From Todays Daily record

3 October 2006
RAITH BREAK BANK FOR LEE
Exclusive £1000-a-week offer on table for stopper
By Euan Mcarthur
RAITH ROVERS have tabled an astonishing money-spinning move to make Lee Wilkie the highest-paid player in the club's history.

The ambitious Second Division club are willing to break the bank to pay the Scotland star more than £1000 a week in a bid to lure him to Stark's Park as part of their on-going revival.

New boss Craig Levein, a former international defender, is desperate to snap up the 11-times capped stopper - along with a host of other Scottish and English clubs.

Raith have already put together a lucrative financial package to match what other interested parties are prepared to pay for the 26-year-old who is free to sign for anyone outside the transfer window as he is a free agent.

Levein is a long-term admirer and tried to sign Wilkie, who is currently on trial at Dundee United, when he was manager of English outfit Leicester.

The giant defender is today gearing up to play his final match as a trialist for the Tannadice side in a reserve match against Inverness.






Aye right,as if we have a spare 1k to splash out on wages.

Good one

Can he play left wing ?

Raith Offer Wilkie Contract

I think he will opt for the higher division but I just wonder about this as a move for Raith if it came off as

1) Would the disparity in wages cause dressing room unrest?
2) Will his knees hold up? He has had some pretty bad injuries
3) £50k a year might for Raith be better spent come the transfer window on getting two or three good part timers

Given their well publicised financial problems, this seems a risky move for Raith. 10 out of 10 for ambition though.

Given how quiet everyone has become over SPL2 and indeed our own outspoken Boardmember, who seemed to be on a one man crusade against it.

I would suggest that Raith have had a serious cash injection. This cash injection allowed the board to remove DL, and install Levein, and he has been told to do what he must to get us out of the 2nd division this season, so we are inplace for SPL2.

Then again that could be bollocks, but I think not.

Hmmm, we turn down the chance of dair cos of his lack of fitness, yet we're willing to take a chance on wilkie, even with his injury record? give him a week or two to prove his fitness, surely!

The Daily Record story says this would make him the highest paid player in the clubs history.
I'd have thought the Rovers would've paid out more than that in the past??

After seeing them on Saturday, Wilkie would've had to wait for his chance as the pairing of Campbell and Lumsden looked decent enough.

If they have that kind of money to throw about then I'd try for somebody like Alan Jenkins. Surely rotting in the stiffs at Raydale isnt helping his career.

Gretna might need the money soon.

Does seem strange dosent it.

I cant see it being true myself.

This is certainly ambitious, but also incredibly risky.

For one thing there's his injuries and for another the fact that he isn't actually all that brilliant a player in the first place!

I know he'll be outstanding at 2nd Division level, but he seriously lacks pace and his distribution is awful. It's a huge gamble for Rovers to pay SPL wages for a player who they still won't be able to afford even if they do get promoted to the 1st, which is pretty much the players level anyway.

He's been on trial at Dundee United for a few weeks now, and his final trial game is coming up. If he was any good, they'd have him signed up by now.

The question is, where the hell are Rovers getting 1k a week from??

*taps nose*

If we are making him an offer like that some serious money has to have been invested in the club, I'm sure we have learned from the mistakes of the past and spending money that we cant afford

Wonder if Levein cant tempt Zidane

Got something you want to tell the rest of us? (or just me )

A wild stab in the dark would say, It's the Edinburgh Rugby boys.

Who are they & why would they want to invest in Raith?

Why waste a trialist's last game on a reserve game?

To build up his fitness

I saw Lee play for United reserves at Dunfermline three weeks ago - he looked in great physical shape - and I've seen him come back twice and break down - he wasn't as fit or confident in either of those comebacks.

I'd expect whoever gets him to pay at least what is being quoted in this article - He turned down £1200 a week when he asked away from Dens.

Lee is a fantastic player and would be an asset for just about any side in Scotland.

Are we making a raith rovers basket ball team with armand, wilkie and marv ?

Lunacy. The risk margin is far too big, unless this new board don't mind throwing their money down the pan.

Agreed,he takes a load of stick from the punters but he reminds me a bit of Tony Adams...similar type of player and a guy youd want in your team. If Raith go for it with him and he can stay fit then they will have the best defender in the SFL by a mile.

Clubs are bound to be very wary of a player with his injury record though. He will need to get the rest of this season pretty much injury free or nobody will want to touch him with a shitty stick. If he gets through the season then some club have blagged themselves a guy who has played at international level and is still a young guy. Its a gamble though.

Wilkie has signed for Dundee United until the end of the season.

Indeed. The article in todays paper also said he could have signed for Raith for a higher basic wage and the United deal is pay as you play.

They can't be very confident of his fitness can they?

Which Paper?

The Fife Groat must be performing well on the old Stock Exchange

Could'nt get Wilkie so you've signed, ........erm.....Bannerman instead!!!!

I suppose they are comparable in that they are both male. Bannerman has two reasonably healthy legs but Wilkie's one good one is probably better than Bannerman's two put together!!