Andrew Barrowman knows what a true financial meltdown looks like.
So, he meets criticism of Kelty Hearts’ spending and predictions of impending doom with a perfunctory shrug.
Fife’s answer to Gretna, who soared through the divisions before flaming out?
Not a chance, insists Kelty’s sporting director.
“I think that [comparison] would annoy me more if there was a grain of truth in it,” he told Courier Sport. “There’s no way Kelty Hearts are another Gretna. It’s laughable that people can think that.
“I’d love for them to spend a bit of time around the club and see what we are about.
“If you go to the club on a Tuesday morning, you will find four or five members of the committee turning the bar around, working on the changing rooms, cleaning the toilet — everything.
“They are relentless about making Kelty Hearts stronger, from top to bottom
“The frustrating part is that people just talk about budgets. The club is about far more than what we pay players.
“There is an infrastructure being put in place to develop the club. We’ll have a new stand being built behind the goal in the summer and we’re coming towards a new phase in our development where we start to ask certain questions.
“Can we develop our own players? How do we link up with the community club a bit better? Can we ring-fence a portion of our budget to sign projects and develop them?”
In the black
Barrowman, it should be said, does not shy away from the fact Kelty pay handsome salaries in League 2.
The likes of Joe Cardle, Kallum Higginbotham, Nathan Austin, Michael Tidser and Tam O’Ware are lavish talents for such a level.
That is borne out by the table, with the Maroon Machine boasting a 14-point lead at the summit.
But that is a case of speculating to accumulate, contends Barrowman, who believes Kelty — unlike so many other clubs who chased a dream and paid a heavy price — will soon be ‘self-sufficient’.
“We have a good budget for this level,” added Barrowman. “That is part of considered, structured plan to get to where we want to be.
“Hopefully, we are a few games away from achieving promotion and, come the summer, this club will be self-sufficient for the first time in a long time.
“If you look at some of the teams we could possibly be playing in League 1 next season, there could be some really big attendances, a higher profile and an increased income.”
East End Park experience
Indeed, there is a possibility Kelty could face Barrowman’s old club, Dunfermline, in a league derby; a prospect which would have seemed utterly fanciful a decade ago.
And the former Dundee, Livingston and Ross County marksman cites the tumultuous conclusion to his time at the Pars as pivotal to his personal journey.
Barrowman and a host of other top-earners were made redundant in March of 2013 as the Fife outfit prepared to formally enter administration.
Dunfermline survived thanks to a fan-led rescue bid.
Barrowman, meanwhile, hit the books. He earned a degree in sports management and went on to work as a consultant with a players’ agency, a brand manager at Joma and own a sportswear company.
“As much as that [Dunfermline] experience was horrible at the time, it was probably the best possible example of how not to do things,” continued Barrowman.
“It was not a nice time in my life but it has stood me in good stead for what I’m doing now.
“I had always wanted to do some form of higher education and that’s what I needed to get the finger out. It was a wake-up call — ‘this isn’t going to last forever.’”
Succession
On the topic of preparing for change, Barrowman acknowledges that Kelty are prepared for the day manager Kevin Thomson moves on to bigger things, describing the former Dundee midfielder as ‘the real deal’.
Thomson has already been interviewed for the Kilmarnock job and linked with numerous other vacancies.
And, while in no rush to lose the bright young coach, Barrowman is adamant Kelty will be ready.
“Kevin has huge potential,” he added. “He is destined for the top. Kevin will openly tell you that he wants to be the manager of Rangers — and he won’t come far short! He’s the real deal.
“We know the day will come when Kevin moves on.
“We’d like it to be a bit further down the line, but you can already see him being linked with jobs. He has had conversations with other clubs. We’ll have a succession plan in place.”
