Dunfermline chairman Ross McArthur admits the Scottish Government’s handout will be a ‘lifesaver’ for Scottish football.
The Scottish FA are set to dish out the first portion of the £7.5 million worth of grants awarded to SPFL clubs below the Premiership this week ahead of Christmas. A total of £11.35 million is available to football at all levels north of the border.
It is understood the money will not filter down from government until January but Hampden bosses are to pay half up front, with the remainder to be passed on to clubs when the cash reaches the SFA’s bank account next month.
Championship clubs are to receive £500,000 each, League One outfits £150,000 and League Two sides £100,000, whilst every Premiership club can apply for low-interest loans of approaching £2 million.
With the help of supporters, the furlough scheme, transfer money for the sale of Kevin Nisbet to Hibernian and the safety net of significant investment from Germany, McArthur was confident Dunfermline were well placed to ride out the coronavirus pandemic.
However, the East End Park chief, who is a member of the SPFL board, believes the whole of Scottish football will be extremely grateful for a cash injection he reckons should now secure the safety of clubs through to the end of the season.
He said: “I’m conscious the Premiership clubs have got more potential funding, but that is a loan, so to get the grant funding is absolutely very welcome for Dunfermline.
“When the grant funding was announced, it had to filter down the levels so we weren’t very sure what individual clubs would get.
“But I had hoped we would get a certain figure – and this has surpassed it. So, we’re absolutely delighted.
“It’s a lifesaver.
“I have been quite vocal in recent weeks saying we needed it. I was talking more about the game as a whole, not necessarily about Dunfermline. It would have been difficult for us, but we would have got through things.
“But we’ll be down about 50 per cent of our income and I can’t take 50 per cent of costs out of the business.
“So, this is fantastic news. It’s much-needed money, to save the game in Scotland, particularly at the lower levels. There are a lot of clubs who have been around for over a hundred years and they’re institutions, part of the local community, and they’ve just been starved of income.
“That is more pronounced in the Championship. I keep saying that it’s the no-man’s land, because we’re sustaining full-time jobs, full-time infrastructure, big stadiums and it all costs money, allied to all the protocols and everything else we have have had to adhere to and we’ve followed religiously.
“It’s a timely boost for the game, for sure, and certainly at our club we’re delighted.”
Sympathy for rivals
McArthur has, however, admitted he feels for rivals Falkirk and Partick Thistle, whose League One status means they will receive much less than fellow full-time clubs.
He added: “What they did is apply the same sort of model they have within the SPFL distribution, so the leagues get a certain percentage.
“So, I think it’s a good and equitable split. Obviously, you’re conscious Partick and Falkirk are in League One and they’re full-time clubs, but everybody’s a winner, ultimately.
“Some will be winners to a greater extent than others, but it’s just one of these things, you’re never going to keep everybody happy.”
