DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC: GREEN CONFERENCE BACKS FANS
Scottish Greens today overwhelmingly backed an emergency motion to their conference in Inverness supporting moves by Pars United to take control of Dunfermline Athletic.
The motion, moved by Zara Kitson, the Scottish Green candidate for the Dunfermline by-election, also urged Scottish Ministers to support Green moves to give fans' trusts the first right of refusal when their clubs come up for sale.
The Green MSPs will consult on these proposals once Scottish Ministers publish their forthcoming Community Empowerment and Renewal Bill.
Zara Kitson said:
"Pars United and the fans have made an extraordinary effort to get this far, and it's an amazing achievement to have helped to save Dunfermline Athletic. It would be hard to exaggerate the impact that the loss of the club would have meant for the community.
"A massive amount of work is still ahead, but Greens believe the best bet for clubs like Dunfermline Athletic is for the fans to be in charge - after all, they always have the club's long-term best interests at heart, both on and off the park.
"It's great to get conference's support for responsible fan ownership, and the party will now work to help fans and clubs make this change across the Scottish game. I believe this campaign can be won at Holyrood, especially with the help of supporters around the country who want to have a say, sometimes for the first time, in how their clubs are run for the future."
Alison Johnstone MSP said:
"There's much to be welcomed in the Scottish Government's Community Empowerment and Renewal Bill, and we will seek to use this opportunity to put fans in the driving seat in Scottish football. It already works everywhere from Stirling Albion to Barcelona, and it's an idea whose time has come.
"I very much hope the people of Dunfermline elect Zara Kitson as their next MSP to help us make this change. Holyrood needs her enthusiasm, her imagination and above all her determination to work hard for the constituency."