GRETNA yesterday filed for administration at the Court of Sessions in Edinburgh after just 28 games of their maiden Premier League season and six years on from the club's election into the Scottish league.
A board resolution was passed on Friday night to proceed with a course of action set to trigger a ten-point deduction. It will leave the Dumfriesshire side on just six points – 21 adrift of 11th placed St Mirren, who they play tonight in a rearranged fixture at Fir Park, Gretna's temporary home ground. A loan made available from the SPL has made it possible for the club staff to be paid this week, but control of Gretna will pass into the hands of administrators Wilson Field. The Sheffield-based firm has already had experience of football administration with Darlington but face a Herculean task at Gretna, whose last game, against Dundee United, was watched by record low attendance of 501 for a top-tier game in Scotland.
Gretna vowed to complete their SPL fixtures but are braced for a fight for survival, with the players set to learn their future in the coming days. Brooks Mileson, who bought the club in 2003, is still recovering from a brain infection. Although released from Newcastle General Hospital last month there has been no sign of the Carlisle-based businessman being ready to cover the club's financial liabilities. Reports at the weekend raised doubts regarding the state of his own financial affairs.
"He was an incredibly wealthy man when he came to Gretna," said chairman Ron MacGregor yesterday. "I think that has diminished a bit, but we are not privy to the details. I think there may have been a dip there.
"This is perhaps the question we can only guess at at this moment," he continued. "Whether he will come through this illness and say, 'hey, wait a moment. I don't want to finish on this note with Gretna'. All I can say is Brooks' passion for Gretna has been amazing over the years. I can't think he won't be interested in what we are doing in the future, but at the moment his recovery is the priority.
"Not long ago he celebrated his 60th birthday," added MacGregor. "There was every expectation he would continue steering the club. He is an experienced financier and accountant by profession. We trusted his judgment regarding the financial affairs of the club."
MacGregor admitted it was the end of Gretna "in terms of the rise and rise," with relegation now inevitable. Tonight's clash with St Mirren will take the form of a wake with the players still in limbo. The squad trained as normal yesterday at Raydale Park and afterwards met with PFA Scotland chief Fraser Wishart. His experiences with players at Motherwell, Livingston and Dundee, other clubs plunged into administration when in the SPL, saw him struggle to be optimistic. "Having been involved in this situation many times before I know the consequences for players are not good," he said.
"It's a testing time mentally."
GRETNA'S FALL FROM GRACE...Gretna pay high price for living the pipe dream
MacPherson tells Buddies to be wary of Gretna backlashCLUB MUST APPLY TO SFL GRETNA will have to formally re-apply for membership of the Scottish Football League at the end of the season if the club survives its move into administration.
With relegation from the SPL now all but certain, Gretna will be required to satisfy the SFL management committee they are able to continue in the First Division as a viable concern.
The condition of Raydale Park, part of which has been bulldozed since Gretna entered into a ground-sharing agreement with Motherwell in order to play in the SPL, would also be assessed by the SFL.
"For the moment, Gretna are members of the SPL, so it would not be appropriate for us to speculate on their situation," said SFL operations executive David Thomson.
"All we can do is monitor developments and wait and see what happens after the SPL season finishes on 18 May."
If Gretna went out of business or were deemed unfit for membership of the SFL, the organisation would face a short time scale to decide whether to elect a new member club or carry on with just 29 teams next season.
ROAD TO RUIN• 18 July 2007 – Davie Irons confirmed as Gretna's head coach for new season. He guided team to First Division title after manager Rowan Alexander took sick-leave midway through the previous season.
• 4 Aug – Alexander refused entry to Fir Park for Gretna's first SPL game after claiming he is there to perform his managerial duties. Gretna lose 4-0 to Falkirk.
• 22 Sep – Gretna secure first SPL victory, a surprise 3-2 win over Dundee United.
• 6 Nov – Alexander formally dismissed as manager. He confirms his intention to appeal at a press conference the following day.
• 2008: 12 Feb – Club confirms owner Brooks Mileson admitted to hospital, with tests revealing he has a brain infection.
• 18 Feb – It emerges players and staff have not been paid, with Mileson too ill to perform his weekly signing-off of the payroll.
• 19 Feb – Irons and assistant Derek Collins resign and join First Division Morton. Director of football Mick Wadsworth takes over as caretaker manager.
• 21 Feb – Mileson released from hospital.
• 6 Mar – Crowd of just 501 – an SPL record low – watches defeat to Dundee United.
• 7 Mar – Gretna board resolves to call in administrators after meeting debt advisers.
• 10 Mar – Club officials file formal notice of intention to move into administration at the Court of Session.
The full article contains 954 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
