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 don't think they are meaning it in any bad way towards our club, I think they are just trying to get that wee place if it did come up. They will just have to wait and see.
"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 now content they will at least have employment until the end of the season.
He said: "They are asking a lot of questions, especially at the end of last week when we had a bit of doubt about games going ahead. But myself and Mick Wadsworth have been speaking to the administration people and have fed back to the players what we know. The players have had highs and lows in the past few weeks but hopefully now they are content the rest of the season will go ahead."
After a creditable performance against Inverness on Saturday during the 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 (Wadsworth] has already spoken to the players and said he wants to give all of them an opportunity to play.
"The ones that have maybe missed out through injury or through not being selected will now be given a chance because we don't even have reserve games to play now with the ways things are. So the team will probably change from week to week to allow everyone a chance to find a new club next season. I think we have to be fair to these players as they have stuck with this club through troubled times."
Meanwhile, St Mirren manager Gus MacPherson has paid tribute to Gretna's patchwork team.
He said: "We will go into the game in a confident frame of mind, but the last two games were close, 1-0 and 2-0, so there wasn't a great deal in them.
"Gretna have to be given credit for their performances since all their trials and tribulations came to light.
"In their last three games – against Celtic, St Mirren and Inverness – they played very well and worked extremely hard. That was no surprise though.
"It hasn't been easy for them, but they have gone about their business in the same way in terms of attitude."
The full article contains 615 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
