One week into the ‘lockdown’ and hopefully you and yours are safe and you’re not suffering overly with cabin fever. I guess most of us are still getting our heads around this, and within this whole context, rugby and the early termination of the season is but a bit player. As I type, we do know that the remainder of the season has been cancelled. We don’t yet know when the new season will start, but it’s hoped for now that it will be as per usual. We also don’t yet know how promotion or relegation will be resolved. 5 options have been circulated for comment, all bar one which would see us, rightly, safe. However, with people dying, businesses going bust and lifetime savings getting trashed, I confess it feels a little trite to arbitrarily concoct a mechanism to replace final league standings. We voted to void the season. This situation should be clearer by the middle of next week.

More importantly, and hopefully a little lighter

1/ Our community is at the heart of our club and we would like to offer our support, in any whichever way. We belong to our community and know how important community spirit is. If there’s anything a ‘group of not very bright lads who can lift heavy weights’ can do to help over the coming weeks then please, in all seriousness, contact info@falkirkrfc.com.

2/ I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the people and businesses who have supported us this year, either though funding or time. I include everyone one of you from our primary sponsors, through our pitch boards, the Wednesday Club to our excellent kitchen crew. Your support has transformed our ambitions around what we can now successfully take on. We’re thankfully in a position where we can ride this virus out and be confident that we’ll be here for next season. So, thanks for your continued, essential support.

3/ This is also the opportunity to thank every player that has represented the club this season, across our 1s, 2s or 3s, Minis and Kelpies. I’ve seen huge progression across every Team, with every Team becoming better technically, improving fitness and making better decisions. This is part of the rugby journey and will stand us in good steady when we are finally allowed to get back on the park. A huge part of why we play the game is for the enjoyment and I hope everyone has enjoyed it this season, especially the all the new players who pulled on the blue and blue this season and has seen their own performance improve.

4/ It would be remiss to not recognise the very hardworking committee members, alickadoo’s anyone? The excellent division of workload and responsibility makes the job that little bit easier and means I get the ‘armchair ride’!!

5/ And finally, my mantra, ‘It’s all about the coaches’ - no coaches = no players = no club.
So, a BIG thank you to Stevie and all our other coaches and Adele the physio. It’s been Stevie’s first season and I hope he’s enjoyed it. The good news is that he’s already focused on next season and hopefully he’ll have some exciting news in due course.

In terms of where we’re going…… it all seemed so much clearer 2 weeks ago
 Our Club AGM is provisionally booked for Thursday 14th May. We’ll advise an alternate date if this looks problematic.
 @ the AGM, Mark should be in a position to take you through the variously priced options for club re-development.
 Jen will be able to take you through next year’s budget – if only so it’s clear around the importance within the budget of membership payments, club lotto & club events – it represents around half of our current income.
 Coaches day and sponsors recognition day has not been cancelled, merely diverted into another time slot. It will happen………. just it’ll probably be August/September rather than March.

Finally, the demand on committees, coaches, support staff and volunteers is significant, and whilst it can and should be hugely rewarding, we need every part of the club to be as strong as it can be and to do that, we need to have as broad a base as possible. So, I ask all those past players, members old and new who would be interested in getting back involved with the ‘Great Wee Club’ to please get in touch………. what are you waiting on?

The next few months will be an extremely challenging time for the world, but we will come out the other side and when we do, we’ll be ready for the 2020-2021 season.

Remember - Ultimately, it’s ALL about making people feel good about themselves.
Please look after yourselves and your families, BE SAFE, thanks again for all your support and I look forward to the day the bar re-opens at Sunnyside.

Yours in Rugby

W.T Faulds