Dunfermline bidder urged to announce their identity

The supporter-led Pars United lodged one offer for the club and the club’s stadium, East End Park, ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, but were told by administrator Bryan Jackson that another interested party had also put a bid on the table.

Jackson has maintained all along that the second consortium, who like Pars United were told they have to amend their offer if they are to be named as preferred bidder, must remain confidential.

With an information vacuum sparking rumours that former owner Gavin Masterton is involved behind the scenes with the second bidder, fans are craving clarity over who wants to take over their beloved club.

Masterton became a hate figure in the days before the Fifers went into administration in March and has since seen East End Park Ltd, the company he set up to manage the stadium, also go into administration.

Margaret Ross, chair of the Pars Supporters’ Trust, who are part of Pars United, has urged the other prospective new  owners to reveal themselves and engage with the supporters.

She said: “I would have thought a bit of transparency would have been good if they wanted the fans on their side. The fans have kept this club going for the last three or four months – in fact for most of this year.

“If it hadn’t been for us it would have been liquidated – and for somebody to appear and think they can just pop in and not even tell the fans who they are is so disrespectful. It’s unbelievable that they think they’re going to have fans continuing to back the club if that’s the case.

“If Gavin’s involved that’s his choice, but he has to be honest. Honesty, transparency, we’re not getting any of that from this other bidder and the worrying thing is that in the absence of clarity, the rumours about people that we probably don’t want in the club.”

Jackson was given the go-ahead by over 50 per cent of the club’s creditors at a meeting on Wednesday to proceed towards a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA), which it is hoped will be agreed by over 75 per cent of the creditors on 12 July.

Ross is hopeful it will be Pars United who are allowed to see through their battle for the club’s survival after having to amend their offer following the news that administrators wanted a bid for both the club and the stadium as a package. “We’ve had to find extra funding, we’ve had to change our model, we’ve had to change our bid,” explained Ross. “We’ve managed to do that, we’ve managed to get through this.”