GRETNA coach Andy Smith is convinced club takeover talks will be at the back of his players' minds tonight as they play host to St Mirren at Fir Park. It is the last of their games before the SPL splits in two, and talk is rife over what future the club might have beyond May.
Non-league sides Huntly and Spartans have already declared their interest in taking Gretna's place in the league should they fold altogether. But Smith says he does not blame them for taking advantage of Gretna's plight.
He said: "I think they are
wanting to make their case clear to the league and I don't blame them for that. I remember similar circumstances when Gretna got into the league and it's just clubs trying to do the best for their own.
"I'm sure Gretna's position is secure until the end of the season, what happens after that, it comes down to investors. We are just getting on with the coaching side of things and hopefully there will still be a club when the season finishes. But any speculation about who is coming in won't have any effect on the boys on the pitch. They are playing to get a future with other clubs."
Smith admits the danger of Gretna going out of business has caused upset in training. But he is hopeful the depleted squad are content they will at least have jobs until the end of the season.
After a creditable performance against Inverness on Saturday in a 2-1 defeat, Smith wants another similar performance from his team tonight. He said: "We want the players to go and have a real go at this game. The gaffer (Mick Wadsworth] has already spoken to the players and said he wants to give all of them an opportunity to play."
The full article contains 310 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
