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East Fife Supporters Trust to set up working group to assess potential community takeover of club

East Fife have appealed for information. Image: SNS.
East Fife have appealed for information. Image: SNS.

East Fife Supporters Trust has held a meeting to gauge fan opinion about a community takeover of East Fife FC.

A public meeting was held at Fife Renewables Innovation Centre on Thursday evening and steps have been taken to set up a working group of volunteers.

Extra chairs were brought in from another room before the meeting started as more than expected – between 80-90 people – turned out on a cold, blustery night.

The event was hosted by Eugene Clarke, trust spokesperson, East Fife fan and Lib Dem councillor for Leven, Kennoway and Largo.

East Fife Supporters Society spokesman Eugene Clarke. Image: Steve Brown / DC Thomson.

The working group will be tasked with looking into the feasibility of any buyout of the club which will involve raising around £350,000, it is believed.

It is expected that other expenses will arise during the course of a buyout which the trust aims to fund through Scottish Government loans.

If the trust decides to proceed it will be looking to acquire the 103,000 shares – around 52% – from Bayview Fife Ltd.

The shares are controlled by businessman Neil Rankine but Bayview Fife’s sole shareholder listed on Companies House is Lorraine Twigg, a former friend.

It is believed Rankine is now more amenable to selling up than he was during a failed buyout in 2014, according to Clarke.

Scottish Football Supporters’ Association co-founder Paul Goodwin also spoke at the event.

Goodwin has been involved in a number of community buyouts of Scottish clubs and spoke of the benefits of such a move.

Paul Goodwin, former head of Supporters Direct Scotland.

Any buyout would involve taking over East Fife Football Club Ltd, Bayview Stadium and a 30-metre perimeter of land around it. It would not include the training ground.

There was understandably apprehension from some of those in attendance after the failed attempt to buy out Rankie in 2014.

Clarke moved to quell those concerns by explaining the “different circumstances” now faced.

He said that Rankine is now more interested in doing a deal and is more flexible on the terms than he was nine years ago.

No decision was taken at Thursday’s meeting over whether or not to proceed with the buyout.

The trust will access feedback and make and contact those who have expressed an interest in due course.

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