the manager, put their hands in their large pockets and give him the players he needs to get us out of this Micky Mouse League that fundamentally is their fault due to p!sh poor managerial appointments, delays in correcting those decisions and the lack of negotiations to retain the better players we had towards the end of last season.

You forget where the moneys come from to make it the greatest league in the world, and how that has to be refreshed every so often to keep it at the top of the tree on the worldwide stage.

SKY etc risk is that A N Other broadcaster offer huge sums to form a breakaway league with Europe and that devalues its current golden goose which is the EPL.

Like it or not Celtic and Rangers have a massive worldwide following and the Old Firm game this weekend will be watched globally by probably more people than the Manchester or Merseyside derbies.

5 minutes ago, GG Riva said:

The only flaw in your theory is that the the Premier League clubs don't want them and will never vote them in. Why should two of the smaller clubs effectively vote themselves out of it?

TV revenue and something as simple as increasing the league by 2 teams would outweigh both those points. The fact Celtic and Rangers B teams are already in the Scottish leagues also covers the home issue. Those without busfares are covered, while still bringing in a good crowd to Scottish games enough to fill most stadiums I'd imagine and playing future Old Firm stars.

3 hours ago, GG Riva said:

Leaving aside the merits or demerits of Jack Ross as a manager, none of us can take any pleasure in that scoreline.

Celtic and Rangers are behaving rather like two large supermarket chains, intent on wiping out all the small shops, but they don't seem to realise that football is completely different from the retail industry and that competition is healthy for the game and needs to be helped to thrive rather than eliminated. 

I think you are totally wrong on that GGR.

They have ambitions to play in the EPL, always have done, they have to prove their worth on the pitch, as the commercial reasons are there for all to see.

Having both now qualified for the CL, running riot over all being put in front of them is the final dotting of the i's and crossing of the T's.

The Atlantic League was the first toe in the water.

With pressure from SKY, BT, Premier and ESPN the Global product with the likes of Celtic and Rangers in it is enormous.

If they are both able to compete in the CL and turn out not to be canon fodder than that place in the EPL won't be far behind, we will be left with Celtic B and Rangers B in our leagues to satisfy the home supporters.

Don't think it is any longer the case of if just when!

Was that not Lennon's only goal for Celtic?

On 26/08/2022 at 12:23, SanguinePar said:

Yeah that's the way I heard it. No idea if it's true.

Adam Hammils Boots

And I wonder who it was that called into to a meeting with Brian and a certain Director at the time after it was called out on dafc.net!

We have multi millionaire owners who want the best for the club and we are scratching about in the bargain bins looking for players.

Previously we have had a loyal fan paying a large percentage of Stevie Crawfords wage because he wanted the best for the club.

I’m not saying we should be sniffing around SPL players, but a little bit more ambition in where we are looking and a little more speculation to building a team that will be playing in the Championship will go a long way in showing the fans the club has got expectations and ambitions and I’m sure JM was told something similar when he took the job.

He certainly isn’t here because he loves the Pars he came here to rebuild his managerial career and take this league at a canter and make a showing in the Championship earn us some compensation and move on potentially to bigger and better things with our thanks and blessings,

Followed by this from Scottish Water.

Asset Impact Assessment
Scottish Water records appear to show abandoned sewers within your development site. Please note that Scottish Water records are indicative only and your attention is drawn to the disclaimer at the bottom of this letter. The developer should satisfy themselves that this infrastructure has been broken out and removed from site. Failure to do so would run the risk of future collapse of structures if they are built over the voids left by the infrastructure. If require further guidance on the procedure, please contact the Asset Impact Team.
Surface Water
For reasons of sustainability and to protect our customers from potential future sewer flooding, Scottish Water will not accept any surface water connections into our combined sewer system.

There may be limited exceptional circumstances where we would allow such a connection for brownfield sites only, however this will require significant justification from the customer taking account of various factors including legal, physical, and technical challenges.
In order to avoid costs and delays where a surface water discharge to our combined sewer system is anticipated, the developer should contact Scottish Water at the earliest opportunity with strong evidence to support the intended drainage plan prior to making a connection request. We will assess this evidence in a robust manner and provide a decision that reflects the best option from environmental and customer perspectives.
 

Just read the drainage report for the proposed Astro turf pitch, it’s basically saying from what I can perceive the full pitch will need a drainage system fitted as the layer below is heavy clay. In a 6 hour time frame it gave zero drainage.

They proposal would then see the need to connect the drainage system to the existing sewer system. 
 

Page 17 onwards 

https://planning.fife.gov.uk/online/files/27924AE28A4EAF9F0F4C471E714B5291/pdf/22_02041_FULL-14B_-_SUDS_REPORT-3255546.pdf

14 hours ago, kelty_par said:

What high bar have Falkirk exactly set?

They have got their business done early, got players in and given the manager the time to tinker with the squad but still have depth on the bench when needed. Pre season is the time you add players as not to try and disrupt a team too much once your league season starts surely?

Playing catch up after January is not an option! We go into the end of season fixtures at the top of the league otherwise we won’t be there at the end! Every team will strengthen in January in an attempt to gain promotion! Scott and Piracy are right we need some serious backing this week to show our intentions to win this league. Hate saying it Falkirk have set a high bar!

Why can I not see Secure Pars post?

4 hours ago, The Roy Barry Fan Club said:

There seems to be some degree of misunderstanding on the financial side of things. Perhaps I could help to clarify?

The initial GmbH investment was announced as 30% and the accounts very clearly indicate that they injected £600k in cash at that time.

GmbH then (about a year later) made an irrevocable loan which allows them to convert the loan into a further 50% of DAFC Ltd shares when they wish. They have put the cash in for this it was announced. 

They do not own 25% of Pars United (East End Park) Ltd. They have a golden share which gives them 25% of the votes at an AGM or EGM, and that is a very different thing from owning 25% of the company. For example, the golden share has no rights to dividends. That golden share was designed to protect the effective owner of the football club (which is what GmbH is) in relation to the stadium. It is of course open to GmbH to offer the existing shareholders of the stadium for the 100% of ordinary share equity in their hands. This they have not done as yet. They might do so; they might not.

All of the money from KDM for naming rights goes to DAFC. This is because the football club holds a long term lease on the East End Park. During that lease, the football club can call the ground what it wishes. 

In addition I know that the directors who live in Germany are in very close contact with their colleagues in  Scotland, are intimately involved in both playing and non playing decisions and are financially supportive. In short, from a financial perspective they are to be warmly welcomed. I am glad that they are with us.

 

TRBFC

I was clear that they only had 25% of the vote in the stadium but with the agreement of 1 other director any vote would carry.

You have pointed out the second part of the investment was unannounced so we were not aware of it. However that amount has also not been revealed and as much as it is an irrevocable loan it still remains as a loan on the books and could be called in if the situation changes.

As it stands GmbH have acquired DAFC and a controlling interest in EEP for £600k.

We are selling off naming rights to the stadium to bring in additional funds while we have multi millionaires in charge of our club?

That’s fine, but I don’t think I have ever seen figures mentioned, so I’m looking to be corrected. How much has it cost GmbH so far to take a 75% controlling interest in the club and a 25% stake in the stadium? Hard cash handed over to date. Not future spending, not promises, money directly to the club! 

Also don’t forget Jim Leishman resigned his post as director of the club he would die for at the same time! Something is not right and you know it but you are so quick to defend every negative view of what is blatantly obvious, things are not adding up! We have investors who are not investing and have shown a blatant disregard to what is happening on the pitch! On top of that have accumulated wealth historically by………..do your own research! 

23 minutes ago, Piracy said:

Well aware of the community ethos,  not sure back in the day it was something you wholeheartedly embraced.  But forgive me if I got that wrong. Being sceptical is okay,  having an alternative opinion is okay.  However you've been inconsistent in your opinions. You have been critical of Ross McArthur,  who you openly accused of running out on the club because he apparently knew something controversial was in the pipeline.  Now you're saying you preferred what happened under his tenureship. You said that that GmbH Fussball were here because their intentions was to sell off our ground to a German supermarket chain. That's a pretty complex and rubbish business plan being honest. I don't claim to know the former Chairman well but I made a judgement many years ago he is a decent, honest man with principles and integrity.  A man who,  when in charge done his best to grow the club.  He went out and brought in fresh investment and he explained about the lengthy and arduous process of getting the right type of investors for the club to progress. Using his judgement,  a judgement that stood him in good stead given what he done to save the club and served him well in becoming a successful self made man.  Nick Teller is by all accounts a man of integrity.  Thomas Meggle spent most of his time involved at all levels with St Pauli,  a club who are renowned world wide for their remarkable socially inclusive club ethos. I've no problems with their intentions. I do think they can improve on their communications,  but then again they have been improving since CEO Cook has been shoving his feet further under the table.  I see us top of our league,  I see the NW season ticket numbers growing and I see the passion among the younger element every home and away game growing. I hear McPake saying he's frustrated at the type of player he wants not being available,  I'm also sure he mentioned the board being frustrated too.  I believe there's budget available, but it will be a budget with restrictions,  which will be linked with financial prudence. A legacy of Ross McArthurs ethos while in charge.  Happy to hear different opinions from fellow fans,  but not conjecture based on Internet research suggesting foul play without any real basis. 

Wow I’ve given my support to Ross’s tenure as better than the current tenure! You appear to be a club lapdog! If not more than to dismiss any criticism of the current board! The information I posted is from companies house! Not internet conjecture! I’ll post the screenshot! Wow.

3 hours ago, Piracy said:

They were always going to take over Pars United as they increased their ownership of the club. I was enlightened to this earlier this year by the then outgoing Pars United chairman. 

GmbH Fussball's intention is to buy the stadium back and bring all club assets under one structure.  It's all part of reestablishing/maintaining the clubs identity. They said this publically at a supporters night, I was there. Without being funny,  you should head along to these events and pose these type of questions straight to them,  you'd receive a more detailed response than you will on here 👍

The whole ethos for a Community Club after the disastrous situation that Masterton led us into back in 2013/14 was to never return to a situation where one man or group could ever have enough control to be able to damage the club in a similar way. This all started with the dissolving of the supporters groups value of the shares and no-one seemed bothered. This allowed GmbH to gain a 75% controlling interest earlier this year. Now the same group without any announcement or advertised additional investment have taken over a substantial controlling interest in EEP.

Please forgive me for being a little concerned and sceptical especially when it appears we don't have very much money to invest in the players on the pitch, a view being shared by the manager when we have less than 2 weeks of the transfer window left.

To my mind and observations the club was being run far better and openly prior to GmbH becoming involved. Even to the point that the renaming of EEP would possibly have put out there in the open for fans input while considering the idea. 

Seeing how I never got a response to how DAFC could sell the sponsorship rights and rename a stadium they don’t own and profit from it, I did some research.

It turns out that DAFC Fussball GMBH were appointed as “person on significant control” of Pars United (EEP) Ltd on 14/2/22 the company that own EEP.

To my knowledge that position gives them 25% influence on all boardroom decisions to do with the stadium and one other directors vote now to carry all decisions.

Good money for the club, however is the deal with the club or the separate owners of EEP?