Kmcalpin

I'd suggest Celtic are in a different situation here. If the club alienated some fans by siding with Rangers and lost say 4,000 season ticket holders in the process, then all that would happen is that another 4,000 currently on the waiting list would step in and snap them up. From Celtic's point of view no difference - same level of sales, those who want to attend attend and those who want to walk away do. The proof of the pudding is how Celtic vote not what they say (if anything) in public.

For some time now they've had a loyalty scheme in operation giving preference to those who bought season tickets, hospitality and individual game tickets. When their place in the Cup Final was confirmed, they announced that fans with say 12- 25+ points would be guaranteed a ticket. Despite the currant furore over a Rangers newco, season ticket sales for 2012-13 then went through the roof. PROBLEM! They then hastily upped the qualifying points limit to say 20 points causing mayhem. In other words the goalposts were changed halfway through ticket sales. Quite a few fans who thought that they tickets in the bag were disappointed. I now believe that the limit has been reduced again. The usual bickering and squabbling broke out in the support over who had the best claim to tickets/why those who had been threatening to walk away next season over the Rangers situation were snapping up season tickets etc etc.

Nothing in Society membership about this so I guess that preferential ticketing for members is not guaranteed. That said I'd hope the club would consider this. A shortage of tickets could be a problem if we draw an attractive tie away from home. There was quite a panic before the AS Nancy game when it was announced that we'd only get the UEFA allowance of about 500 tickets (?) if recall correctly. AS Nancy did not have to accede to MFC's pleadings for an additonal allocation, but they did. Even at that a few of our fans had to make do with seats in the home end. I hope that club introduces a permanent and transparent (going off that word now) loyalty scheme for all big game tickets but avoids the Tynecastle debacle at all costs - an absolute nightmare for Jambos apparently, that has caused a lot of ill feeling in Embra.

Yes, the club secured a grant to pay for this renewal.

Good stuff big man. I'll be renewing mine near you in the next week or two. They may well come in handy when trying to source tickets for Euro games if Nancy was anything to go by.

Quite a few clubs like Dundee United, St Johnstone, Inverness, Kilmarnock and ourselves could be losing a number of players over the summer. The trick though is to replace them with lads of a similar but hopefully better calibre. In our case there's a bit more pressure due to our early start in the CL. Hopefully we can retain Stuart McCall as well as I don't particularly want to start the new campaign in the same situation as we did when playing Llanelli. Of the players in contract I'd guess the Directors will want to move on Hutch, Darren Randolph and Jamie Murphy. Of those out of contract (Hammell, Clancy, Jennings and Lasley), I can see Keith as being the only one to stay on. In short we could have a big rebuilding job on our hands especially in defence and midfield. One bright spot though is that circling English clubs will not wnat to do business until August. All this is purely speculation on my part of course and may be well off the mark. Looking to young lads coming back or breaking through - we do have Steven Saunders back and Jon Page may really push for a place. Other young lads - who knows?

Not well thought of in Perth - he's big but thats about it. Liam Craig, Murray Davidson & Dave MacKay would be better bets but they're all under contract, and Davidson would not come to us anyway.

I agree that £20 is far too expensive but I'm intrigued that you think the footie is poor quality.....compared to what exactly? I've seen some gey poor Well sides over the years and last season's team was way above their standard.

You've always got the option of taking your custom elsewhere in future.

Once again, he received little support from Murphy and Humphrey who played too wide and deep to be of any real assistance to him. It was only when Henrik came on that he received more support. Our priority for next season should be to get him an effective strike partner, with Ojamaa playing off them.

I didn't even want a drink I only wanted to get in! Hope those who did make it in enjoyed themselves and the club made a few quid.

Not a bad summing up Andy. I too had a horrible flashback to Martyn Corrigan's injury and I'm glad Stevie is ok. Had the game been a decider I think you'd have seen a different Well side. Whilst our lads had a a party on their minds for the most part United were out to right a perceived injustice. A mixture of working harder than us and very good fortune ensured they carried off the 3 point somewhat unfairly. On the pitch it simply wasn't going to be our day and you got the feeling that irrespective of how we played the 3 points were always going to Tayside. In such games you hope for 2 things no stretcher cases and no red cards. We managed one but not the other. Still we should look back over the season and not over 90 minutes. The team has done well and despite what United might think we finished 3rd not them and by a clear 3 points. Good to know also that we start next season with a bank of good fortune to come our way in tussles with them. Sorry that Crags didn't bow out with a win but thats football

Well put Finlay. Its hard I know but football is cut throat. I can only assume that SM & KB reckon they can bring in better players either through internal promotion or through the transfer market. The presumption is that Forbes, Halsman and Lawless are not considered by the club to be SPL class.

Pretty well sums it up for me. We all like to see youngsters get on in the game but like it or not, very few will actually make it at SPL level or above. I'm struggling to think of many youngsters we've released who have then gone on to bigger and better things. Alan Martin at about 18 felt that he should be getting first team exposure, was desperate for a move and convinced Leeds to give him a chance. He didn't make the grade, ended up on loan at Barrow I think, and the last I heard was playing for Ayr United. We all know about Paul Slane. Our management's primary obligation is to put as strong a first 11 on the park as possible and get results and if that means leaving out young lads they'll do it. But they also have an important duty to look after young lads and if they aren't ready for first team duty they'll be told. Its doing them no favours to pitch them into the hurly burly of SPL action if they aren't ready for it.

The club keeps telling us that our youth system is the future of the club and I've no reason whatosever to disbelieve that. I can only assume that our management team don't think that the young lads they've released are going to make it. Why on earth would they release players that they rate highly? As for the youngsters that have been offered new deals but have still to put pen to paper they'd do well to ponder over the careers of Paul Slane and Alan Martin both of whom felt they had outgrown us. We only need to cast our minds back a few short years to the Terry Butcher era when a few of our fans had a right good go at him in person for preferring Paul Quinn to Willie Kinniburgh - we have to trust the guys in charge, as they work with the lads day in and day out.

Ross's problem is lack of pace. After an impressive start other teams soon sussed him out and it was downhill after that. A pity though because he is talented. The jury is still out on Jon Page but he's probably done enough to earn another deal. I've been expecting some of the young lads like Pollock, Smith and Halsman to depart. I think that Lawless and MacKinnon may deserve some more time. Some of our younger fringe players should have been staking a claim for a shot at the first team but obviously haven't made that step up. In the end Stuart McCall, Kenny Black and Gordon Young will know best as to who is likely to progress and who isn't. Football can be tough and many youngsters simply don't make the SPL grade. Whichever lads leave lets wish them all the best. Some may make it at a lower senior level and others may have to move down to the juniors.

Maybe, just maybe we are beginning to see the first signs of hope and some reward for the club's ambition to be a real community organisation. Enjoy yourselves on Sunday.

?????????? Whats this? Hope everything is ok. Well done to Alan and his team on another job well done. He's a real asset to the club.

No worldbeater but a loyal servant who always gave of his best and a perfect gent to boot. He deserves a good send off. He'll be in our hall of fame.

A question for everyone here. If Rangers cease to play in the SPL next season would our crowds and those of other SPL clubs increase? By my reckoning Rangers bring about 8,000 fans to FP every season. Now say they pay a mix of £23 and £15 - average £20. By my reckoning that brings in £160,000. Off that we have to deduct VAT and we'd be left with about £124,000. Fans of a replacement club would also bring revenue. OK they buy snacks and drinks etc but we have to pay police and stewarding bills. A very crude calculation but its not a fortune is it? Would we make that up in increased home gate receipts? Whatever the economics, I don't think gate receipts are the issue.

Thats what I'll be doing - every little helps the club. Hopefully we'll get a decent attendance and a great atmosphere with both sets of fans in party mode.

Difficult to answer precisely Iain, as I don't have all the legal and financial facts. Are the situations the same though? Other things being equal though I'd undoubtedly say yes.

You do not know that. Motherwell FC could easily vote to kick out Rangers on the basis of incomplete or downright wrong information in the name of sporting integrity. However its the SPL which would have the final say on the basis of other votes in addition to ours. If Rangers were kicked out/heavily punished/whatever on the basis of incomplete or downright wrong information then the SPL and possibly MFC could be sued for millions. Its one thing to want to deal with Rangers in a just way (I certainly do) but you can't just go ahead and do it without checking the facts first. Remember there's nothing in the SPL rules about this situation, although there should have been. The shareholders of any company, including MFC, would be extremely unhappy if the Directors acting on principle, albeit just, took illegal action which exposed the company to very costly litigation. Neither the SPL or our club are rich enough to simply bash ahead regardless with no thought to any legal or other costs involved. Its simply my take on a very complicated situation.

You might be disappointed if you received one tonight. Its quite possible that the official statement would read something along the lines of "We are awaiting clarification on a number of legal/financial points before coming to a decision". That could indeed be the club's position, who knows? As I posted in another thread does anyone know the legal remit of the Club's Directors, or indeed the Directors of any company? This could be a crucial factor

Yes. Irrespective of how any vote goes there's always at least one party with an axe to grind who leaks information, in the name of transparency. Just think of the secret vote which took place over Falkirk's attempt to groundshare at Airdrie. Any Board vote, if there is one should be adjourned today. The decision has to be taken by all the SPL members and not on a 11-1 or 10-2 basis either. If a Board vote is taken and its in favour of letting a Rangers Newco straight back into the SPL it will be all too easy for clubs not on the Board to say to their fans "Nothing to do with me Guv...a big boy done it and ran away". Result - they may get what they want and their own fans are satisfied their rep wan't to blame. Win - win?