Developing MCT/GMFC Board Situation

[ADTon]

Good Afternoon, 
 

This is my first and only post, I just felt the fans deserved to hear this information. All I'll say is that I have a close relationship with one of the individuals involved. In the coming days I am sure there may be alternate narratives that appear but this is all the information I have.

• Sam Robinson, Graham Barr and John Laird were dismissed from the board late on Sunday night
• They were not given a specific reason and as of today still haven't received a reasoning
• Tom Tracey has allegedly resigned as a protest against the MCT board
• Stewart Duncan allegedly resigned this morning as MCT company secretary in protest at the actions of the board and is likely to release some kind of statement in the next day or two because MCT don't want to release it
• The most recent Dalrada sponsorship deal was apparently negotiated for minimum one more season guaranteed funding
• As part of that deal Dalrada would reportedly match the funding of any increase in subscription, something Graham McLennan allegedly said he could accomplish
• Conditional to that was that Dalrada allegedly wanted John Laird and Sam Robinson to remain on the board to have a local representative of their interests as Ross Gourdie spends the majority of his time in the US.
• John Laird was held in high regard by Dalrada and Sam Robinson was viewed by them as principal driver of the initial sponsorship deal, hence their continued involvement.
• Sam Robinson was reportedly going to resign his position as MCT rep as he would essentially be installed in a position to the board similar to Ross Gourdie, as a Dalrada rep.
• As such nominations from MCT for Morton club board membership would be sought to maintain majority MCT board control
• Michael Harkins allegedly advised MCT that he did not believe Dalrada would pull funding if John Laird and Sam Robinson were dismissed.
• MCT reportedly didn't look at the offer made by Dalrada
• Graham McLennan allegedly called a meeting to dismiss John Laird, Sam Robinson and Graham Barr
• Dalrada have now advised that they will cease all funding as the terms of their agreement is not being met
• As of this moment, the club is reportedly not able to trade as the article's of association negotiated between MCT and Crawford Rae requires majority MCT membership of the board which is not being met. It takes 2 weeks to satisfy SFA fit and proper persons tests so tight now the club is essentially rudderless.
• MCT have most likely embargoed the club from communicating anything about the situation.
• The club has received over £1 million in sponsorship funding from Dalrada, this has enabled the club to make a small profit whilst maintaining a competitive playing squad
• By all accounts, before Dalrada invested, the club was potentially months from folding without significant downsizing as the membership model was not fit for purpose
• It is not clear whether MCT has a contingency in place to replace the funding gap left from Dalrada
• What has became clear is that unless John Laird and Sam Robinson are re-instated, which is highly unlikely, any future funding from Dalrada is highly likely to cease, which this season equates to approximately £500k plus whatever increase in subscription MCT as allegedly spearheaded by Graham McLennan could deliver

 

 

Edited May 6 by ADTon

[irnbru]

Not sure all of this can be true. If the 3 named from the GMFC board have been dismissed had Gourdie on their side then they'd be the majority of board members so wouldn't have thought there was a mechanism for them to be removed by a minority. 

We definitely need some sort of statement from the club and MCT though and as soon as possible.

There's always rumours going about at this time of season with every club but there's too many now and reasons to believe some. A fan run club can't survive if people start to lose faith. 

[TONofmemories]

Two different text fonts, suggests you might be doing someones bidding for them...

As Irnbru states, this needs clearing up. There's far too many stories out there atm for something not to be going south somewhere. 

 

 

[Alan_Partridge_Ton]

As the old saying goes, you can tune a piano, but you can’t tuna fish!

[Greacen2000]

I noticed on companies house that Harkins is no longer a director as of yesterday.  Will be keeping an eye on it for additional filings coming up around the other directors mentioned above.  
 

The radio silence from MCT and the club is very concerning, adding to the lack of communications on other recent issues such as Andy Millen & the fifa registration ban.

Edited May 6 by Greacen2000

[Stevie Aitken's Love Child]

6 minutes ago, Greacen2000 said:

I noticed on companies house that Harmins is no longer a director as of yesterday.  Will be keeping an eye on it for additional filings coming up around the other directors mentioned above.  
 

The radio silence from MCT and the club is very concerning, adding to the lack of communications on other recent issues such as Andy Millen & the fifa registration ban.

Harkins was due to leave anyway I'm sure.

As always, taking anything from a first time poster with a huge pinch of salt, but the breakdown is all very specific.

[TopCat]

Agreed on the need for communication, but the last thing we need is tit for tat rumours from warring factions being played out in public. There might be plenty of nonsense going on, but the best solution for the club doesn't necessarily make everyone happy.

There's been plenty of sweetie rustling this season about late payments and backpedalling from Dalrada, plus folk with gripes about Laird, but that doesn't mean those stories hold any more or less weight than the stuff posted above.

[GiGi]

3 minutes ago, TopCat said:

Agreed on the need for communication, but the last thing we need is tit for tat rumours from warring factions being played out in public. There might be plenty of nonsense going on, but the best solution for the club doesn't necessarily make everyone happy.

There's been plenty of sweetie rustling this season about late payments and backpedalling from Dalrada, plus folk with gripes about Laird, but that doesn't mean those stories hold any more or less weight than the stuff posted above.

Aye this is just disgruntled parties playing out their remonstrations by leaking information to people/press instead of keeping it in-house.

Hope they all realise the damage they're doing to trust in the club and MCT by pushing their own agendas in this way. 

[vikingTON]

4 hours ago, ADTon said:

By all accounts, before Dalrada invested, the club was potentially months from folding without significant downsizing as the membership model was not fit for purpose

Well that's just obvious pish, because the club was - and is - months from setting any budget it wants to acheive a break even status.

The funding shortfall under the Raes and the annual MCT contributions to the club are all public domain information. The gap between the two, regardless of any efficiency gains that could be acheived, does not equate to 'folding' but rather deciding whether paying the likes of Niall McGinn to watch daytime TV outside of 'full-time' training is sustainable. 

[9 Strathblane Crescent]

Tell me there is a plan B, and we haven't just lost over £500k in sponsorship to satisfy somebody's ego.

Tell me we have someone in the wings to replace Dalrada our major sponsor.

Tell me we are not heading for the seaside leagues for the rest of eternity.

Tell me the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse haven't taken over the MCT board and are hell-bent on destruction of both MCT and GMFC.

Tell me the MCT board are going to eventually tell the members what the f0ck is going on.

Tell me when we are having an EGM to explain to the members why this action has been taken.

Tell me when the board of MCT are resigning if they don't have a plan B that doesn't jeopardise our club.

 

[TONofmemories]

21 minutes ago, 9 Strathblane Crescent said:

Tell me there is a plan B, and we haven't just lost over £500k in sponsorship to satisfy somebody's ego.

Tell me we have someone in the wings to replace Dalrada our major sponsor.

Tell me we are not heading for the seaside leagues for the rest of eternity.

Tell me the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse haven't taken over the MCT board and are hell-bent on destruction of both MCT and GMFC.

Tell me the MCT board are going to eventually tell the members what the f0ck is going on.

Tell me when we are having an EGM to explain to the members why this action has been taken.

Tell me when the board of MCT are resigning if they don't have a plan B that doesn't jeopardise our club.

 

Why dont you tell us, Stuart? 

[Mr.Blue]

2 hours ago, TONofmemories said:

Why dont you tell us, Stuart? 

That's what I was thinking

[GiGi]

2 hours ago, 9 Strathblane Crescent said:

Tell me there is a plan B, and we haven't just lost over £500k in sponsorship to satisfy somebody's ego.

Tell me we have someone in the wings to replace Dalrada our major sponsor.

Tell me we are not heading for the seaside leagues for the rest of eternity.

Tell me the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse haven't taken over the MCT board and are hell-bent on destruction of both MCT and GMFC.

Tell me the MCT board are going to eventually tell the members what the f0ck is going on.

Tell me when we are having an EGM to explain to the members why this action has been taken.

Tell me when the board of MCT are resigning if they don't have a plan B that doesn't jeopardise our club.

 

All for the mod team just removing posts like this until shit stirrers start naming names. 

Who's ego had to be satisfied? Who are the four people who have taken over the MCT board? If you can't be more specific, GTF. 

[TONofmemories]

This is the same guy that's been on and off the MCT board, in some capacity, throwing toys out the pram since the early days. I suspect the OP's close friendship is with this same person. Deliberate misspelling of name the clue. 

Takes roles on board for the sake it til the toys are chucked out the pram then gets back in. Constant cycle from an outsider looking in. 

Edited May 7 by TONofmemories

[port-ton]

Morton board getting their narrative out nice and early. No surprise they’re using the Dalrada deal to strike fear in to fans. Wouldn’t expect anything less from some of the poisonous characters involved.

[SpoonTon]

If we put all this aside for a moment, this should be a big week or so of communication for the club. 

When are season tickets going on sale? 

When are new steps being announced? 

Which players are leaving/staying - who are being offered deals? 

What is the situation with Millen?

What's the update on the transfer ban? 

What's happening with the Dalrada deal (because we can all see that things don't look amazing for them right now)?

What's the latest general club update (addressing issues like pie stalls, etc.)

[TONofmemories]

Whilst fan ownership at the time seemed to be the only show in town at a time folk wanted the Rae's out, i dare say this was always on the cards when you have emotional fans in various positions. It seems now there's a lot of dislike for each another. It needs sorting and someone needs to steady the ship. 

[vikingTON]

27 minutes ago, TONofmemories said:

Whilst fan ownership at the time seemed to be the only show in town at a time folk wanted the Rae's out, i dare say this was always on the cards when you have emotional fans in various positions. It seems now there's a lot of dislike for each another. It needs sorting and someone needs to steady the ship. 

It was always likely to play out this way from time to time, but let's not kid ourselves into thinking that so-called professional business partners don't throw toys out of the pram and brief their big mates with 'ITK information' too. Just look at thr situation unfolding at Hamilton and Queens' Park within the same division. 

As a voting member and nothing more than that, the conclusion I am drawing from all this speculative shite is to uniformly vote down any candidate - either to the MCT or GMFC board - who is founc to be gaslighting the fanbase about 'the club folding' or any other nonsense to make a case. 

State your position and arguments in good faith, and support key claims with evidence. If not, then your airing of supposed dirty linen in public does nothing but harm to the club's relationship with external suppliers, Smiths etc. 

Edited May 7 by vikingTON

[TONofmemories]

3 minutes ago, vikingTON said:

It was always likely to play out this way from time to time, but let's not kid ourselves into thinking that so-called professional business partners don't throw toys out of the pram and brief their big mates with 'ITK information' too. Just look at thr situation unfolding at Hamilton and Queens' Park within the same division. 

As a voting member and nothing more than that, the conclusion I am drawing from all this speculative shite is to uniformly vote down any candidate - either to the MCT or GMFC board - who is founc to be gaslighting the fanbase about 'the club folding' or any other nonsense to make a case. 

State your position and arguments in good faith, and support key claims with evidence. If not, then your airing of supposed dirty linen in public does nothing but harm to the club's relationship with external suppliers, Smiths etc. 

Agreed. Hence i have my suspicions on where this is all coming from. 

Name in lights etc etc

[dazza]

A couple of hours ago Dalrada put this on their Facebook page

"We’re proud to stand with Greenock Morton- a team that represents strength, resilience, and community spirit. 
At Dalrada, we’re committed to those same values by delivering clean energy solutions that protect our planet and future generations. 
Together, we’re building a better tomorrow, on and off the field"

So it would be strange if they've put that on after pulling or threatening to pull funding.