Directors stepping down would not have been a positive move for club says Falkirk FC chairman Gary Deans

Deans was addressing questions from the Bairns support in a Q&A posted on the club’s official website and social media channels on Thursday night.

The full two hour plus video can be viewed HERE and also featured sporting director Gary Holt, head coach Paul Sheerin and investors Phil and Carrie Rawlins.

The first question asked why there had been no resignations by board members following the failure of the first team to gain promotion from League 1 last season.

"Our performance, collectively, hasn't been good enough," said Deans.

"You also take into account your own position and question whether you still have things you are able to add.

"Looking at what we are doing off the park, and putting us into a position to start rebuilding the club and building back up through the league was an important decision process for me and the board, looking at what we have done and what we will be doing next.

"Does everybody question whether they're doing a good enough job? Absolutely. If you're not asking these questions of yourself you shouldn't be there in the first place.

"It's part of the job to be able to assess yourself an collectively assess each other.

"Having said all that, the club had been in my personal view on a decline for a number of years and not just the past two that I have been involved in.

"I'm not hiding behind anything but it has been in decline for several years and you do not turn this quickly, you need to put foundations in before you can get success on and off the field.

"We feel we've put these foundations in, unfortunately we didn't manage to build on them at the end of last season but one of the things that went through my mind is if I stepped aside would that improve the position of the club? I don't feel it would.

"Me stepping aside, or for that matter any of the other board members, would make a jot of difference positively in taking this club forward. In fact, I think it would have the reverse effect.

"We have a very strong team through the club and we're in the process of building on these foundations and putting great football in place like Gary (Holt) and Paul (Sheerin).

"It's right to ask the question, we won't hide from that, but at the moment I don't think it's the right decision to step aside."

Other questions posed at the online event, all of which were sent in by Falkirk supporters, surrounded topics such as season ticket refunds, access to home and away games next season, the departure of the previous management team, the issues surrounding their frayed relations with the Crunchie Initiative and fan relations.