The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Police launch probe into fire at former clubhouse
ROSYTH: Blaze is believed to have started in changing rooms before spreading
Police in Fife have launched a probe into a blaze that destroyed a former football club building.
Three fire crews, dispatched from Dunfermline station and using specialist breathing apparatus and cutting equipment, spent nearly four hours tackling the inferno before it was brought under control at the former Rosyth Juniors Football Club building.
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said the alarm was raised at 9.06pm after receiving reports of the football club building being alight.
It is thought the fire started in the changing room before quickly engulfing the property.
Firefighters were hampered by strong winds and thick, acrid smoke billowing from the corrugated metal-clad structure as they fought to gain access to the interior of the building.
The fire was eventually extinguished at 11.40pm, with crews remaining at the scene until the early hours.
The building, which has been unused since the club was forced to relocate from the site in 2017, was completely destroyed.
The site, which has been a magnet for anti-social behaviour in recent years, is earmarked for redevelopment, with a Lidl supermarket proposed.
The Yard, site of a former pub originally situated in front of the football club, was also destroyed by fire in June and was demolished a month later.
One resident who lives just a few yards from the site said it was “only a matter of time” before the club building suffered the same fate as the pub.
He said: “Anti-social behaviour on the site has been a concern for locals for some time.
“It’s sad to see the building ruined like this but it’s hardly a surprise to many who live here.
“The building of a supermarket on the former football ground can’t come soon enough for many.”
Police investigating the incident have now launched an appeal urging anyone who was in the area at the time to come forward.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 9.10pm on Monday 3 February Police Scotland were alerted to the report of a fire at Rosyth Junior Football Club in Admiralty Road in Rosyth.
“Officers attended along with Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. The fire was extinguished and there were no injuries.
“A joint fire investigation is to take place in order to establish the cause of the fire.
“Officers are asking anyone who may have been in the area of the football club on Monday evening to call the 101 number if they have any information that might assist in the investigation, quoting the reference number 3655.”