port-ton Posted July 28, 2022 Share Posted July 28, 2022 6 minutes ago, 9 Strathblane Crescent said: I'm not sure how you get from "a potential investor in MCT" to "buying the ground at an under market value price". You can't "invest" in MCT it's a membership organisation based on one man one vote. You can donate money through your membership contributions but you can't invest. The members of MCT own GMFC Property Ltd and unless persuaded otherwise wouldn't sell the ground "at an under market value price" because once the ground is gone that really would be the end. I'm as far from a business expert as possible but the only two directors of GMFC Properties on Companies House will be shortly stepping down from the MCT board while remaining on the GMFC board which again seems strange to me. I genuinely don't know the answer but do the MCT members have voting rights on major decions made by GMFC properties Ltd the same way we do with the running of the football club? Good people will do good things, bad people will do bad things, but only with religion do good people do bad things! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubes Posted July 28, 2022 Share Posted July 28, 2022 How is it allowed that they can step down from MCT (the vehicle that got them on the GMFC board) but remain on the GMFC board? Surely if you step down from MCT you do the same for GMFC? I have absolutely no idea about this so if someone is happy to help explain that would be great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cappiecat 1.2 Posted July 28, 2022 Share Posted July 28, 2022 26 minutes ago, Tubes said: I have absolutely no idea about this so if someone is happy to help explain that would be great! I think we're all waiting for that answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
9 Strathblane Crescent Posted July 31, 2022 Share Posted July 31, 2022 On 7/28/2022 at 6:35 PM, port-ton said: I'm as far from a business expert as possible but the only two directors of GMFC Properties on Companies House will be shortly stepping down from the MCT board while remaining on the GMFC board which again seems strange to me. I genuinely don't know the answer but do the MCT members have voting rights on major decions made by GMFC properties Ltd the same way we do with the running of the football club? On 7/28/2022 at 7:19 PM, Tubes said: How is it allowed that they can step down from MCT (the vehicle that got them on the GMFC board) but remain on the GMFC board? Surely if you step down from MCT you do the same for GMFC? I have absolutely no idea about this so if someone is happy to help explain that would be great! Under NO circumstances should people who are not directors of MCT be directors of GMFC Property Ltd. Both Gordon Ritchie and Stewart Farmer should resign from GMFC Property Ltd and be replaced by ALL the directors of MCT. NEVER should the people who are directors of GMFC Property Ltd be unnaccountable to the membership of MCT. That should be written into the MCT Articles of Association. 1 The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie_M Posted August 1, 2022 Share Posted August 1, 2022 John Sutton confirming the binning of the development squad and as a result, him being away. Would have been nice of the club to have bothered to update the fans on these sort of changes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie_M Posted August 2, 2022 Share Posted August 2, 2022 On 8/1/2022 at 9:54 AM, Jamie_M said: John Sutton confirming the binning of the development squad and as a result, him being away. Would have been nice of the club to have bothered to update the fans on these sort of changes. Club finally tell us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
port-ton Posted August 2, 2022 Share Posted August 2, 2022 Can't argue with the decision given the financial situation at the club. The best reserve players we had already make up a decent chunk of our first team squad this season. The ability to bridge the gap between the best youth team players and the first team with loan moves is a viable and more cost effective choice at the moment. Good people will do good things, bad people will do bad things, but only with religion do good people do bad things! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChampTon Posted August 2, 2022 Share Posted August 2, 2022 Surely saving some money on not paying Sutton a wage too, maybe we might see two new recruits? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EanieMeany Posted August 2, 2022 Share Posted August 2, 2022 I don't think it's a bad thing as such, but not when you're just merging it with the first team and trying to pass it off as serious squad for Championship football. If the Development Team was going, then in all honesty, the likes of Garrity, McGrattan et al shouldn't have been given new contracts (those two were renewed in February, I think a couple of others were relatively recent too? ), they should have been released if the team they were part of was no longer there. This decision surely has surely been in the pipeline for some time and (hopefully) hasn't just been made on a whim. As I've said elsewhere, this isn't a criticism of those players, but look how little game time McGrattan got last season even when he showed he had something to offer, and even look at Saturday when he didn't get off the bench when we weren't managing to get a grip of the game against 10 men. There's little to suggest Imrie really wanted these players, so why keep them? Was Imrie asked if he wanted those players signed up? When was he told he was getting hit with a bunch of youth/reserve players as a huge chunk of his squad? Again, it's not necessarily a bad thing to look to utilise loans etc, but given this is partly being presented as a footballing strategy as much as a cost-cutting one, it'd also be interested to know if any input was sought from Derek Anderson and Imrie too? Whilst it's true that the financial situation may have left no room for manoeuvre on it, I'd like to think that this wasn't just done at the behest of the seemingly unaccountable board members without fully considering the full picture of how it affects the youth set-up. Also, once again, I just don't really accept this idea that the picture we're being painted is an inevitable one and I think MCT seriously need to provide a helluva lot more detail to explain why it is so. The money coming into the club is considerably higher than previous years, the MCT donations are significant, gate prices are up, season ticket sales are up so whilst acknowledging rising costs etc, it doesn't quite add up that we're in a position where we're reduced to such a threadbare operation and seemingly unable to have very many proper footballer players on the books. AWMSC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post vikingTON Posted August 2, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted August 2, 2022 What doesn't add up is the fundamentally unsustainable football operation that was being run under Golden Casket every season. We had the remnants of a Covid grant covering part of last season - that's almost certainly used up by now. Not least because we also had to pay off McPherson because the new board laid its first giant egg in giving that tit an extended contract. We should if course get to see the accounts to confirm but it seems that straightforward. 6 The site is supposed to be a place for the extended 'family' of Morton supporters - having an affinity with people that you don't know, because you share a love of your local football club. It's not supposed to be about point scoring and showing how 'clever' or 'funny' you are, or just being downright rude and offensive to people you don't know, because you can get away with it. Unfortunately, it seems the classic case of people who have little standing/presence in real life, use this forum as a way of making themselves feel as if they are something. It's sad, and I've said that before.. So, having been on Morton forums for about 15 years I guess, I've had enough... well done t*ssers, another Morton supporter driven away. You can all feel happy at how 'clever' you are Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post vikingTON Posted August 4, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted August 4, 2022 On 8/2/2022 at 4:13 PM, port-ton said: Can't argue with the decision given the financial situation at the club. The best reserve players we had already make up a decent chunk of our first team squad this season. The ability to bridge the gap between the best youth team players and the first team with loan moves is a viable and more cost effective choice at the moment. The decision on its own is correct. But let's not forget that the original premise behind MCT - and the mood music over the past few years - was all about the great crop of young players our Braeside La Masia setup would be delivering. While Gordon Ritchie claims that we are currently getting two or three players making the step up per year rather than the one expected in wider football circles, that's not really true. Padding out a League One squad in terms of depth and quality does not make them an actual Championship player. And they're probably losing out by not being able to play regularly at a lower level to gain experience and ultimately determine whether they can make the grade. Ditching the development squad is a walk back from the previous recruitment model - so what is the model going to be now? We can't just have Imrie picking up players he wants because sooner or later Imrie will leave and then we'll have some other manager shipping in dung ringers faster than you can say 'Kaziah Sterling'. https://www.raithrovers.net/56278/bryan-mcdonald.htm While Raith aren't a model for break-even sustainability (or indeed sound decision-making), the fact that they're actually operating with a first team scout who was at Airdrie previously should give GMFC pause for thought. Who is scouting for us; where are they looking; what are the priorities? Can we take even one quarter of the supposed six-figure savings from not running a development squad and invest it in player recruitment? We need to have a coherent plan going forward for the first team because this isn't going to work for long if at all. My only concern about fan ownership is not that they can't run the business properly, but that they'll be too busy fighting fires right now to sit down and take an overall, long-term view. 4 The site is supposed to be a place for the extended 'family' of Morton supporters - having an affinity with people that you don't know, because you share a love of your local football club. It's not supposed to be about point scoring and showing how 'clever' or 'funny' you are, or just being downright rude and offensive to people you don't know, because you can get away with it. Unfortunately, it seems the classic case of people who have little standing/presence in real life, use this forum as a way of making themselves feel as if they are something. It's sad, and I've said that before.. So, having been on Morton forums for about 15 years I guess, I've had enough... well done t*ssers, another Morton supporter driven away. You can all feel happy at how 'clever' you are Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post dunning1874 Posted August 4, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted August 4, 2022 I think binning the development squad is the right thing to do for several reasons. The whole point of Project Brave was to load youth development even further in favour of big clubs by making it unaffordable for clubs like Morton to maintain with the removal of subsidies and here we are. You can just as a easily pick up competent Championship players or at a longer shot sellable assets through released players from bigger clubs rather than your own youth system, the development league will have a grand total of 9 games in it this season, the club has shown no signs of getting remotely near transfer fees to cover the substantial annual cost of running the squad, and we're not actually doing away with a youth setup entirely so although you possibly lose a potential late developer at 18 if they aren't ready for first team football yet, we still do have a pathway of some kind. The issue here, not for the first time, is communication about it. This could have been announced in an official club statement with that being the first fans heard of it. That statement could have set out the reasons, and preferably had mention of taking a wider look at or formal review of the club's operating model. Make it look like they're actively in control of the situation and thinking of how this decision can actually be part of a material improvement for the club as we have a proper review of how we recruit, and how this financial saving will be beneficial in moving towards that. Instead, most people found this out through John Sutton announcing his departure on twitter. Then there was a Telegraph story, where the narrative was entirely "we've had to do this because we're skint." Only the day after that Tele story did we get a club statement on the matter. This makes the club look reactive, like they're only making statements because they've been forced to by fans and journalists asking questions, like they're not really in control of the situation and haven't thought through the decision at all, as if they've just scrambled for something anything they can cut to save some money rather than properly thinking the positives and negatives through. It's a narrative that fully plays into the hands of the tedious bores churning out "fan ownership is a guaranteed disaster! Sell to Calum Melville immediately!" rhetoric, and it's entirely of their own doing through their inability to communicate properly. This needs to change. 6 Brian Wake my Lord, Brian Wake Brian Wake my Lord, Brian Wake Brian Wake my Lord, Brian Wake Oh Lord, Brian Wake Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie_M Posted August 4, 2022 Share Posted August 4, 2022 37 minutes ago, dunning1874 said: Instead, most people found this out through John Sutton announcing his departure on twitter. Then there was a Telegraph story, where the narrative was entirely "we've had to do this because we're skint." Only the day after that Tele story did we get a club statement on the matter. Even more so when the actual decisions were taken several weeks prior, there had been relatives of released players posting about it, and the club has even bothered to delete the players and staff from the official site, all without mentioning it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
so72 Posted August 8, 2022 Share Posted August 8, 2022 No idea where to ask/post this - Are the players washing their own kits/training gear? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irnbru Posted August 8, 2022 Share Posted August 8, 2022 50 minutes ago, so72 said: No idea where to ask/post this - Are the players washing their own kits/training gear? We've got a kitman so I'd be very surprised if they were. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irnbru Posted August 8, 2022 Share Posted August 8, 2022 (edited) See that an MCT board member who's supposed to have a background in marketing saying the tone of the latest club update is good and it's good to see feedback from fans. This has been the message from MCT for a while and I fail to see what they're doing to help or hold the club to account. Instead it seems like he's distancing them. Not a good look. Edited August 8, 2022 by irnbru Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helensburghton Posted August 13, 2022 Share Posted August 13, 2022 Whilst I appreciate the need for cost cutting, i.e getting rid of the reserves/ development squad, did this free up a financial gain for the budget for the Morton first team, and will this allow the manager to make some more signings to an already heavily depleted squad? Who knows! Also as an MCT member, can anyone please clarify what went wrong with the "exciting" sponsorship deal that never happened. ( and why). Ton fans are getting a raw deal here, hence the lack of clarity on the official website and from MCT. Not asking for much, but the weekly update is poor, hence the lack of activity on this forum! I am getting increasingly worried about the direction that our beloved historic club is heading towards! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingTON Posted August 13, 2022 Share Posted August 13, 2022 (edited) 3 hours ago, helensburghton said: Whilst I appreciate the need for cost cutting, i.e getting rid of the reserves/ development squad, did this free up a financial gain for the budget for the Morton first team, and will this allow the manager to make some more signings to an already heavily depleted squad? Who knows! Have you been living on a moon of Saturn for the past 6 months? There's not a business in the country that is "freeing up budget" by making cutbacks right now - they're being made to keep their heads just above water. And unless there's either enormous government intervention or an enormous backtrack on the ridiculous energy war that western Europe has foolishly lolloped into, most of the businesses that even achieve severe cost cutting still won't survive the coming winter. At what point will people wake up and realise that the shit hitting the fan every day in the news also applies to GMFC? There is no energy price cap for businesses under the current system. Edited August 13, 2022 by vikingTON The site is supposed to be a place for the extended 'family' of Morton supporters - having an affinity with people that you don't know, because you share a love of your local football club. It's not supposed to be about point scoring and showing how 'clever' or 'funny' you are, or just being downright rude and offensive to people you don't know, because you can get away with it. Unfortunately, it seems the classic case of people who have little standing/presence in real life, use this forum as a way of making themselves feel as if they are something. It's sad, and I've said that before.. So, having been on Morton forums for about 15 years I guess, I've had enough... well done t*ssers, another Morton supporter driven away. You can all feel happy at how 'clever' you are Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post vikingTON Posted August 13, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted August 13, 2022 (edited) 3 hours ago, helensburghton said: Also as an MCT member, can anyone please clarify what went wrong with the "exciting" sponsorship deal that never happened. ( and why). Ton fans are getting a raw deal here, hence the lack of clarity on the official website and from MCT. Not asking for much, but the weekly update is poor, hence the lack of activity on this forum! I am getting increasingly worried about the direction that our beloved historic club is heading towards! The sponsorship deal falling through was addressed a few weeks ago. I don't find the explanation offered by MCT 100% convincing (what's the club's benchmark for valuing sponsorship and who sets this: we don't have a chief executive FFS), but it's out there to judge for yourself. I think you're absolutely right to be worried but are largely focusing on the wrong, relatively trivial issues. I'd love to see MCT produce a positive, incrementally progressive direction for the club right now, but we need to face the reality of a truly unprecedented shitstorm that is about to rip through Scottish football just like every other business sector. Standing still would be a relative luxury. We are hobbled in our response by not having easy access to cashflow; but on the other hand, we don't have debt to a Walter Mitty owner and the ground appears to be secure - two crucial points in favour of our future prospects IMO. Simply continuing to operate at a moderately competent level is going to be the true measure of success for 30-odd SPFL clubs in the next 12 months: and I wouldn't be at all surprised if several fail and go into administration instead. Edited August 14, 2022 by vikingTON 4 The site is supposed to be a place for the extended 'family' of Morton supporters - having an affinity with people that you don't know, because you share a love of your local football club. It's not supposed to be about point scoring and showing how 'clever' or 'funny' you are, or just being downright rude and offensive to people you don't know, because you can get away with it. Unfortunately, it seems the classic case of people who have little standing/presence in real life, use this forum as a way of making themselves feel as if they are something. It's sad, and I've said that before.. So, having been on Morton forums for about 15 years I guess, I've had enough... well done t*ssers, another Morton supporter driven away. You can all feel happy at how 'clever' you are Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helensburghton Posted August 14, 2022 Share Posted August 14, 2022 6 hours ago, vikingTON said: Have you been living on a moon of Saturn for the past 6 months? There's not a business in the country that is "freeing up budget" by making cutbacks right now - they're being made to keep their heads just above water. And unless there's either enormous government intervention or an enormous backtrack on the ridiculous energy war that western Europe has foolishly lolloped into, most of the businesses that even achieve severe cost cutting still won't survive the coming winter. At what point will people wake up and realise that the shit hitting the fan every day in the news also applies to GMFC? There is no energy price cap for businesses under the current system. I'm well aware of what's happened in the last six months, just asking for a bit of clarity from the club just now, that's all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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