From East Fife Mail 26 April 2006

GROUPS UNITE TO AIM FOR NEW SPORTS CENTRE
A new indoor sports facility could be on the cards for Levenmouth following a meeting of local football enthusiasts.
A new soccer festival has also been suggested, following the first meeting of the group which include East Fife supporters and representatives from the Young Fifers, East Fife's Supporters' Trust, Fife Council, East Fife Ladies and Fairness, Race Awareness and Equality (FRAE) Fife.
The meeting was held last week to identify ways in which the local community could be more involved in sport and highlighted lack of indoor facilities as the major issue.
Group member Martin Black said: "We know there is a huge demand for this kind of space from everyone from the East Fife Ladies team to the Young Fifers and, of course, the vast number of local teams that play at every level in the area.
"And it won't just be about football – it will meet the needs of many other people."
The project is also seen as a way of including a wide range of people in sport.
To set the ball rolling and raise funds there will also be a Festival of Football organised for all sectors of the community.
Two small action teams have been set up to take the project forward.
"We know this is a hugely ambitious goal to set ourselves but we are confident we have a strong team with the knowledge and skills to deliver," said Mr Black.
"We are also sure that – with the support of the community, local authority and funding organisations – we will succeed."
Eugene Clarke, who chaired the meeting, explained that sport should be at the heart of the community.
He said: "A lot of people feel local people should have more say in what's happening.
"It will be a community project tied in with sport which could involve coaching or providing new facilities.
"While there is a strong attachment to East Fife FC the project would not have to be about East Fife or even football.
"Although it would seem implausible not to involve the club at some stage we have taken the decision not to involve it right now."
There has been a lot of bad blood between East Fife's board and a group of protestors over the way chairman Derrick Brown has been running the club but Mr Clarke is keen to point out that this latest move has nothing to do with the ongoing battle.
"There is a sense that there's a lot of turmoil around but this isn't a reaction against anything," he explained.
While the group has decided to move forward with plans for an indoor facility and football festival, other suggestions were made such as a twinning project and a coaching school.
26 April 2006

Good to see something positive happening in Levenmouth. More facilities like this are well overdue.

Brown will view this as a threat to his beloved plastic pitch project no doubt. Can't see the club wanting to be involved not whlist he's still at the helm.

Isn't the indoor 5 a side place at byron park still
open??
Played there alot when i was younger it could do with
modernising but it is a fairly central location, It
would also benefit from a bit of an extension with a
few more indoor pitches, Could't the footie festival
take place there??

I would be interested to know who within the local authority was keen to be involved in the project, from what I am aware, the local authority are looking at streamlining their facilities, i.e. Glenrothes Swimming Pool and sports facilities. They are currently stating in the papers they have no money to develop services and the local authority have to cut back as they are hugely overspent.

But good luck to you in your venture.

Good points and thanks for the good wishes.

Local authority involvement needn't just mean spending money. They can act as a trigger and source of advice for lots of other funding.

Speaking to some rugby boys at Murrayfield tonight.
They are keen to know more.

At the end of the day this will never work, i've been a new community project for 50 years and if you think...

Well said JDB - keep up the good work for another 50 years!

No Derek you were a care in the community project that went badlly wrong