Source: FOOTYMAD
An Open Letter To The Blue Brazil
Cowdenbeath FC's honorary chaplain no less is circulating a copy of his open letter to the owners of the Blue Brazil to interested parties ahead of the club's First Division Play-Off final. Scottishfitba.net (of course) has a copy. Dear Alex and David Brewster, We do not know each other but I want to address a topic which is close to all our hearts – the future of Cowdenbeath Football Club. This week, as owners of the club, you will sit round the table with representatives of the Blue Brazil's supporters to see if there is a viable way to keep the club alive. I'd better say where I'm "coming from". Like my father and grandfather, I've been a supporter of my home team since childhood. My grand aunt, a Cowdenbeath antiques dealer, was the true founder of Cowdenbeath Football Club, having brought the first leather football to Fife and given it to two of her sons in 1880. Cowdenbeath FC predates the upstart Celtic FC by eight years.The club, which began at the start of the coal boom in Fife, has produced Scottish internationalists over the years – most recently Craig Levein, manager of Scotland. It has a long and honourable history. Now, the club is facing the possibility of extinction. Its fate is in your hands.I realise that you are in a difficult position. You bought the club, and its ground, Central Park, for £2.6m in 2007. Your plan was to develop the land for commercial enterprise and housing. The intention was also to relocate the football club to a new, purpose-built, low-maintenance stadium in the town.Then came the recession. The value of the land dropped and you found yourselves running a football club at a loss. I'm sure you don't need me to point out that the club was debt-free when you took it over, but some fateful decisions were made that turned it into a loss-making venture. The fans are aware that you feel badly let down by people who were running the club for you; at the end of the day, though, you appointed the people concerned and therefore must accept ultimate responsibility.I can understand why you might want to walk away from the club. But I want to say to you with all the passion that I can muster: you must not kill Cowdenbeath Football Club.You have welcomed an approach by the Action Group representing supporters of Cowdenbeath FC, and you have indicated your willingness to allow the fans to run the club.You have stipulated, though, that no rental monies from the stock car racing company at Central Park will be made available to the Action Group to help them run the football club. As you know, income from the stock cars has helped to keep the club afloat for years. Your argument is that you need that money to go towards paying off debts, which I would argue have largely accrued because of poor decision-making and controls.The Action Group have agreed in principle to take over the running of the football club – as long as you provide sufficient resources to make this possible. What this means is that quite a number of supporters will give their time free of charge to keep the club they love alive.It seems to me that with goodwill from both sides round the table, a binding win-win agreement can be reached. The Action Group has submitted a well-researched proposal for the future of the club. Donald Findlay QC, a native of Cowdenbeath, has generously provided advice. But the Action Group has received no written response to all the points raised in the document.If there can be agreement on these realistic figures, Cowdenbeath FC will be saved, and you will have a heavy burden lifted from your shoulders. You will no longer be spending hours of your time running a loss-making football club.By saving the club for the community, you will safeguard your own reputation as honourable businessmen, and reap necessary goodwill from the local politicians and planners who are seeking the regeneration of Cowdenbeath town centre.This will, in practical terms, protect the future of your investment.The irony is that all this is happening at a time when the management team and players are doing Cowdenbeath FC proud. We were promoted from the Third Division at the end of last season; after the result at Alloa on Saturday, against all the odds, we are now in the final of the play-offs and could win promotion to the First Division. This is an astonishing achievement.Four local young players have made transitions to the first team. Players who have been coached through our youth system have testified how the scheme has helped keep them out of trouble.Very soon, the club will have to offer contracts to players it wants to keep. That can only happen if immediate decisions are made which give the supporters a fighting chance to run a viable club.Regards, Ron Ferguson Editor Ger Harley (ger@scottishfitba net)Admin Team (admin@scottishfitba net)This is ScottishFitba Net
