Berwick Rangers chairman says the club is 'in a much better position' that it has been previously
Berwick Rangers chairman Kevin Dixon says he is ‘immensely proud’ of the progress the club has made in the community over the past three years.
In a statement released on the club’s official website by himself and the board of directors at the Shielfield side, he noted that the establishment of the Community Academy, the women’s side and three youth teams, free football camps in school holidays, organising Christmas meals and present donations, and inviting community groups to the ground on matchdays are all achievements that they are delighted with.
“We are continually seeking ways to develop this work even further, as we see strong community links as a vital part of the long-term future of the club,” said Dixon.
Berwick was running at a loss of just over £115,000 for the year ending May 2023 when Dixon and the current board took over the reins. There was a loss of around £116,00 in 2024. They have reduced that deficit to just over £70,000 in the 2024/25 accounts which they have recently submitted for audit.
“We had been targeting a 60% reduction in loss from last season, and we are disappointed that we have fallen short of that target,” said Dixon.
“The additional unforeseen costs can be explained mostly through increases to stadium rent, insurance premiums and energy costs.
“Floodlight failure also required fast remedy, and we also made the difficult decision to change our managerial staff and to make additional funds available to our new manager in order to secure our Lowland League status – something which we were able to achieve, with critical importance.”
The chairman, however, feels that the future is bright for the black and golds going forward.
“We firmly believe the club is now in a much better position on and off the field than we have been in the previous two seasons.
“We have a young, hungry playing squad under the direction of a skilled management team that shares our ethos and vision for the club, and we are progressing in the right direction in terms of our competitiveness,” he said, also noting that the board had invested immense amounts of time, money and effort to keep the club going, with directors’ loans covering the losses.
Berwick were 6-1 winners at Linton Hotspur in a bounce game ahead of welcoming Linlithgow Rose to Shielfield on Saturday with Taylor Hendry (2), Greg Binnie, Jonny Devers, Mickey Mbewe and Liam Buchanan all on target.