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The New Raith Rovers Thread


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I have heard a massive issue with the stadium is the current lease with John Sim. It's apparently exorbitant and Sim has no desire to reduce it. Also it's apparently a full repairing and insuring lease which means we're liable for all the costs and Sim is then, again apparently, making a nice wee profit!

Yes we all like having the old style historic stadium in the town centre but the days of those stadiums are done. Having a stadium which is used what 25 days a year cannot be sustainable in the modern climate.

As has been said though there is virtually no chance of this changing in the near to mid future so, unless one of us wins the lottery, we just have to get on with the stadium as it is.

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Starks is used more than folk think as there is keep fit classes,fit fans in training etc on every week plus other things aswell that i cant mind.Still probably not enough as it should be but certainly a start.

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I have heard a massive issue with the stadium is the current lease with John Sim. It's apparently exorbitant and Sim has no desire to reduce it.

Don't know the going rate for stadium rental but intially ( first 5 years)we were paying or supposed to be paying 6 k a month.Not defending Sim but there has been times the club were paying nothing( allegedly)and a times when they were paying reduced rental( allegedly)

Also it's apparently a full repairing and insuring lease which means we're liable for all the costs

That is indeed the case or was and the lease was put in place by some current directors and others

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It is but there are variations for this type of lease but full repair and insurance lease is an expensive and big risk but at the time the directors probably had no option and was pushed on them by the landlord

Edited by Rovers_Lad
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It is but there are variations for this type of lease but full repair and insurance lease is an expensive and big risk but at the time the directors probably had no option and was pushed on them by the landlord

 

That's basically what I've heard.

 

A full repairing and insuring lease is normal for commercial leases which this really is. 

 

Essentially the club, apparently, had no option but to sign the lease and whilst it was perhaps favourable at the start, now it's the opposite. Asking Sim to renegotiate it is a bit like the Rangers fans wanting Ashley to renegotiate his contract with Rangers...it just ain't going to happen. 

 

On other news Craig Barr interview in The Courier this morning. 

 

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/sport/football/championship/raith-s-craig-barr-hoping-to-finish-season-on-a-high-before-celebrating-his-big-day-1.931959

 

Yes he has been injured but since coming back into the side he has been outstanding, He really commands the defence and is always communicating. If, and it's a big if, he can prove his fitness over the longer term then I think we would be mad to let him go. Sods law we'll end up releasing him and he'll sign for the Pars or Falkirk, stay injury free all season and be outstanding.

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Is footing the bill for maintenance and repairs not pretty standard for leases of this nature?

Don't know about stadiums but for general commercial leases of properties (such as office buildings) it seems to be pretty standard that the person occupying the building takes on all maintenance and repairs. They are also responsible for dilapidation, so handing the building back to the owners in the same condition it was in at the start of the lease.

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That's basically what I've heard.

A full repairing and insuring lease is normal for commercial leases which this really is.

Essentially the club, apparently, had no option but to sign the lease and whilst it was perhaps favourable at the start, now it's the opposite. Asking Sim to renegotiate it is a bit like the Rangers fans wanting Ashley to renegotiate his contract with Rangers...it just ain't going to happen.

On other news Craig Barr interview in The Courier this morning.

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/sport/football/championship/raith-s-craig-barr-hoping-to-finish-season-on-a-high-before-celebrating-his-big-day-1.931959

Yes he has been injured but since coming back into the side he has been outstanding, He really commands the defence and is always communicating. If, and it's a big if, he can prove his fitness over the longer term then I think we would be mad to let him go. Sods law we'll end up releasing him and he'll sign for the Pars or Falkirk, stay injury free all season and be outstanding.

Couldn't agree with this more. He has been like a new signing since he has came back into the side and we have looked so much more secure at the back. I would offer him a new deal now and manage him carefully.

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See instead of waiting for someone to set up a kickstarter, just wire up a direct debit for Roary's Lotto. You can do it on the website, the club doesn't pay out any more if more people sign up, and you might even win something for yourself.

Most fans likely to do partake in the Kickstarter will already do the Lotto (like me). Also the point was that it would go directly to the playing budget, not to general club coffers. I don't see the harm in having another avenue for fans to being able to give more money!

Even if we got 200 that is still around 25k - plenty for a good player or several loans.

ETA - the fans we have giving slightly more cash (I know that is not always possible and I know that we already all spend loads on games, travel, Merchandise) may be one way to counter the current low crowds

Edited by HIT THE CHANNEL
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That's basically what I've heard.

 

A full repairing and insuring lease is normal for commercial leases which this really is. 

 

Essentially the club, apparently, had no option but to sign the lease and whilst it was perhaps favourable at the start, now it's the opposite. Asking Sim to renegotiate it is a bit like the Rangers fans wanting Ashley to renegotiate his contract with Rangers...it just ain't going to happen. 

 

On other news Craig Barr interview in The Courier this morning. 

 

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/sport/football/championship/raith-s-craig-barr-hoping-to-finish-season-on-a-high-before-celebrating-his-big-day-1.931959

 

Yes he has been injured but since coming back into the side he has been outstanding, He really commands the defence and is always communicating. If, and it's a big if, he can prove his fitness over the longer term then I think we would be mad to let him go. Sods law we'll end up releasing him and he'll sign for the Pars or Falkirk, stay injury free all season and be outstanding.

No disagreement on both points

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I am a traditionalist and would always have opted for staying put but the reality is we have an early 20th century sports venue trying to keep up with the times in the 21st century. In order to survive at this level we have to either up our fan base or move to generate income elsewhere. Sadly the option to move isn't there as we don't have the collateral.

 

Should such a move be possible then IMO a new stadium should be built on the outskirts of the town on the North side of the A92. It makes no sense to have a town like our of 55,000 folks with a struggling team and a town of 40,000+ next door with no pro team. The team name is Kirkcaldy and Glenrothes folks can associate with it too just as easily. The Chapel are does make some sense but I'd go for space at the Randolph should any be available and incorporate a huge area for supporters to eat and drink in before games.

Edited by Scottydog
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Would moving to the outskirts of the town really generate more fans? At present your ground has pretty good transport links, moving out of the centre would probably make it harder for fans without cars to get to while at the same time making it such a woeful "day out" it could drive fans away, it's not exactly worked for Livi has it?

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Would moving to the outskirts of the town really generate more fans? At present your ground has pretty good transport links, moving out of the centre would probably make it harder for fans without cars to get to while at the same time making it such a woeful "day out" it could drive fans away, it's not exactly worked for Livi has it?

 

Kirkcaldy town centre is dead. The "new" town centre is basically the Retail Park and that is where all the development is happening. It's where major house building is happening, major shops are moving to and we're even, at last, going to get a Premier Inn up there by the end of the year  :thumsup2

 

Anyway it aint going to happen to no point in getting bogged down in a big discussion about it.

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Would moving to the outskirts of the town really generate more fans? At present your ground has pretty good transport links, moving out of the centre would probably make it harder for fans without cars to get to while at the same time making it such a woeful "day out" it could drive fans away, it's not exactly worked for Livi has it?

In an ideal world Grant no, staying in the town would be always best! (just ask Clyde fans) But when your stadium's limited footprint is hemmed in between a railway line and a road and your main stand is of such a design that nothing can really be done with it then it's best to move if you wish to make revenue from your assets.

Add the fact that the work done to erect the new stands was duff and the pitch has been awful since the slope was removed and you have more reasons to get out.

 

It's a problem and as seen it hasn't really worked out for Clyde, Airdrie or St Johnstone but it might benefit the Rovers to include Glenrothes more if they were to market themselves as the Team of both towns.

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