A NEW football pitch at Pitreavie will finally allow Lidl to achieve their goal of opening a supermarket in Rosyth.

A deal for land at Admiralty Road has been in place for years but on condition that a replacement ground be provided for Rosyth FC, who were turfed out by Fife Council in 2018 to make way for the store.

The East of Scotland League side have been homeless ever since, with potential moves to other locations in the town falling through, which meant work on the Lidl site could not get underway either.

However, the stalemate has been broken with planning permission now in place for Rosyth's new pitch at Pitreavie playing fields, while the condition has been altered which gives the green light for the supermarket to be built.

Vice chairman of the club, Russell Craig, told the Press: "Myself and Dean (Ogg, chairman) are absolutely ecstatic for the whole community.

"To finally get this past the post is not just monumental for the club but for Rosyth as a whole as they'll finally get their supermarket too.

"For us, this will secure the future of the club. We're here for the next 25 years and this will give us the security to really kick on."

When work gets the go-ahead, he reckoned the pitch will be built in 12 weeks.

Russell added: "For the internal stuff, we've got companies lined up and dates set aside, it'll be like DIY SOS with everyone coming together and working flat out!

"I'm hoping for a star-studded opening for the start of pre-season, at the very latest, but we could be in before the end of the season."

The new artificial surface, surrounded by a boundary fence and six floodlights, will be close to the entrance to the playing fields and replace an existing grass pitch.

The planning application was submitted last August by Karen Masterton, of Charlestown Holdings Ltd (SASS), and approved at the start of this month.

Rosyth FC's new ground will be to the west of both the pavilion and the existing full size artificial pitch. It will also be available for community use.

Russell said: "Rosyth is a big town and the football club is a huge part of the community.

"I can't praise our volunteers enough. We've got so many people that help us out, including the supporters – not just supporting us financially but those that come and watch the team play – youngsters and families that all have a vested interest.

"I'm really pleased for them too."

In August 2016, the council sanctioned the sale of the site, including the Recreation Park football ground and The Yard pub, for a new supermarket and car park.

The remainder of the land was to become housing.

After the initial excitement, there followed years of delay and frustration.

The stumbling block was the failure to find a new home for Rosyth FC and the planning condition that said no work on the Lidl supermarket could take place until a "signed, binding contract" to construct the replacement pitch had been submitted to the council.

It looked like a new home would be found at the Fleet Grounds, only for the council to decide it would be the site for a replacement Inverkeithing High School instead.

There was then talk of sharing facilities at Castle Road, at the former civil service sports club, where Dunfermline Athletic are creating a training ground complete with a full size artificial pitch.

That fell through too.

In 2021, and facing mounting criticism from local councillors, the council came up with nine 'options' for Rosyth's new pitch, including the civil service site and Pitreavie, but some were unworkable and quickly ruled out.

Last September, after plans for the new pitch were tabled, developer Mactaggart & Mickel applied to change the condition "to facilitate the delivery of this exciting project at Pitreavie and allow the construction of the new Lidl store to commence".

The following month the council agreed the sale of the land needed for the supermarket.

Lidl did not wish to comment at this stage.