DUNFERMLINE Athletic face a different opponent today when the club comes to court over the long-running dispute at Pitreavie playing fields.

Lawyers will now attempt to end the stalemate with a legal move to evict The Pars Trust – a charity set up by previous owner Gavin Masterton – from the site.

In Dunfermline Sheriff Court documents, it’s billed as ‘Dunfermline Athletic v The Pars Trust’ but tomorrow’s clash won’t be the end of the matter. Even if the club wins, they’ll effectively get rid of the trust a few days before the trust’s sub-lease was due to expire anyway.

And it won’t resolve the issue of who ends up in control of Pitreavie, as well as the long-term responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance and the six-figure bill from Fife Council for work needing done at the site.

The row is part of the fall-out from the club’s administration last year and centres on a dispute with the trust and Masterton’s pension fund (CHL SSAS).

While the council own the site, the football club signed a 60-year lease in 2002 and there is a sub-lease to the Pars Trust.

The Pars train there and the trust operate the site through a management contract with a firm called LK Galaxy.

However, relations soured and the club gave the trust six months’ notice that they were terminating the sub-lease.

It’s understood the notice period runs out next week but the club is taking court action to make it happen sooner.

After the legal process, the outstanding issue is with the pension fund of Masterton and former chairman John Yorkston.

When the duo were in charge at East End Park, they said CHL SSAS loaned £250,000 to the club with the Pitreavie lease as a security.

The security was ‘called up’ earlier this year which effectively meant the Pars had to repay the money by 2nd February or the lease would transfer to CHL SSAS.

The club did not repay the money but the lease has still not transferred, with both sides at odds about the next move.