As is well known I have given my support to the bid by Sid Collumbine to secure a controlling position in the club. That remains the case and very good progress is being made, despite resistance from the Board. We have been very heartened by the extent of support and encouragement we have received from supporters and shareholders.

In view of recent developments, however, and the sad lack of any positive action from the Board, Sid Collumbine has asked me to let supporters know that the following statement is being issued by him today to the media:-

"East Fife Football Club - Statement by Sid Collumbine

I have read with amazement the letter sent to some shareholders by "David Stevenson & Associates". Mr Stevenson has distorted reality in order to protect the present Board but just let me set out the factual position.

Mr Stevenson claims that he and his associates have never met me. This is simply not true. I met the Board last year to discuss becoming a Director. Mr Stevenson was marked absent on that occasion, as I understand he all too often is.

My position is clear. I will not increase my offer to existing shareholders but will now offer an interest free loan of £45,000 for immediate membership of the Board of East Fife Football Club. I challenge Mr Stevenson to match or better this offer and put immediate funds into the club.

Mr Stevenson questions whether a new share issue is needed. Sensible discussions with all interested parties, including the Supporters Trust who are making a substantial investment offer, will determine this and not the self-interest of the current Board.

I note that Mr Stevenson feels that he has the authority to make an offer of an immediate place on the Board to the Trust if they effectively withdraw their offer of further investment. But I think many will question the motives for this.

We need change on the Board and when I am appointed I will be ensuring that we work democratically and transparently, something the club seems sadly to lack at the present time. To bring this about my supporters are ready to call for an Extraordinary General Meeting if need be, and I know that I can secure a majority there. But I hope that the current Board will want to avoid this and will now enter sensible discussions with me."

Thanks Bruce - nice to get a clear picture for a change!

I might have missed something but why are folk suddenly fighting over our club ? Whats in it for them ?

Imagine being able to read about proposals of investment in our club on an open forum!

It has become clear (to me atleast!) that the proposed new regime are starting as they mean to go on. Transparent.

I know that there will be many many things that will not be open for discussion or relayed in this manner to the supporters but it speaks volumes that Bruce and co saw fit to inform the fans of the press release.

I am beginning to see that light at the end of the tunnel, and it's not the oncoming train after all!

Good point DHAMR. Why would someone like Collumbine be throwing money into East Fife unless he thought a big profit lay at the end of the rainbow. If the land is on the verge of being sold off we need guarantees that any profit will be pumped back into the club not into any new owners pockets.

Do we have those?

This is not a "pro-Brown" post, just a "for god's sake let's not allow any old charlatan into our club just because we are desperate to get rid of one socially maladjusted individual out."

I won't sell my shares to anyone without such a guarantee. Nothing that has come through my door so far has assuaged my fears.

I have never met Mr Collumbine yet, but I like him already.

Thanks for the statement

"Let's not allow any old charlatan into our club"

So Bruce Black is trying to force a charlatan into East Fife, is he? Any associate of Bruce Black - who is trying to get us out of this mess, in case you haven't noticed - is a friend of all those who seek a better future for EFFC.

While you wait for the perfect sugar daddy to come along LondonFife, the club will disappear before your eyes.

The only real mess in the club is DB and possibly several directors need their positions questioned. But whatever you think of him DB will leave a club in a healthy financial position. Now I don't think it was all down to him and there are some questionable dealings in the last few years. I also detest his attitude and high handed way of chairmanship so this is not putting forward a plea that he should stay but he should go at the earliest opportunity!

What would you call a man who comes along and offers you £3000 for shares that you bought for £4,500? I would suggest charlatan is a mild description of someone who has an eye for the main chance. Whatever his words say it is obvious he is out for a bargain and the only thing he has suggested of giving something to the club is an interest free loan for a seat on the board. Wow!

Be careful of this man and his offers, from a financial point of view he is bad news.

I want rid off Derrick Brown ASAP, however I am also intrigued as to why suddenly East Fife is such an attractive proposition!

Is there any substance to the waste ground rumours, is this why we now have people fighting over the club?

Whatever happens (and it must involve the removal of Brown) I hope it will be in the long term interests of our club.

I think it is only fair to query why all of a sudden we have a lot of interest in buying shares.

In saying that, I'm prepared to give Sid Collumbine a chance and we've seen more openess so far than from the Board in all of last season.

Maybe Bruce could arrange for a meeting of the fans with Sid or we could compile a list of questions here and interview him for AFTN.

I spoke to Davie Stevenson just over a year ago,At the time he was disgusted with Brown for buying his sisters shares behind his back for half their value, He also said that he was considering selling his shares because he was thinking of moving to austrailia,Now he is backing Brown,the last time I spoke to him was just after Jim Moffat was sackedI said that the wrong man had gone,He said that brown would never go,I have never spoken to him since,He is not to be trusted like Brown,Mackay,Hain,or Hamilton,If anybody is going to sell their shares sell them to sid even though I'm not sure who he is or if he is the right man,willie gray is putting a lot of money,but he seems to be a Brown man as well, I was going to post this as Anon but I have nothing to hide,after reading Stevenson letter I have no trust in him

Oi Joe you're avin' a laugh, aintcha?

The only reason Brown could leave the club in a healthy financial position is because of a monumental blunder made by Anglian Water. Please do not forget this.

And at the same time, please take into consideration the thousands he has cost the club by reducing attendances to a rump of 200. Might also be handy to take into account the lost long-term revenue from those who will never come back, having found there is more to life.

As for your attack on Collumbine, how dumb could you be? Collumbine has offered £3 a share because his offer is for the entire club. No-one ever, in football or any other business, offers the market price (e.g. £4.50 per share) when bidding for 100 per cent control. £3 per share values the club at just under £500,000. There is no way EFFC is worth anywhere near as much as that, despite all the guff about the associated land.

If you think Collumbine is bad news from a financial point of view, can you please tell us what you would consider to be good news? Within the realms of possibility, of course.

We need to bring this whole sorry episode in the club's history to an end.We should not allow Derrick and his associates to take this dispute into a new season,thus dragging the club further into the mire.I do not trust David Stevenson and Associates to do right by us ,the fans,in particular and the club in general.
Whatever the next move is there can never be cast iron guarantees that everyones motives are completely above board but I believe Sid Collumbine is saying and doing most of the right things in order to get my backing.I have no intention of selling my shares to Sid,or anyone else,but I have given him my proxy.I have every faith that the Trust's involvement with Sid will ensure that the club and fan's interests will be put before anything else.
Derrick will surely be gone soon,never again will any one be allowed to put their interests before those of the club, the community and the supporters.

4 weeks on Saturday see us start our league campaign agaisnt Stenhousemuir.
Can anyone see that day being a "Brown Free Zone"

I personally have serious doubts.

"But whatever you think of him DB will leave a club in a healthy financial position."

Joe - how can you describe the club's finances as healthy. What has Derrick done to turnover since he joined - it has plumeted. He has also driven away hardcore fans, and done little to recruit future fans. Whoever does take over will have their work cut out to reverse this.

Healthy - no way!

Absolutley, if we were to count up all the money that Derrick has turned/driven away from East Fife in his time as Chairman we would come up with a scary figure. There's nothing healthy about that.

A large plaquard on the mound showing the total (guestimate for last season), incrimenting after every game would give a powerfull message I feel. Bound to get media coverage also.