Hong Kong finance firm said to be in talks about taking over Raith Rovers

That speculation follows majority shareholder John Sim revealing earlier this month that he’d be open to selling his controlling interest in the Scottish Championship club.

Silverbear Capital is understood to have made an approach to Sim via representatives based in Switzerland.

Silverbear chief executive Peter Chun is reportedly interested in buying a club in need of investment but with potential for promotion to the Scottish Premiership and Rovers have been suggested as a potential purchase fitting that bill.

Former Scottish Football Association and Rangers chief executive Gordon Smith is believed to have been advising Silverbear and it is thought he might be open to taking up a role at the Kirkcaldy club if a deal is struck.

Rovers manager Ian Murray and his players, next in action away to Hamilton Academical on Monday, have been informed that the club are effectively up for sale.

Since the club were last taken over, by Sim in 2005, their average operating loss has been about £150,000 per season, they say, although debts in the region of £500,000 have been paid off since then.

Investors in England, Germany and Switzerland are also reported to have expressed an interest in buying Thailand-based Sim’s stake in Raith, thought to be worth about £3m.

“We are at the very early stages of a buyer coming in,” Raith chairman Steven MacDonald told us last week.

“There is interest from England, Hong Kong and I believe from Germany or Switzerland.

“Things have been tough on an ongoing basis. I think we are not any different from any football club in Scotland.

"John Sim is our majority shareholder and it’s his decision that we need to bring in some other people to help.

“That shows we are really keen to get some investment in. I believe it would be a good time.

“There are a lot of good things at the club but we are getting slightly hampered by not having enough money at the back of us.”