Raith Rovers’ new owner keen on transforming Stark’s Park

Raith Rovers look likely to become the latest Scottish football club to have an artificial pitch installed.

The Fife club’s new owner, John Sim, wants to transform Stark’s Park into a hub for the local community.

That will mean digging up the turf, as has become more and more popular in the lower leagues of the professional game in recent years.

Sim, the CEO of a global accountancy firm, was already a board member with the Fife club and he is the majority shareholder in the company which owns the stadium.

Now, after agreement was reached whereby Stark’s Park Properties will have the controlling interest in the club as a whole, he plans to broaden the use of Raith’s home ground.

Sim said: “My main motivation relates to seeing Stark’s Park as a community asset.

“Currently

The takeover allows us to withstand the anticipated losses of staying full-time this season. ALAN YOUNG

we’re looking at an artificial surface in the next two years so we can start to use the stadium more than 20 times a year for three years.

“It is so that we can have it for community use and for the development squad to play at Stark’s Park rather than round and about because we don’t want to damage the pitch.

“We’ve also got to work hard to improve the match-day experience.

“We need to make sure we have the bits joined up between the football club and we need to reach out to other parts of the Raith Rovers community we’ve neglected, like the ladies’ team.”

Chairman Alan Young is likely to remain in place, with David Sinton expected to come on to the board and take on a higher profile role.

Young said: “There’s absolutely no doubt this is the best move for the football club.

“The disaster that befell us was relegation last season, which frankly no one thought would happen, and it was only with the support of Stark’s Park Properties and John Sim that we were able to stay full-time.

“The takeover allows us to withstand the anticipated losses of staying full-time this season, which is likely to be somewhere in the region of £150,000, and a number of debts from last year have been cleared.

“It gives us financial stability and, by allowing us to stay full-time, gives us the best possible opportunity of being promoted.”

Picture: Walter Neilson. Raith Rovers’ new owner John Sim has big plans for the Kirkcaldy club.