DAFC Fussball GmbH were hamstrung by their poor communication with Dunfermline supporters, while losing sight of the present as they built for the future.
That is the view of Adam Hunter, chairman of the Centenary Club, a fans’ group which contributes six figures to the club’s coffers annually.
But Hunter is adamant the right investor can guide the Pars back to the Premiership without breaking the bank as he painted a positive picture for the future.
The consortium, which has been running the club since the summer of 2020, announced on Thursday that it will be seeking to sell its 30% shareholding against a backdrop of fan dissatisfaction.
As such, they will seek to take advantage of their assertion that “there will be no shortage of interest in the club” as the Pars search for new backers.
In their statement confirming the news, the group took a couple of tacit swipes at fans – hinting at impatience and referring to “the knee-jerk reaction to call for more spending”.
After close to a year in which fans have barely heard a peep from the people pulling the purse strings, it irked many fans. And for Hunter, it exemplified one of the major problems of their de facto ownership.
‘What’s going on here?’
“Everything is about communication and that is where GmbH fell down,” Hunter told Courier Sport.
“Once you are silent on things – and they had been silent since the end of the previous season – that creates a vacuum that rumours on forums and social media will fill.
“Fifers want to see the whites of your eyes; want to understand what you are about. If you are honest, open and straight-forward about your strategy, then fans could have either bought into it, or not.
“But they failed to engage with a loyal fanbase here.
“This campaign, almost every other team has strengthened considerably. I think fans have the right to say, “what’s going on here?”
“Even in the statement, they started by talking about how fans wanted X, Y and Z. Then by the end of it, they effectively agreed funds were needed. If that was acknowledged three months ago, maybe we wouldn’t be here.”
Too much focus on the future
Hunter is the first to acknowledge that although feelings are “raw”, many Dunfermline supporters are grateful for the positives of the German investment.
Those include a new training base in Rosyth, a relaunched academy, major recruitment behind the scenes and a young, vibrant squad including the likes of Matty Todd, Ewan Otoo, Kane Ritchie-Hosler and Sam Fisher.
But he adds: “Where they took a misstep, perhaps, is that they had too much focus on the future and forgot about the now. Dunfermline Athletic needs to have a competitive first team squad.”
Hunter describes the news of DAFC Fussball’s GmbH’s impending withdrawal as “a surprise” but “not a knee-jerk decision”.
“I believe they’ve been analysing the costs, regardless. I’d be very surprised if this decision has just been made since the Falkirk game,” he continued. “They were already edging away.
“But I don’t think them walking away entirely was on any of our bingo cards!”
Hunter: There’s a big opportunity for the right owner
All of which poses the looming question: what next?
However, Hunter is adamant the answer needn’t be a bleak one, underlining that, in the context of Scottish football club, Dunfermline can be considered one of the more attractive investment opportunities.
“GmbH deserve credit for laying the foundations for the next ownership group, whoever they may be,” added Hunter.
“We have our standalone training facility, which differentiates us from many other clubs.
“They have reinvigorated the academy and hired good people to run it.
“There are no debts like the (Gavin) Masterton era; the reported losses were funded by GmbH.
“We have a very engaged fanbase – I don’t like to use the word sleeping giant – and if you get it right on the pitch, Dunfermline fans will turn out in big numbers. And the town has a growing population to tap into.
“Those are the foundations of a club that can be sustainable and there’s a real opportunity for the right investor to take Dunfermline back into the top league in Scotland.”
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