THE Hong Kong-based group interested in buying Raith Rovers has put talks on hold and sensationally taken aim at current ownership for the breakdown in negotiations.
Silverbear Capital, led by Peter Chun, has been looking at the Championship club in recent months and have held talks with owner John Sim and chairman Steven MacDonald.
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It’s also been claimed that the investors had already lined up FOUR new signings, including two free agents, a Switzerland international player and a loanee from ‘one of the top clubs in world football’.
Former SFA chief executive Gordon Smith is also involved in the consortium and the group say he put the players forward to the club and both sides even reached verbal agreements, but the deals all fell through.
In a statement seen by The Courier, the firm hit out at Stark’s Park chiefs and left their future interest in the club up in the air.
It read: “It is with regret that we are announcing, following two months of applying due diligence, further discussions regarding the acquisition of Raith Rovers are now on hold.
“Our representatives were present at Stark’s Park and had talks mainly with the chairman, and some with owner John Sim.
“The reasons for this are shortcomings and lack of corporate social responsibility by the Management.
“Further, by the way players, who were introduced by Gordon Smith and James Carlin were not employed despite the fact that a verbal agreement to sign them was in place, is not acceptable, as this actually stopped them having talks with other interested clubs.
“We hope to resolve these issues, so the talks can resume.”
Earlier this week, Raith chairman MacDonald said there had been further interest in the Kirkcaldy club from the USA and Scotland.
Elsewhere, Livingston coach Marvin Bartley reckons a lot of clubs will feel “hard done by” after seeing Celtic complain to the SFA about VAR.
The Premiership champions are writing to the governing body in the wake of controversy over a potential handball involving Connor Goldson in the Old Firm derby on Monday.
Bartley told Clyde 1 Superscoreboard: “Every club will send an email – or a majority of clubs will – if they think they are hard done by.
“There is only a big deal being made of it because it was such a high profile game and because it was at Ibrox.
“There are plenty of clubs who think they have been hard done by this season.”
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