Gretna

[Villa]

Is it the end for Gretna?

IMO there gonna be in the mire over te next few years - with there owner in Hospital seriously ill players and staff are not getting paid

The ground share with Motherwell is costing them a packet in rent

IMO there dream to the SPL will turn into a nightmare - it's a shame as i really hold a torch for them

['Chopper']

Get well soon Brooks, us Jambos all wish you well!

GRETNA owner Brooks Mileson has been released from Newcastle General Hospital.

Club officials last night stated they expect Mileson to make a full recovery from an illness which has been confirmed as a brain infection.

The Clydesdale Bank Premier League's bottom club were unable to pay their players this week as Mileson, who has bankrolled Gretna's rapid rise through the Scottish League, has been the only person who can authorise the payments.

His illness brought the future of the club under scrutiny, and during Mileson's stay in hospital head coach Davie Irons resigned to take over at First Division Morton.

Gretna released a statement last night, confirming the positive development which should allow the club to stave off the threat of having to go into administration.
The statement read: "Gretna Football Club are pleased to report that owner Brooks Mileson has been released from hospital. Brooks was admitted to the Cumberland Infirmary 11 days ago after collapsing at his home near Carlisle.

"He was transferred to Newcastle General Hospital where scans revealed a brain infection. He has since been treated with steroids and antibiotics and is expected to make a full recovery." Son Craig Mileson added: "Treatment will continue for some time and he must have complete rest over the next few weeks.

"He has made a lot of progress recently and we are confident he will continue to improve.

"We would like to thank the staff at both hospitals for their diligence and care in treating Brooks and everyone for their kind messages of support during this difficult time."

Gretna's next match is the SPL fixture against Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday.

"all_good"

[ANTON]

think they won too much and too quicky .

['Chopper']

They scaled the heights, reached the pinacle of the mountain and found there was only two ways to go, stay at the top or come back down. I hope Brooks gets better and they stabilise in the 1st Division until they can either improve Raydale or get an SPL standard ground. Even then, Gretna's so small if absolutely everyone in the town went to matches their home gates wouldn't be higher than 3,000!

[lions]

I was well chuffed for Gretna with every promotion up the leagues,Even though they fulfilled the ambition of being a scotish version of Harchester City and reached as Chopper said the pinnacle heights of the SPL.....I did think that that quantrum leap in divisions from Lge 1 to SPL would be too much for such a small club.

At the same time secretly hoping that they cemented their place in the SPL,and like Chopper feel that they need to not concern themselves to much about the drop into the Division One,but concentrate on building for future times of their next stint in the spl and one when it happens stays for plenty of seasons instead of one sole season.Becoming a yoyo club will cause them more damage than a few good seasons strengthening their club from the ground right up.

['Chopper']

Club statement:

Chairman Ron MacGregor has applauded the Scottish Premier League for safeguarding the immediate future of the club.

With increasing financial difficulties due to owner Brooks Mileson’s ill health, Gretna have been granted an advance on their share of television and prize money, which is normally presented at the end of the season.

This ensures the Black and Whites will fulfil all remaining fixtures, although insolvency experts Wilson Field Ltd are expected to take control of the club on Wednesday.

“We have had tremendous support in terms of advice and loan money from the Scottish Premier League,” he said.

“Considering we are their newest member, and probably their short-lived member for the moment, they have been very good with us.”

“They are making available a loan. It is a loan against money that would have been due to us at the end of April anyway.”

“But making this loan money available will enable the staff and players to be paid this week. Then after that, it’s into the administrators’ hands.”

Following the club’s announcement of their intention to appoint an administrator, the SPL confirmed the sporting sanctions which would apply in the event of such an appointment.

An SPL spokesman said: “If an SPL club is the subject of an insolvency event, a ten point deduction would apply immediately. The club would also be embargoed from signing any new players.”

“The notice of the intention to appoint an administrator alone does not trigger the sporting sanctions - it is the actual appointment of an administrator which does.”

“If an administrator is indeed appointed we will seek an early meeting with him or her to discuss the plans for Gretna FC going forward and how we can best support these.”

The Scotsman:

THE postponement of last night's Scottish Premier League fixture with St Mirren was described as a blessing by Gretna chairman Ron MacGregor as the club prepared to welcome administrators through its front door this morning.

David Elliot and Lisa Hogg, from the Sheffield-based insolvency practitioners Wilson Field, have been handed the responsibility of keeping the ailing club in business. One of their first chores will be to examine the players' salary roll, and decide who are the biggest burdens to the club in terms of wages.

Also present in the tray marked 'important' is the issue of a loan from the SPL. Iain Blair, the SPL secretary, will meet the administrators this morning in an effort to gain some assurances with regard to the loan, which is related to fees the club is still to receive from the league. The money was said to be going through the banking system on Monday, but is still not available to help pay the players this week.

"We haven't been able to apply it yet," revealed MacGregor. "I hope it can be moved along and hope there are no hiccups. He (Blair] has to look at it in the context of whether there is any difference in the situation now the club is in administration. He has to satisfy the SPL board. And I hope he will."

With the club now effectively relegated – the 10 point deduction triggered by administration leaves Gretna 21 points behind 11th placed St Mirren – there is no desperate need to retain the best players, but the first-team squad was last night spared being expected to fulfil a fixture while futures remained in limbo. Gretna's match with St Mirren was called off yesterday morning due to a waterlogged pitch and the players were not required to attend Raydale Park. They will return to the ground this morning and face another harrowing day.

"If we were a couple of weeks further back we would be very frustrated at not getting a chance to have a go at St Mirren," said MacGregor. "But with all that has happened this week it is probably a good thing for the players. We have a long haul up to Aberdeen on Saturday, and there's no question of us playing St Mirren next week because they have their cup replay with St Johnstone.

"After the Aberdeen trip the decks are cleared ahead of our game with Celtic the following Sunday. I think we are all looking forward to that because it will be our final game with one or other of the Old Firm teams, and should provide us with a memory if we don't come this way again."

But before this pair of fixtures Gretna must brace themselves for swingeing cut-backs and the inevitable termination of staff contracts. Director of Football Development is likely to be regarded as a dispensable position, although this is complicated by Mick Wadsworth's recent move into the caretaker manager seat.

No contact has been made with owner Brooks Mileson since the club's fall into administration was confirmed on Monday, with his director son, Craig, described as "worn out" by recent events.

The Daily Record:

SANDWICH chain Subway will pull the plug on Gretna at the end of the season.

The US-owned outfit, who ploughed cash into the crippled SPL club at the start of the season, will continue their sponsorship until summer then quit.

And as administrators prepare to take over the running of the club this morning, the entire first-team squad could be axed, forcing Gretna to field their youth team.

Subway had planned to extend their backing into next season, even if the club had been relegated but now managing director Brooks Mileson has revealed he will no longer inject cash into the hard-up club, the sandwich giants appear to have had their fill of Gretna.

Mileson pulled off a major coup by getting Subway on board. It was the club's biggest sponsorship deal and at the time the owner pledged to invest in the squad to cope with the demands of the SPL.

Now, however, they are dangerously close to extinction, having received a crisis loan from the SPL to help them see out their league fixtures.

Today every member of the first-team squad could be axed if they refuse to take massive pay cuts.

Administrators Wilson Field will announce redundancies and Record Sport understands those players who remain will have to see out the season without bonus payments.

Caretaker manager and director of football Mick Wadsworth is waiting to learn his own fate but, if he remains in charge, he may only have youth players left to choose from.

Last night he said: "If the administrators are that draconian then being left with young lads would be the natural conclusion.

"I don't know what my own situation will be and I could well be out of a job.

"This has been tortuous for myself and the club and this administration could be unprecedented.

"Other clubs who face administration have assets and players they can sell but I don't know if we have that.

"I don't know how feasible it is to have youth players in place of the first team."

Sad to see the demise of a wee team universally liked in Scotland. Shame.

BOYCOTT SUBWAY! says 'Chopper'.

[lions]

The days of the magical rise of a small club in Gretna maybe dead with the admittance of solvent company Wilson Field,but the exsistance of this history making fairytale club is not!!!!

Yes its a great shame such a dream of a small minor club rising to the heights off standing tall alongside some of the biggests and best teams within their exsistance as a club.Yet it maybe sad it could also be the very thing that saves this enchanted club from extintion,so calling in Wilson Field will result in the club losing the place within the top flight of Scottish football which only time would of cemented anyway.
The club will most probably sell off their best players to raise funds to pay off creditors,The club may have to play with a youth side and only pay minium wage to all players,but thats no great lost,not when you think such actions will keep Gretna alive and playing professional football.

Its a sad fact of modern day football whether English or Scottish even Welsh and Irish football that more and more smaller clubs are going into adminastration whilst the bigger wealthier clubs continue to grow and prosper within the game.This is one thing that really hurts me seeing and one i feel strongly needs looking at,to be honest i do feel that all these bigger and wealthier clubs owe it not just to themselves but to the greatness of sports we call football,to help smaller clubs like Gretna not end up going to the lengths of survival as to call in a solvency company.

Gretna however i'm sure off will survive and will once again grace the playing fields of the SPL in future times.The thing that matters is not what standard of player is wearing the clubs shirt on match day whether youth or harden pro,as the club gained most of their status through youthful players at the start,so they done it once and can therefore do it again.What matters is that Gretna survive this low period of their history and rebuild a sterdier financial status and playing foundation which will allow them to compete at the highest level again without fear of their very exsistance.Like it has been stated before by myself and others if surviving means spending three or four seasons playing in the Scotish first division ensures this happens,by giving Gretna the time and focus of being able to rebuild from the foundations of the club upwards then not all is lost or dead and buried for the club that has become a sentimental hero for many a fan regardless of their own personal team following and love of the game.
I for one hope deep down and with all my heart that Gretna survive this dark period and if i had the capital funds to do so,would have no hesitation in offering the club a totally 100% free handout to help them.They in my honest opinion deserve their exsistance just for their acheivements alone,never mind the fact that they proved if you work hard enough anyones dreams can come true.

Good luck and hoping for your survival Gretna........taking a step back and rebuilding with youth and a newer wisdom is the key to Gretna to grace their pressance amongst the top flight teams once again.

['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

[tigers_babe2006]

It could all be over unless they find 30,0000 by today...hardly likely but I guess we all live in hope.

['Chopper']

Originally Posted by tigers_babe2006

we all live in hope.

In Derbyshire?