Raith Rovers hope to pay all first team players until July

Rovers only have nine players currently contracted for next season – Regan Hendry, Kieran McDonald, Fernandy Mendy, Jack Smith, Brad Spencer, Dylan Tait, Lewis Vaughan, Kyle Bow and Quinn Coulson.

But following the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s statement on Monday, extending the furlough period until the end of July, the club will now take steps to try and ensure that all current members of the first team squad are paid until then.

Chairman Bill Clark said he was keen to help all the players through a financially difficult period.

“What we are hoping to do - and I won’t put it any stronger than that - is to put all the players currently with us on furlough from now until the end of July,” he said.

“We’re hoping to issue an extension to those whose contracts run out at the end of this month or in June, and then furlough them until the end of July.

“We don’t need to do that for those who have a contract until the end of next season, they are automatically furloughed, and it also doesn’t apply to the three loan players we had. It’s up to their parent clubs to decide if they do anything for them.

“So, the idea is if a player was going to be released this summer or retained, at least we’ll be able to give them an income through to the end of July.

“It’s really in support of the players and helping them through a difficult time.”

Mr Clark also said he had been “very disappointed” that Premiership clubs had voted against league reconstruction, which Rovers have been a strong advocate for.

“I was very disappointed that the Premiership clubs didn’t even look at any of the possible models that we were discussing. Discourteous is the word I would use.

“We were getting very close to agreeing one model to put in front of the Premiership clubs, but it was always the case that they could vote it down if they didn’t agree with 14 teams being in their league.

“We hoped we could persuade them, but in the end they wouldn’t even look at an alternative to the present situation.”

With the possibility of league reconstruction seemingly now dead in the water, it seems that Rovers will play ion the Championship next season, barring any further legal ramifications.

“Although there is a greater degree of certainty now,” Mr Clark said, “there is no absolute certainty until we see whether or not any clubs take legal action against the SPFL.”

He also said he was relieved there would be no external independent investigation against the SPFL’s flawed handling of the reconstruction proposals.

“We’ve said all along it would be a diversion from the main task we should be doing, which is saving our football clubs.

“People were entitled to vote in the way they felt was the best one for them.

“For ourselves it means we can now concentrate on ensuring that we save Raith Rovers, so that we still have a club and a team for when the season starts.”

He added: “Not a lot has changed on the financial front. We will be OK until the end of July and with the furlough being extended until then, that helps us considerably.”