Club Update

With the four pre-season fixtures completed with mixed results and performances and as another month comes to an end in this dreadful year we are enduring,  a further update from club officials on various aspects of life around Station Park at present as we prepare to begin our competitive season with two very difficult to say the least Betfred Cup ties against Dundee at Dens Park next Tuesday and Hibernian at Station Park seven days later.

RETURN TO FOOTBALL – The return to football which began for the ‘Loons’ with a first training session back on September 1^st has gone relatively smoothly alongside the many and quite natural regulations and protocols that have had to be adhered to in these troubled times. 

It would be fair to say that when SPFL League One and Two clubs made the unanimous decision to go ahead with a 27 game league programme alongside the cup competitions in late June, with a mid-October start, there were high hopes at the time that at the very least season ticket holders would be allowed admission to home fixtures.   Sadly with the significant rise in COVID cases over the past few weeks, this will not be the case and despite the fact that the SFA/SPFL Joint Response Group continue to press the case for a phased return of supporters at all levels of the game in Scotland, this would now appear to be some way off.    Of course, we all hope and pray that the measures imposed on the population over the past fortnight to fight the current ‘spike’ will prove successful and even more meaningful negotiations on this front can once again bear some ‘light at the end of a long tunnel’ for all concerned.

Whether the twenty clubs involved in the vote would have made the same decision back in June had they been able to peer into a crystal ball and view the current position, is pure conjecture.   Fair to say they all met by video conference call last Friday and unanimously decided that they were all too far down the road at this point to contemplate turning back.

Rumours of clubs going to the ‘wall’ by Christmas still abound in the press.    Safe to say at present Forfar Athletic officials can only say they are hopeful,  that they can see it through to the end of the season under the current restrictions, although finances by May no matter what will not be overly healthy.     

One thing is for certain.   They could not contemplate another campaign in 2021/22 on the same ‘terms.’

In conclusion on this subject, tomorrow will be an important day for Forfar Athletic officials when all the plans they have put in place including the temporary dressing room accommodation for players and officials and the mass of safety measures, signage now around the ground, along with their general match day plan are inspected by an SFA appointed delegate who will have the final say on the club’s ability to stage competitive fixtures at Station Park starting with the Hibernian tie.

Hopefully, all the hours put in by our COVID Officer Alan (‘wee sheepy’) Shepherd, Safety Officer Iain Reid and their sub-committee colleagues will bear fruit on this score.

PLAYING SQUAD – Most if not all supporters if social media is anything to go by have been delighted to date with the squad that manager Stuart Malcolm and his management team have put together over the past couple of months.

However, on the eve of the season, it has been somewhat decimated.    All knew Michael Travis was a long term injury victim at the outset, but thankfully his surgery earlier in the month seems to have proved successful and a lengthy recuperation programme has begun.

From the outset, Steven Doris and Mark Hill have been struggling for full fitness but in the current circumstances, both will be assessed over the weekend with a place on the bench at Dens a possibility despite the lack of match fitness.  

Chris Antoniazzi an early-season injury victim made his Athies debut as a second-half sub against Brechin City last night.  

However, both Steven Anderson and BJ Coll were missing from last night’s squad after picking up knocks at Gayfield last Saturday.

While it is hoped that BJ will only be out for 2/3 weeks at most, Steven is to have a scan and could be set though we hope not for a longer period on the sidelines.

To top it all goalkeeper Daniel Hoban though he has had a negative test himself is one of the many students in Dundee suffering lockdown conditions in their Halls of Residence accommodation.

The initial playing budget for the season had been utilised in full to build the squad in difficult times, but the Directors are currently looking at the figures to see if there is leeway to bolster the numbers even in the short term.

The management team are also in particular exploring the loan marketplace to see what is available to them.

Watch this space as they say.

SEASON TICKETS – Considering that as mentioned previously that no live-action is on the horizon for fans, sales have been encouraging but not reaching record levels that some other clubs are laying claim to.

The sale of adult tickets is in fact on a par with last term with of course the advantage of inclusive live streaming of all home games as part of the package while fixtures are played with supporters absent.

Concession tickets, the junior versions, in particular, have perhaps not surprisingly seen a slump in sales.   Club officials realise that many of our older fans may not have the same access to computers etc to view the live stream, while this option was not a part of the £40/£25 packages for younger fans.

If and when we do get the opportunity to allow access to supporters in reasonable numbers, hopefully, we will be able to offer our young fans an even more advantageous rate, but that is for the future.

A reminder in closing on this subject that season tickets are still available online.

Although club officials have no plans at present for any more in-person sale timings at the ground, anyone not able to proceed with a purchase online should phone 07871165689 and alternative arrangements to supply the ticket will be implemented.

LIVE STREAMING – As many will have read and even now experienced the installation of the Pixellot System at a fair cost by the club to allow our home fixtures to be live-streamed into your living room at present was completed at the beginning of the week.

This allowed what was by all accounts a successful test event to go ahead with the ‘historic’ showing of last night’s friendly fixture.   

Suffice to say that all the options available to season ticket holders and to others will be well publicised on all our social media channels in the weeks ahead.

However a huge pat on the back to Louise Taylor and Paul Stephen, not forgetting our ex-Chairman Ross Graham who have put an enormous amount of time and effort in behind the scenes to put this operation in place.

That work will continue to make sure the service provided is a success especially in the ‘infancy’ stage of the operation.

FUND RAISING VENTURES - We will be as short as we can on this subject because at times the club perhaps rightly or wrongly depending on individual opinions get accused of putting on the ‘begging bowl hat’ too often.

However even as you will have noted at the top of the sporting tree at present times are hard.

We must though accept that this is the case in all walks of life at present, with the odd exception and the Station Park Directors do realise this we can assure you.

However apart from the drastic cuts to match day income and the loss of our four major ‘outside’ fundraising functions this calendar year, it now begins to look increasingly likely that any hope of staging sell-out Dinners in the Reid Hall in the spring of 2021 is also fading fast.   

Again at this point thanks to all who supported the recent cycling event and a special word to our new Director John Milne who was the ‘brains’ behind the project.

We also if you do not do so at present ask you to consider subscribing online, little alternative as far as sales options go these days to the Loons Lucky Lotto.

We are also about to launch a virtual 50/50 draw which has been very successful at other clubs in recent months with the first draw due to be made at half time at the Hibernian fixture on Tuesday week.

Full details of this latest venture will be announced in the next 24 hours hopefully.

Rest assured the support the club receives is always humbling and most appreciated by all behind the scenes at Station Park, especially so over the course of the past six months whether by Lucky Lotto sales, share purchase by ‘Loons fan from near and far, season ticket sales or other avenues.

These updates seem by comments on Facebook and in-person to have been well received in the main since March month and as the season begins, at least we hope it will, work will continue to bring you all the news, match reports etc in these extraordinary times for all concerned, not just for the game of football, a point we always try our best to emphasise.

The main message to all ‘Loons’ supporters.   Thanks again for your extraordinary backing and please stay safe and well.