Kelty Hearts have said their ambition remains to be amongst the best part-time clubs in Scotland despite suffering relegation.
And the club are backing their manager in reshaping their squad for life in League Two next season.
Chairman, Jordan Gardner, has also said that dropping into the fourth tier of Scottish football will provide an opportunity to "rebuild and reset every aspect of this organisation".
The 'Maroon Machine' saw a four season spell in League One come to an end by finishing bottom of the table following a difficult campaign.
In boss Tam O'Ware's first full season as a manager - he took over from Charlie Mulgrew towards the end of last term, steering the club to safety and a sixth-place finish - the team struggled.
Their squad was decimated by injuries to key players throughout, such as O'Ware himself, Callum Flatman and Craig Johnston, and picked up six wins from 36 outings.
They only won once at New Central Park in the league - at home to Montrose last month - and a defeat to Cove Rangers, in their penultimate fixture, condemned them to the drop.
However, in January, an American consortium, led by Gardner, completed a takeover of Kelty.
They acquired an 80 per cent shareholding, with the remaining 20 per cent owned by Kelty Hearts FC Members Ltd, a company incorporated by the outgoing board of directors.
Jim Kirks, the club's chief executive, said that the investment group's intentions were to "build slowly, improve the infrastructure, improve the pitch, improve the on-pitch performance", and grow the club as part of a "sustainable process".
Gardner, in a message to the club's supporters, has also outlined plans to improve the ground, which includes the dressing rooms, and a new players lounge.
"To the entire Kelty Hearts community, I want to thank you for your support this season," he said.
"To the Kelty Hearts Supporter Club, to every KHFC sponsor and volunteer who spent their Saturday afternoons at New Central Park this season, your commitment to this club has not gone unnoticed, and I, personally, want to thank you for everything you do for this club.
"I am disappointed we will be spending next season in League Two. This was a difficult season; the football was not pleasant to watch at times, and the results were not much better.
"However, we showed significant improvement after the takeover was approved in January, but unfortunately it was not enough in the end.
"The silver lining of a relegation is that it gives us an opportunity to rebuild and reset every aspect of this organisation.
"Our football staff is working closely with Tam on rebuilding the squad for the summer, with new player signings being announced in the coming weeks.
"We are in the process of investing in infrastructure improvements at the stadium, including the players changing room and a new players lounge.
"We are working hard every day to professionalise this club and move it forward.
"We continue to aim towards a climb back up the pyramid of Scottish football in the coming years in a financially prudent and sustainable way so that this club can eventually compete with the top part-time clubs in the country.
"I look forward to seeing everyone out this summer at New Central Park for the new season as we regroup, rebuild, and come back with something to prove."
Kelty return to League Two for the first time since the 2021/22 season, which was their first in the SPFL, following promotion from the Lowland League.
Under then boss, Kevin Thomson, the 'Maroon Machine', with O'Ware and his assistant, Michael Tidser, key parts of the team, won the title with 81 points.
Share