Dear Supporter

I am writing to you with regards to our ground breaking crowdfunding scheme with Squareknot, which was aimed at raising funding for three separate capital projects - a club shop, cafe/bar and a new stand.

I would firstly like to apologise for the delay in communicating with you on the matter. I have been working non-stop on this and other club business, and unfortunately things have not progressed as quickly as l would have liked to enable me to issue a formal communication before now.



Due to the potential availability of public funding, the club has changed its plans from those that were originally outlined within the fund raising pitch on Squareknot, and I would like to give you an update on where we are at this time.

The football club has been working very closely with East Fife community sports academy, which is a charity set up to help bring the community closer to the club. One of the best ways for the charity to achieve this is through facilities, and EFCSA have been working hard on bringing a 3g pitch and changing and admin facility to Bayview. These plans are now well advanced, and we see these new facilities, which will be situated at the West end of the ground, as the perfect place to site our club shop.

Our new club shop will be inside the new purpose built centre where the maximum footfall will be achieved. We envisage that hundreds offamilies & teams will pass through on a daily basis. We want to make East Fife's shop the cornerstone of this facility and of course we feel this will be an excellent cash generator for the club.

Given that these plans are different than those which we asked you to support, I would like to ask everyone that has pledged if you would back this initiative and help the club complete the first phase of our crowdfunding scheme which will allow us to finalise the plans and help us secure the funding from Fife council & SportScotland.

We are now going to push to raise the remaining balance of funding required to reach the target of £25,000 on Squareknot, and immediately thereafter draw down on all of the funding pledges made. Once this project has been completed we will revisit the other projects regarding the cafe/bar and the new stand, and I will engage with the supporters to agree an action plan between us.

Thank you for your continued support.

Yours sincerely

Lee Murray

fairynuff.

I vote YES.

He says NO.

Lee talks about these facilities being to the west of stadium. Does this include the 3G pitch or will this replace the grass pitch inside the ground? And exactly where will it all be sited? (please forgive my poor sense of direction).

i was thinking it would be behind the ace recovery where the circus is at the moment if he means west of stadium, we will see if it goes ahead.

Build another Stand thats what we all want.

Great idea, then we can have 250 fans either side of the pitch... quality and worth every penny!

Hiya Jocky, Hiya Pal.

And it would bring abetter atmosphere than 500 people sitting on their arses in silence especially if it was terracing.

Think small stay small. It's people like you that hold this club back and why we're in the 4th division. Chew on that Bored .

Aye, think big as long as you don't have to put your hand in your pocket. Then ask for free busses and cheaper season tickets, cheaper gate prices, it's all been heard before.

What planet do you people live on?? I think you all need to get through your schooling first and learn some economics, before you post such drivel. And if you have already left school, you left too early! It's people like you that will be the death of this club if you had your way, so chew on that (to coin a phrase) Dude.

Build it and they will come.....thought Livy, Clyde and Airdrie.

Yes and I bet all the City bankers who ruined this country were probably well versed in economics too. Build it, show real ambition and they will come.

You get the club you deserve and you get a 4th rate, 4th division one you dullard.

You are contradicting yourself when you use the bankers for an argument. It was precisely what you are wanting East Fife to do, spend money they haven't got and hope that everything will turn out okay, which it didn't. It is no surprise many of the city banker culprits were hardly out of university and had no life experience. to be allowed to bet other peoples money so freely.

You are the thick, uneducated one Mr Dude! Don't you remember about some other Scottish clubs who gambled money they didn't have, or was I right in my first post, that you are indeed, living on another planet?

Think this one has run it's course. You both have valid points. yes we would all like a better atmosphere with another stand or terrace. But bored you too are right we don't have the cash or fan base at the moment. Would be great to get you two together and direct your efforts at getting more fans to the games which is the only way to move forward at any pace.

Building a new shop is a complete waste of cash! All this rubbish about it being an earner for the club is nonsense. How many major sports chains have we saw collapse over the years? Online shopping is the way ahead. I know we dont have the fan base to justify building a covered terrace but Bayview as it stands is brutal, absolutely no atmosphere and to me the atmosphere is a huge part of the match day experience and it would also ensure we play all our cup ties against the bigger teams at Bayview. When i win the Euros i will build a replica off the terracing old Bayview had, the only difference being it will be covered all the way round.

Nae wonder your confused. The shop is a waste of money, but a new stand which would be filled maybe once every few years isn't?

So tell me bored, how will a new shop make us more money than the cabin that we have in place at the moment?

I agree that I can't see a brick built shop significantly increasing revenue as there is a limited market in the area for East Fife kit and merchandise. Looking at the bigger picture, if the club do install an AstroTurf pitch which is open to local teams, groups etc there will be more footfall especially if the entrance to the pitch and changing facilities requires everyone to go through the shop to get there. Decent stock, selection, displays and prices of football boots, astro footwear or trainers, shin pads, team kits etc may have a chance of being successful. ACA Sports in Kirkcaldy is about the only similar type of shop in the area. Maybe the club could negotiate with ACA sports and lease the shop to them with a cut of profit going to the Club.
A brick built shop on its own is unlikely to significantly increase revenue for the Club.