The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Rovers launch funding appeal amid shutdown
Raith Rovers supporter-director Andy Mill has started crowdfunding to help his beloved club get through the coronavirus crisis, writes Ian Roache.
On behalf of the board, he has set up a Just Giving fundraising page in the hope of hitting the initial target of £25,000.
Mr Mill, who joined the Stark’s Park board on June 2018, stated: “We’re raising £25,000 to support Raith Rovers Football Club through the football shutdown.
“With the unprecedented shutdown in footballing activities due to the coronavirus situation, this has deprived the club of almost all sources of income for the foreseeable future.
“While we are just one of many businesses and organisations to face difficulties during this period, many Raith fans have expressed a desire to offer financial support to help fund their club during this difficult period.
“We appreciate any support that can be offered from those in a position to help, and any contributions would be gratefully received.
“We hope all Rovers fans remain safe and well, follow the official advice, and look out for the more vulnerable members of the community.”
The moved was accompanied by an appeal on Raith’s official website, entitled “Help us fund the shortfall”.
In their statement, Rovers said: “Whilst the decision of the SPFL/ SFA announcement on Friday to suspend all fixtures immediately is entirely understandable, the financial implications of this situation on our football club cannot be overstated.
“Every Scottish football club at our level has a heavy reliance on gate income as a main source of revenue. Therefore, the cancellation or postponement of home fixtures is a significant issue, particularly as a large amount of costs will still be incurred regardless, such as wages, council tax, etc during this period.
“To compound the issues, we’ve also had to cancel other fundraising events that were planned.
“We recognise that this may be a challenging time for many people, however the club have been contacted by a number of fans sympathetic to the financial situation we face, and asking how they can make a financial contribution at this time. Therefore, we are open to contributions from anyone in a position to do so.”
Visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ raithroversfc