Kilwinning Rangers, sitting a point off the top of the Lowland League West, have taken on American investment as the Ayrshire club pushes for promotion into the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL). Will Freeman of Tampa and Luca Farina of Maryland have bought a minority stake in the club.
The news came as Kilwinning beat Celtic B at Buffs Park, with midfielder Paul Frize scoring the opening goal in a comfortable win.
Despite the American money, there will be no spending spree. The budget for manager Chris Strain was set before the investors came on board and will not change. Instead, the investment is earmarked for infrastructure and for helping Kilwinning meet the Scottish Football Association's bronze licence, a requirement for any club hoping to move up into the SPFL.
Chairman's pitch on LinkedIn
Chairman Jack Schofield, a financial adviser who works in pensions and mortgages, said the deal grew out of a LinkedIn post in which he set out the story of Kilwinning Rangers, a club formed in 1899.
"We spoke a similar language," Schofield said of the talks with the American pair. "The talks have been interesting and the process immaculate."
Schofield gave his account after being freed from the kitchen to watch the win over Celtic B. "The cook called off and we had 51 in hospitality," he said. About 700 people were in the ground. He said the club was a communal effort: "This is not about what I am doing here. It is about what we are all doing here."
Vice chairman's ambition
Vice chairman Alan McAlpine, a retired police officer who now works as a council investigator and serves as an SPFL match delegate, was the only member of the previous board to stay on when a new board arrived in March.
"Things have to change," he said. "We need fresh eyes, fresh impetus and direction." He pointed out that Kilwinning has a bigger population than Arbroath, Dumbarton and Stranraer, all of which play in the SPFL.
McAlpine said the investment could let the club spend now to save later on improvements and infrastructure, and praised the new investors. "These guys are millionaires, very successful businessmen with very good ideas," he said. "It is hard work here, but very rewarding. We are on the path to gaining bronze licence."
Manager Chris Strain's rebuild
Manager Chris Strain was released by Kilmarnock as a youngster before playing for Queen of the South and building his reputation as a player and manager in the Junior ranks, including winning the Premier Division title at Beith. This is his second spell in charge of Kilwinning; he returned in March with the target of promotion to the Lowland League West.
"The reality is that we scraped through," he said two hours before kick-off, with Kilwinning a point behind the leaders in the Lowland League West at the time, one division below the SPFL. He did not shy away from the bigger picture. "The ambition is to take the club into the SPFL."
Strain pointed to the club's location next to Kilwinning Sports Club, which draws 600 children every week, as a major asset. "We are never going to be able to pay the wages of other clubs but we have other assets," he said. He described meeting Freeman with members of the board during the week and called him "a keen lover of sport" who is "more a philanthropist than someone who is demanding a return on his investment."
A pathway for young players
Strain has a track record of developing young talent. He brought striker Ross Stewart to Kilwinning from Ardeer; Stewart went on to appear for Scotland at the World Cup. Strain also had striker Josh Fowler at Beith, who later spent time in Dubai and now plays for St Johnstone.
"Some of the staff and players were here with Ross. We were laughing in joy as he came on against Morocco," Strain said. "Someone mentioned that they remembered him playing against Irvine Vics. We were all so delighted for him. We gave him 50 quid a week here, I think." Swansea City, Stewart's current club, pay him considerably more.
Strain believes there is a bottleneck in Scottish football's pyramid that can stall young players and ambitious clubs alike. He wants to build a pathway at Kilwinning for players released by senior clubs at a young age, combining part-time players with a full-time element that would help young recruits through college or university.
"I was released from Kilmarnock and I went and worked in a bank as I had left school with qualifications," he said. "But you talk to young players released from professional teams nowadays and they have unrealistic expectations. What are they going to do with their lives?"
"This is wake-up time for them," Strain added. "But it is also a wake-up time for Scottish football."
