It might not seem that Scottish lower league side Raith Rovers would have any sort of association with the global credit crisis and UK wide economic downturn but it does.   As clubs in England and recently AC Milan and AS Roma in Italy feel the sharp biting effects of the economic crisis (AS Roma plunging 200 million euros in red this week) Raith's association with the credit cruch comes through a strong association with one of the major  players who is currently trying to counter its effects, namely the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.   The father of economics Adam Smith was a native of Kirkcaldy as well but the current British Prime Minister is a recent native both having grown up in the city and said to be an avid fan of the club.  It was to be the good will and persausion of the Prime Minister that helped to save Raith Rovers when they faced there own little credit crisis not three years ago.  

During the 2005/06 season the future of the club had looked doubtful after its traditional Starks Park ground was placed under threat by property developer owners who had repeatedly threatened to sell Stark's Park for housing development.   With the threat of extinction a 'Reclaim the Rovers fans' campaign began and it launched into a bid to secure a local future for the club through fresh investment that would stave off the threat to the ground and ultimatly the club.    The then British Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown was a major negotiator behind an eventual £1.2 million community led buy out of the club, with his role being recognised and noted by fans.  Since then the club has remained in the heart of the Kirkcaldy community and the now UK Prime Minister is seen occasionally at Starks Park ground on matchday.

Raith Rovers currently play their football at the all seated Starks Park stadium and logistically anyone venturing to a game at the stadia via the east coast railway system cannot go wrong if they are unsure of its location.   Every train venturing north hurtles past the rail-side stadium and on match day anyone on a train can gaze right inside the ground.  Currently it is a 10,000 all seater stadium and remains amongst the most impressive of the stadia owned by the lower league Scottish clubs if not the most impressive Hampden Park aside.  Currently playing in the third tier of Scottish Football today, improvements on the ground are still ongoing with a vast amount of structural work occuring on the older 'Railway Stand' which is structurally standing but lacks seats and facilities and is located in the west of the Stadium.   The addition of this stand ensures it exceeds the SPL criteria of a 10,000 covered seating ground.   

Despite redevelopment the ground also does not appear to have lost much of its old character appeal especially in the old main stand area which still retains is old feel complete with wooden seats and half time refreshments shop.    Strangely its a sort of half main stand with the original terracing structure still existing to the north of the main stand area.   In addition, the outer facade of the original main stand remains and the club retains a committment to its traditions; a fact lost to many clubs when embarking on stadium redesign and development.

Looking at the ground and analysing its development in line with the financial problems raith have encountered, Starks Park offers a stark reminder of the mid-1990's panic drive in the UK to build a 10,000 all seater stadiums to satisfy non-sensical jobsworth health and safety criteria.    For one there are more seats in the stadium than a club such as Raith Rovers will ever need even if they find themselves playing regularly, at some point in the future, at Scottish Premier League level.   Secondly the ground is more or less empty on match day with the most fervent of Raith Rovers fans almost totally occupying the South Stand area apart from a few hundred in the main stand.

Meanwhile, away fan visitors to Starks Park amount to never more than 500 and that is on a good day and they are located in the identical North Stand.   Ayr United had around 100 fans at the game and most of these sat in a small cordoned off area of the ground.   Meanwhile the railway stand is all empty apart from a few photographers and some TV camera crews.  It all seems development for developments sake and its little wonder that Raith Rovers found themselves in financial troubles not three years ago.   Yes, Raith Rovers want to improve and see themselves as a potential Premier league club but surely the development of the ground far outweights any progress made on the pitch.   The club have went backwards from a mid 1990's high when they played Bayern Munchen in the UEFA cup and it is hard to see how the redeveloped stadium will ever host European football ever again.   A stadium with a capacity of 7,500 would be adequate for a club such as Raith Rovers and even then it will never be full apart from visits of the Old Firm clubs.

The match in focus here was a top of the table 'high flyer clash' in the Scottish Second Division with traditional Scottish sides Ayr United and Raith Rovers both occupying places in the top five of the division.   Raith fell behind to a neat goal from Ayr but equalised via a penalty not long before half-time.    Raith then proceeded to control the second half in glorious if bitingly cold sunshine until and equalizer in injury time from Ayr left the score at 2-2.  At that point a curious Scottish tradition kicked in,; that of people leaving the ground to get to cars with crucial match time still to play.    Almost half of the stadium had about turned towards exits and left for home but the action was not over as a last minute header from Raith Rovers diminutive striker Weir sent the fans left in the ground into scences of jubilation.   No, the club had not won the Scottish Cup or beaten any heavyweight but the victory showed what the win meant to loyal fans of the club.

What is evident at lower league football in Scotland is both a passion and a committment to a local club despite poor and average fare being on offer on the field of play.  Hard tackles and effort on the field are not lacking but what is missing are quality players and effective refereeing.   Committment to lower league clubs from fans is becoming scarce and less common every year especially in this age when replica shirts wearing youngsters are eager to associate themselves with big name market domineering overly exposed clubs.   It certainly cannot be a financial thing as children can gain a season ticket for Starks Park for only £25 a season.   Admission to the ground for adults is only £14 with senior citizins gaining entry for only £10.   Kirkcaldy as a town itself is a pleasant place with a population of some 50,000 it does not appear on first glance to be a downtrodden dump where money is thin judging by some of the solid and grand houses that surround the walk to the ground.   However, the town has suffered from a population drain and its continuing attraction as a commuter town for Edinburgh means it fights a losing battle to attract new adult fans.     The average crowds of Raith Rovers seldom reach 2,000 people with only 1,715 in addendance against Ayr United.   Overall its easy enough for the club to attract youngsters through inexpensive admission but these fans rarely engage long term with a club of such minimal success potential.    One walk around the town centre itself on match day or a walk from the main train station saw all too few reminders that a match or club habited the town and despite a few fans walking around with dark blue and white Puma first team shirts Raith Rovers will, like other similar towns in Scotland, play second fiddle in numbers to those in the town who follow Celtic or Rangers.

It is hard to see that changing.