Gretna

[tigers_babe2006]

Originally Posted by 'Chopper'

In Derbyshire?

Very funny 'chopper'
Saw the news conference and there is still hope but not much by the looks of it. There isn't a team for saturday's game against Aberdeen which could lead to fines and other penalties which would not bode well to say the least. The players have been told they have got until 27th March to find new club if they wish. Looks like Gretna is doomed to me.

[lions]

Originally Posted by 'Chopper'

Well said Lions!

The more I think about it the more I feel that Gretna should perhaps seek a voluntary 'demotion' and start afresh in the 3rd Division with their youth team. If they're so broke that they can't afford even knackered old pros (like me!) in the 1st Division and are forced to play their kids they're going to be relegated again, and again so why not bite the bullet and give the lads at least a fighting chance in a Division that's the poorest in terms of standards, finance and attendances.

If they did and the tables stayed as they are this is how it would work:

SPL
Relegated - Gretna

Division 1
Promoted [to SPL] - Hamilton
Relegated [to 2nd Division] - Stirling

Division 2
Promoted [to 1st Division] - Ross County
Relegated - [to 3rd Division] None

Division 3
Promoted [to 2nd Division] - East Fife (replaced by Gretna).

Would they attract any fans playing in the 3rd Division? Bear in mind that if every person in Gretna, yes, EVERY person, went to their home games they'd only get a 2,705 crowd! Their 'home' game at Fir Park against Dundee United a week or so ago attracted a total of just 501 paying fans, setting a new record low attendance at an SPL match! This number was also lower than the lowest attendance in the Scottish First Division this season to date!!

The average attendances for Third Division clubs for season 2006/07 were as follows:

Arbroath 730
Dumbarton 709
Queen's Park 590
Berwick Rangers 565
East Fife 546
Montrose 463
Stenhousemuir 461
Albion Rovers 431
Elgin City 423
East Stirlingshire 307

You maybe right in your thoughts there m8,Gretna are doomed for the drop in divison anyway regardless to the financial situation,even if they wasn't in the hands of Wilson Field.
But as they are and striffing for exsistance your thoughts are the most practicle solution to their plight at the moment,yes like you said with Gretna now looking at playing their youths rather than harden pros to be able to save on expenses the third division seems the most logical route to take.
At least that way they can as already said rebuild from the foundations upwards,and by the time the youth players have mutured and progressed in the experiances Gretna should be stable enough to hold themselves within the second for a while,to build in strength and financially even more.

As quoted by yourself Their 'home' game at Fir Park against Dundee United a week or so ago attracted a total of just 501 paying fans, setting a new record low attendance at an SPL match! This number was also lower than the lowest attendance in the Scottish First Division this season to date!! I remember seeing and hearing this about Gretna's game,but if you put that gate into comparisons to what figures you have written,it would be enough for them to steady the ship as it works out about the average game attendance in the third teir.

Originally Posted by tigers_babe2006

Very funny 'chopper'
Saw the news conference and there is still hope but not much by the looks of it. There isn't a team for saturday's game against Aberdeen which could lead to fines and other penalties which would not bode well to say the least. The players have been told they have got until 27th March to find new club if they wish. Looks like Gretna is doomed to me.

To say they have no team for Saturdays Aberdeen game isnt so,as they have their youths that can be fielded.
Yes granted it will mean a possible walk-over for the Dons,but at least it will prevent any further fines and sanctions being imposed on Gretna.Yet if they before saturday take the option stated by Chopper of voluntary relegation into the third teir,it would also evade that sole choice of action to play youths in the SPL on Saturday.
Not only that it would also save the youngsters from starting their full-time career as footballers getting their mentality and confidence knocked so bad it effects their future prospects of ever acheiving things later on in football.As i have seen one or two youths myself suffer so badly when first starting that their confidence was knocked that bad,they never even made it back playing in a non-league team and ended up just strolling through life with nothing to strive for.
Yet these very same players where and are good enough to be playing at least Championship football,and it would be ashame to see similar happen with the youth of Gretna,hense myself agreeing with Chopper and declaring voluntary relegation before saturday,and if not then they have a choice of playing youth against the Dons or completly folding before giving themselves a chance under the Wilson Field solvency Company..Never say Never is an apt motto for Gretna at the moment.

[tigers_babe2006]

Hope you're right lions!

[lions]

Originally Posted by tigers_babe2006

Hope you're right lions!

I really do as well,as i really hate seeing clubs go out of the game,especially clubs like Gretna who have been able to breathe freash delights into the game through their great acheivments for such a little club.

I also strongly beleive that bigger clubs of the game should do more to help smaller clubs stay in exsistance for the wholle benefit and future of the game,and besides being a Millwall Fan for many a year i have gone through the possibility of solvency on more than one occassion.

['Chopper']

Gretna haven't even had an autopsy let alone a decent burial but it seems their place in Scottish football is already being coveted:

IF Gretna do go to the wall there will be no shortage of clubs hoping to take their place in the Scottish Football League.

The country's most ambitious non-league outfits are already watching the situation develop on the English border with great interest.

Six years ago, when the then Unibond League club Gretna were voted in to replace Airdrieonians, the unsuccessful applicants were Huntly, Cove Rangers, Gala Fairydean, Edinburgh City and Preston Athletic, who proposed to change their name to East Lothian Athletic.

If another vacancy arises, most of those clubs, plus East of Scotland heavyweights Annan Athletic and Spartans, would all be expected to throw their hats into the ring once again. The best equipped Highland League clubs, Inverurie Locos and Deveronvale, as well as Whitehill Welfare from the East of Scotland, would be other potential contenders.

Following the Gretna saga, another club from a small Dumfriesshire town may not seem the obvious contenders to replace their near neighbours, but Annan insist they would be a good addition to the SFL.

Annan chairman Henry McLelland said: "We are one of several clubs monitoring Gretna's situation very closely. It has always been our ambition to join the SFL and we have never deviated from that. I feel very sorry about what is going on at Gretna and hope they don't go bust, but if something did happen, we would be interested in applying to join the SFL."

Spartans, who have claimed a number of lower division SFL scalps during highly successful Scottish Cup runs in recent years, hope to have their £3 million new complex at Ainslie Park in north Edinburgh, which has been designed to meet SFL requirements, ready by August and have already declared their intention to apply as soon as an opportunity presents itself. "We hope Gretna survive," said Spartans chairman Craig Graham. "We still believe a pyramid system is the best and fairest route into the SFL, but we are ready to apply."

Although junior clubs took part in the Scottish Cup for the first time this season, they have consistently failed to show any interest in joining the SFL. One possible exception could be Clydebank FC, created by the supporters group from the ashes of the club taken over by Airdrie United in 2002. They have since transformed themselves into a successful junior side with a big support, but an inadequate ground means this summer would be too early for them to make the step up.

It remains possible that the SFL will be looking for two new member clubs by the end of the season. East Stirlingshire are currently bottom of the Third Division, as they have been for five seasons in row. New rules dictate that they would have to reapply if they finish there again.

CONTENDERS

Annan Athletic (East)
Cove Rangers (Highland)
Clydebank FC (Juniors)
Deveronvale (Highland)
Edinburgh City (East)
Gala Fairydean (East) (they'd be my choice says 'Chopper')
Huntly (Highland)
Inverurie Locos (Highland)
Preston Athletic (East)
Spartans (East)
Whitehill Welfare (East)

[john.renshaw1]

Isnt that the place you get married??? :siam ese:: siamese:

[tigers_babe2006]

Yes it is John.

[Villa]

there saved!!!

I bought them for a packet of space raiders

[tigers_babe2006]

Originally Posted by Villa

there saved!!!

I bought them for a packet of space raiders

Nice 1 who's gonna be ur first signing???

[lions]

Yesterday the game went ahead against Aberdeen and understandably a few seniors refused to play for fear of injuries etc;which would jepodise any future interest from other clubs.
Despite this Gretna face further sanctions and fines if they failed to uphold their league obligations,went ahead and fielded a few under19s who can now walk around holding their heads high.These young lads done themselves and Gretna proud with their gutsy display and in preventing what most thought would be a whitewash for the Dons.

Well done Lads 3-0 is not considering the situation a bad result,lets hope Gretna uses this game as motivation to carry on with their exsistance even at the lower level of league football..