Cowdenbeath FC could be forced into closure within a year

[ian1964 10,563]

Cowdenbeath FC crisis raised at Parliament amid fears club faces closure within a year

 

Cowdenbeath FC could be forced into closure within a year unless at least £135,000 is ploughed into the club, its president has warned.

Scottish Government officials are to meet the Blue Brazil board to discuss the deepening crisis at the former mining town.

Raising the issue in the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, Fife MSP Claire Baker called for football lovers around the world to chip in to save the 137-year-old club.

Alex Anderson, president of the club, which is cut adrift at the bottom of the football league, said losing the Central Park outfit would be “another nail in the coffin to a small community like this”.

“Within a year the club could disappear and I honestly don’t think people in Cowdenbeath appreciate how serious it is,” he said.

Mr Anderson said the £135,000 would allow them to keep going for a year after relegation from League Two – but they would have to achieve the “tall order” of bouncing straight back to avoid a fresh cash crisis.

Mrs Baker, for Scottish Labour, said: “The club is 137 years old and it is very important to the local community.

“The club no longer has the large mining community that it used to have for its support and the rent from the weekly market and the stock cars no longer comes to the club as it lost its ownership of Central Park.

“An emergency general meeting and a public meeting had to recently be cancelled because of the snow, but the club is clearly in a mode of fighting for survival.”

Aileen Campbell, the public health minister, backed the Labour MSP’s call for “locals and football lovers in the world all over to help save the club”.

She said she had instructed her officials to meet with club staff to discuss what can be done.

“I’m happy to lend my name to that call for people to get behind the club’s campaign,” Ms Campbell added.

“Fans are the lifeblood of Scottish football and certainly if anyone can make the difference to the club then I know it will be the club’s supporters.”

A club statement earlier in the month said “many, many options” had been explored since the fans took charge of the club’s operations in 2010 but it “must be concluded there is no white knight on the horizon”.

Last year, the Miners managed to avoid relegation for third season in a row – and dropping out of the Scottish Professional Football League – by beating East Kilbride in a play-off.

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/politics/scottish-politics/618128/cowdenbeath-fc-crisis-raised-parliament-amid-fears-club-faces-closure-within-year/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

 

If you click on the link there is a video of this being raised in Parliament, can't remember that happening with us!

[MacK1950 2,271]

We didn't have a local MP/Councilor who gave a shit.

[Gonzo79 14,142]

Shame.  I loved the trips to their dump on our way up the leagues.

[ian1964 10,563]

Former Rangers vice-chairman, now chairman of Cowdenbeath FC, Donald Findlay made a public plea to save the Fife club at a meeting in the town on Thursday evening [ 22 March ].

With the self-styled Blue Brazil in danger of dropping into the Lowland League at the end of the season, or even going out of business if cash is not raised, Mr Findlay told a meeting of board and supporters in a local public house that the club was at crisis point but fighting on.

“The purpose of this meeting is not to confirm the demise of Cowdenbeath FC, and I can also say that the rumours some notable people have contributed substantial sums of money are not true – if that was the case then we would not be here,” he said.

“Not very far from here was a house I lived in and when I was growing up there were stories that were told to me by my father.

“One was about mining and a sense of community. The other was about Central Park and the football club.

“Central Park is well named for a good reason because it sits right at the very heart of the town.

“We’re not going to let the club die but if we’re going to take it forward we need people to come forward.

“I have this foolish notion of the club and the community getting more involved together.

“If I was to say now “That’s it, I’m shutting the club, we’re not going to play the game on Saturday”, we would get people coming from every direction wanting to become involved in the club.

“So why not now?

“We need people who will commit to doing something for the club and stick at it, at least until the end of next season.”

Supporters were urged to back the Club 135 initiative, which is a plea to every fan or person with a link to Cowdenbeath to donate a minimum of £10.

Reaching out to at least 13,500 people globally would raise at least £135,000 to provide some security moving forward, and the meeting heard that £35,000 has been raised in eight months – with contributions coming from the likes of Vietnam, Canada and the USA.

Cowdenbeath FC were formed in 1881 and joined the Scottish League in 1905.

http://www.rocksportradio.co.uk/donald-findlay-makes-plea-save-cowdenbeath-fc/

 

colin stein 9, Yesterday at 5:30 PM Report

[compo 6,463]

Donald could donate some of the money he makes from legal aid 

[der Berliner 3,424]

Sad day for Cowdenbeath FC, yet, their boss has enough money to cough this up by himself. That said, I don't know how much of his sure sizeable fortune has already went into the club. Makes you wonder what happened to the money they made from our visits?