The New Raith Rovers Thread

[Ebanda's Handyman Services]

Andys idea does make sense on paper but what Im trying to say is that every business in and around the High St would object to the plans.

I agree.

My personal opinion is that we need to have a shopping precinct similar to what is available in Livingston.

A massive sports, arts and cinema complex would compliment it perfectly.

It'll never happen in my lifetime but It'll be great for the town one of these days.

[honeyboy edwards]

I agree.

My personal opinion is that we need to have a shopping precinct similar to what is available in Livingston.

A massive sports, arts and cinema complex would compliment it perfectly.

It'll never happen in my lifetime but It'll be great for the town one of these days.

It will just never happen. Look what our planning department have done over the decades.

Kirkcaldy has one of the best natural attrations that any town can have.....a harbour, an espalnade and a beach front.

What should there is luxury apartments, hotels, resturaunts, trendy bars, maybe even a casino, up market shopping, cinema, swimming pool, bowling alley etc etc. We are exactly half way betwwen St Andrews and Edinburgh with lots of Yanks and Japs in both locations with stacks of cash to burn, yet we couldnt attract them in a million years

But what have our planning dept done. they have gave us a derelict B&Q, a bus garage, a citreon garage, overflow car/lorry parks, a greasy spoon, Lidl, council housing, more car parks.

The Councill should be ashamed of themselves.

Rant over.

[Zen Archer (Raconteur)]

It will just never happen. Look what our planning department have done over the decades.

Kirkcaldy has one of the best natural attrations that any town can have.....a harbour, an espalnade and a beach front.

What should there is luxury apartments, hotels, resturaunts, trendy bars, maybe even a casino, up market shopping, cinema, swimming pool, bowling alley etc etc. We are exactly half way betwwen St Andrews and Edinburgh with lots of Yanks and Japs in both locations with stacks of cash to burn, yet we couldnt attract them in a million years

But what have our planning dept done. they have gave us a derelict B&Q, a bus garage, a citreon garage, overflow car/lorry parks, a greasy spoon, Lidl, council housing, more car parks.

The Councill should be ashamed of themselves.

Rant over.

Somehow I don't think so.

[CanuckSFAfan]

Here is a link to a " multi use facility" about 20 minutes west of Edmonton . The communities of Spruce Grove and Stony Plain ( about 40000 pop combined ) . Very well received and always busy with active people . Might be a good suggestion for Kirkcaldy and surrounding towns ?

http://www.trileisure.com/thefacility.php?sid=73

[lzreid]

Should the board expect a large cheque from the SFA when we are working out our budget for the year? The cup run last season was a bonus, nothing more. If the cup run was the only reason we didn't make a loss that season, then the board weren't making a very good job of balancing the books. If we need a cup run to break even, then the board need to be a bit more conservative in their planning.

Well no, last season's budget was based on having more money than expected actually in the bank and when that money ran out and wasn't replaced the budget was adjusted accordingly.

We got a chunky cheque from the SFA at the end of the season 09/10. That money then went into the pot for 10/11 and has now run out.

The budget for 11/12 has, therefore, been cut. And reasonably so.

Edited June 13, 2011 by lzreid

[Double Jack D]

The dream would be a massive complex close to the main roadways that accommodated all of the popular sports in Kirkcaldy.

Get some big joint built around a stadium that would house football pitches, ice hockey rink, tennis courts, boxing club, swimming, basketball and also have a venue built in for music, plays etc and last but not least, a fucking picture hoose!

Name a lot of the clubs under the Raith Rovers banner. Raith Tennis club, Raith boxing club etc.

It'd regenerate the whole town.

Amen Brother!

[Double Jack D]

It will just never happen. Look what our planning department have done over the decades.

Kirkcaldy has one of the best natural attrations that any town can have.....a harbour, an espalnade and a beach front.

What should there is luxury apartments, hotels, resturaunts, trendy bars, maybe even a casino, up market shopping, cinema, swimming pool, bowling alley etc etc. We are exactly half way betwwen St Andrews and Edinburgh with lots of Yanks and Japs in both locations with stacks of cash to burn, yet we couldnt attract them in a million years

But what have our planning dept done. they have gave us a derelict B&Q, a bus garage, a citreon garage, overflow car/lorry parks, a greasy spoon, Lidl, council housing, more car parks.

The Councill should be ashamed of themselves.

Rant over.

Been saying this for years. Combined with Andy C's idea Kirkcaldy really could have it all but for being run by a bunch of inept, small minded cretins!

[Robbo]

Our cup run was a bonus and basically tidied us over.The 200k we earned from our Scottish Cup run wiped out a huge part of our operating debt allegedly.If we had not had the SC run our debt would have risen.

[lzreid]

Our cup run was a bonus and basically tidied us over.The 200k we earned from our Scottish Cup run wiped out a huge part of our operating debt allegedly.If we had not had the SC run our debt would have risen.

Which was essentially the point I was trying to make. The cup money simply meant that we didn't have to make the cuts last year but now they're unavoidable.

My problem was that a few people have mentioned that this year's cuts are somehow proof that we overpsent last year..

Edited June 13, 2011 by lzreid

[HoBNob]

I normally defend fantalk as there are plenty of decent posters on there too. However, the amount of moaning on there just now is absolutely ridiculous. Apparently, each of the directors should be ploughing millions into the club, our strip for next season should have been released in 1990 and it's a scandal we haven't arranged friendlies against Man Utd, Barcelona and the 1970 Brazil squad.

Fantaslk is fucking brilliant, I came on PnB hoping to find a bunch of moaning, greeting faced Rovers fans, Sadly you were all rather sporting and nice about the whole Dunfermline winning the title thing, c***s.

A wee check at Fantalk though gave me much satisfaction

I think Ice Hockey is one of North America's better sports! I've never actually watched the Flyers at all...but I've watched the Olympic Ice hockey a few times and it's pretty exciting! Plus they even fight!

Far better than Baseball...glorified rounders that!

Anyone for Basketball?? I saw the Lakers when I was in LA and it was brilliant!

Basketball is pretty entertaining tbh :ph34r:Played a good bit of it at school, It's a sport which has a future in Scotland I'd say.

[raith_94]

If the Rovers don't get real with the product they're offering of a Saturday afternoon and look at adding things to the enterntainment on offer, then damn right they'll lose fans to a Flyers in the eltie league of Ice Hockey. Matches against the top teams in the country for less entrance fee than the Rovers? With dancing girls and other americanised kiddies attractions for the weans, and a bar for dad?

Other than it being hockey - where's the catch?

[bobbykdy]

Which was essentially the point I was trying to make. The cup money simply meant that we didn't have to make the cuts last year but now they're unavoidable.

My problem was that a few people have mentioned that this year's cuts are somehow proof that we overpsent last year..

My question on that would be should we have made the cuts last season in any case regardless of the Scottish Cup money?

Yes we came very close to winning the league, but at the start of last season no one would have envisaged that cup cash behind us or not.

Would it not have been more prudent to have kept last seasons playing budget around the level we are having to operate at this season and used the cash elsewhere , ie reducing the debt.

While I enjoyed last season as much as the next fan if not more so, by increasing the budget for one season due to the cup run it then leads to fans complaining the following season, like now, when it is reduced. It really grinds my gears when I hear fans saying "the club arent putting their hand into their pocket" and "how come we were able to afford all those extra players and wages last year" without even putting any rational thought into it.

All the hassle and complaints from fans could possibly have been avoided if the club had done as I suggest above. My other question would be, was last seasons increased spend worth the gamble?

Edited June 14, 2011 by bobbykdy

[Paco]

Did we really spend all that much extra last season in comparison to the season before? We brought in McBride, Mole (on loan), Dyer, McNeil and Baird. We'd lost, or let go, O'Connor, Gatheussi, Shields, Sloan, Mole (on loan), Darren Smith, Amaya, Russell (on loan), Armstrong and Kevin Smith (on loan). Even given we gave new contracts to a couple of players did we really increase spending all that much, if at all, from our first season in the league? I seriously doubt it.

[lzreid]

My question on that would be should we have made the cuts last season in any case regardless of the Scottish Cup money?

Yes we came very close to winning the league, but at the start of last season no one would have envisaged that cup cash behind us or not.

Would it not have been more prudent to have kept last seasons playing budget around the level we are having to operate at this season and used the cash elsewhere , ie reducing the debt.

While I enjoyed last season as much as the next fan if not more so, by increasing the budget for one season due to the cup run it then leads to fans complaining the following season, like now, when it is reduced. It really grinds my gears when I hear fans saying "the club arent putting their hand into their pocket" and "how come we were able to afford all those extra players and wages last year" without even putting any rational thought into it.

All the hassle and complaints from fans could possibly have been avoided if the club had done as I suggest above. My other question would be, was last seasons increased spend worth the gamble?

We could have used the money to clear some debt certaily and, viewed wth hindsight, that would probably have been a better use of the money than an ill fated shot at promotion.

From the club's perspective though, a couple of hundred thousand off the debt would have been a boon but would have solved our problems, or even significantly reduced them? I'm not sure it would have and I can fully appreciate why they took a gamble on maintaining the budget in the hope of either another cup run or an unlikely shot at promotion.

Did we really spend all that much extra last season in comparison to the season before? We brought in McBride, Mole (on loan), Dyer, McNeil and Baird. We'd lost, or let go, O'Connor, Gatheussi, Shields, Sloan, Mole (on loan), Darren Smith, Amaya, Russell (on loan), Armstrong and Kevin Smith (on loan). Even given we gave new contracts to a couple of players did we really increase spending all that much, if at all, from our first season in the league? I seriously doubt it.

I'd suggest that we spent less last year than the season before. As you say, we brought in;

McBride

Baird

Dyer

McNeil

We lost;

Amaya

O'Connor

Gatheussi

Shields

D. Smith

K. Smith

Armstrong

Russell

I've left Mole off the list because to all intents and purposes he stayed but there's a difference of 4 players and some of those we lost (Gatheussi, Armstrong, K. smith) were players on loan or dropping from the SPL and were replaced with presumably cheaper options from the Second Div. / Third Div. / and a First Div. youth player.

Now, whether that's a problem is another matter. I'm not completely clued into the finances down Starks Park way but the 'soft' loans that the cup money was used to pay off would probably explain the budget differences. Now, soft loans are a pretty shoddy way of running the club if they happen year on year on year, but they weren't. They appear to have been used in order to try and help us consolidate in the First and have since been paid back.

Not great financial management but not awful either.

Edited June 14, 2011 by lzreid

[P.C]

was most of the money not spent on the pitch and some repairs within Starks?

I understand that we must of took a bit of a gamble bringing in McBride in the transfer window in Jan as we problably didnt have the money to do it tho probably hoped that would of seen us through to the end of the season as (hopefully champions) but it wasnt to be.

This season we are having to be realistic much like the rest of teh teams in the league aside a couple and tho id rather we be looking to build on from last season i think even with an extra few players on top we would struggle to match what we did. Dundee will be back with a much stronger squad, Livi will also have a strong squad and with Hamilton coming down it will be a hard league next season

[CALDERON]

Mcbride was a short term loan at the end of March.

[Wild Rover]

So who do we think the 2 SPL loan signings are going to be then ??

[Robbo]

Now, whether that's a problem is another matter. I'm not completely clued into the finances down Starks Park way but the 'soft' loans that the cup money was used to pay off would probably explain the budget differences. Now, soft loans are a pretty shoddy way of running the club if they happen year on year on year, but they weren't. They appear to have been used in order to try and help us consolidate in the First and have since been paid back.

Not great financial management but not awful either.

As far as I am aware cup money was not used to pay off soft loans.

Now, soft loans are a pretty shoddy way of running the club if they happen year on year on year, but they weren't. They appear to have been used in order to try and help us consolidate in the First and have since been paid back.

Sorry but we had guys dipping into their pockets last season which I`m sure will go down as soft loans so its still going on and has been for years.We got rid of I certain manager that way.

The only soft loan pay back if you like is to two directors who waived money owed to them eg soft loans for shares in the club.

[graeme_p]

The budgeting process at our club is a joke. Had we been any other business the people responsible would have had their desks cleared and been shown the door.

The budget that the Board set for the 2009/10 season was pie in the sky. We got lucky with the cup run and secured an extra wad of cash from this (well into 6 figures). This extra cash covered up for the fact that the budget would have been way over spent had we not got to the cup semi final.

So instead of taking this on board and adjusting the budget for 2010/11 the Board went with a similar level of expenditure. In 2010/11 our home gates were actually up by an average of 500 per home game and we got about as far in cup competitions as anyone would have expected. We still managed to overspend and had to be bailed out by directors putting in extra cash.

To compound this we signed Gary Wales and Kevin McBride late into the season when we must have been able to see the problems with the finances.

We will never get answers from the Board but it would be good to know:

1) What home attendance are they budgeting for?

2) What cup income do they budget for?

3) what level of commercial income do they budget for?

4) What are the big items of expenditure? Mortgage, Wages, Utilities Maintenance etc.

The cuts this year are not unexpected but they are wholly unnecessary. We should have been setting a proper budget for the last 2 or 3 years but we haven't. Someone at Board level has to carry the can for the mess that we are in. No way should we have had to get Directors to help out this year with average home gates up by nearly 20%.

[baillieinleeds]

The budgeting process at our club is a joke. Had we been any other business the people responsible would have had their desks cleared and been shown the door.

The budget that the Board set for the 2009/10 season was pie in the sky. We got lucky with the cup run and secured an extra wad of cash from this (well into 6 figures). This extra cash covered up for the fact that the budget would have been way over spent had we not got to the cup semi final.

So instead of taking this on board and adjusting the budget for 2010/11 the Board went with a similar level of expenditure. In 2010/11 our home gates were actually up by an average of 500 per home game and we got about as far in cup competitions as anyone would have expected. We still managed to overspend and had to be bailed out by directors putting in extra cash.

To compound this we signed Gary Wales and Kevin McBride late into the season when we must have been able to see the problems with the finances.

We will never get answers from the Board but it would be good to know:

1) What home attendance are they budgeting for?

2) What cup income do they budget for?

3) what level of commercial income do they budget for?

4) What are the big items of expenditure? Mortgage, Wages, Utilities Maintenance etc.

The cuts this year are not unexpected but they are wholly unnecessary. We should have been setting a proper budget for the last 2 or 3 years but we haven't. Someone at Board level has to carry the can for the mess that we are in. No way should we have had to get Directors to help out this year with average home gates up by nearly 20%.

Gary Wales was a complete waste of a wage, but just imagine if we did go up. We'd have no budget whatsoever, especially if we had to get USH. We'd have to had made even more cuts than this years paltry budget. I just think its a case of over caution, and this extra £1 for a poorer product is scandalous, sorry if this upsets peoples sensibilities. Why pay £17 and watch a smaller squad struggle, especially when injury and suspensions kick in. Its not gonna be pretty and probably drive some people away. Releasing 15 players was a tad OTT, imo.