Following recent press and social media reports, I write to provide an update on the club’s status.

Before that however, it is imperative that, on behalf of the club, I apologise to all those who have been affected by the difficulties and uncertainty that has dogged the club over recent weeks. Firstly, to all the players who sadly have been left with no option but to leave the club, I am truly sorry that this has happened, and particularly so at this time of the year. We have parted company with a significant number of our first team squad and to all those players I wish them every success in the future.

From there, I must also extend my apologies to Michael McIndoe and his backroom team, who have had the goalposts moved so early into their tenure. It is a great testament to his character that while this has been forced on him, his commitment to the club remains.

Finally and arguably most importantly, it is essential that I apologise and extend my absolute sympathies to our supporters, who have no doubt been on an emotional rollercoaster over the last couple of weeks. We have a small, but totally committed and passionate fanbase, many of whom have followed us from our East of Scotland days, and I appreciate their continued backing as we navigate our way through the challenges ahead. When I first took over the club, it was with the intention of creating a sustainable model, which would grow organically and have community engagement ant the core of its values. Whilst the current position has been forced upon us, it must also be seen as an opportunity to recognise where we have gone wrong and make decisions accordingly.

The board and I have been carrying out a full assessment of all football operations, and sadly given the financial pressures on the club, we have taken the extremely difficult decision to withdraw our Lowland League Development and SWF Championship teams with immediate effect. Both moves are necessary, but nevertheless painful, however my expectation is that these are temporary measures, while the club stabilises and re-groups. SWF and the Lowland League have been made aware of our position and I appreciate their disappointment, given the disruption these moves will bring. 

Furthermore, I can confirm that moving forward, we are bringing our walk-up admission prices  closer to the median level of our League 1 opponents. Starting from our home match with Hamilton on 30th December, adult admission will be £15, with concessions (u18s and over 65s) set at £10, with under 12s accompanied by an adult £5.

Our existing half-season ticket offer is still available and remains based on prices at the start of this season, so for our fans, this represents the best and most cost-effective way to see our remaining home matches. In conjunction with our partners at FanBase, we are also pleased to offer three match packages, which will be available for £35 for adults and £24 for concessions. These packages can be used for any three matches between now and the end of the season, please see our FanBase app for more information.

As our supporters know, the board and I are, first and foremost, fans of the club too, so we share the fear and stress of these last few weeks. Our resolve and commitment however are undaunted, and we believe we now have a roadmap through the coming months and having had an opportunity to carry out a full re-assessment of the way the club operates, I am fully convinced that we can emerge from this period with a more robust and sustainable club. The re-building process begins now, and I know that our supporters will continue to give Michael and the team the same tremendous backing that they have had throughout the season.

Finally, I would like to place on record my thanks to the SPFL, SFA and SWF, for their empathy and advice throughout this difficult time. 

Yours in sport,

John Dickson

Chairman