The rise and fall of Gretna FC
Last updated 08:31, Thursday, 27 March 2008
AS GRETNA’S players stepped on to the Hampden Park turf for the 2006 Scottish Cup Final in front of 52,000 fans, it was the pinnacle of their fairytale rise from non-league nobodies to national heroes, writes Amanda Little.
Their incredible climb from the English UniBond League to the Scottish Premier League, landing three successive championships, taking Hearts all the way to extra-time and penalties at Hampden and playing in the UEFA Cup, made them the talk of football.
Suddenly the little team from the village most famous as a destination for eloping couples became just as well known for having a football team in the big-time.
But in the space of just one season, their fall from grace has been just as dramatic.
The club, whose motto is Living The Dream, has been plunged into its own personal nightmare after going into the hands of the administrators who were called in this week with the club in serious financial trouble, which has resulted in players not being paid.
The SPL has docked them 10 points as a penalty for going into administration, leaving them a massive 21 points adrift at the foot of the table and facing certain relegation after a turbulent season playing against the likes of Celtic, Rangers, Hibs and Hearts.
Last Thursday, a dismal crowd of just 501 hardy souls turned up to watch their 3-0 defeat to Dundee United at Fir Park – the lowest crowd in SPL history.
Now they’re relying on the SPL to bail them out with an advance of around £100,000 in prize money so they can fulfil their fixtures this season, but the club could still face complete extinction.
It’s a startling contrast to the days when Gretna were regarded as one of the richest clubs in Scotland, thanks to the financial backing of charismatic owner Brooks Mileson, who bankrolled their rise from the Scottish Third Division to the SPL to the tune of £4 million.
The pony-tailed Carlisle-based businessman, who tried and failed to take over Carlisle United, was accused of battering Scottish football with his wallet.
His funding meant Gretna were able to sign top players like Steve Tosh, David Bingham, Chris Innes, James Grady and Alan Main and they became the first team to win promotion from the Third to the SPL in successive seasons.
Crowds of up to 2,500 began packing into their ramshackle little ground at Raydale Park – compared to the 100 fans who used to turn up for games against the likes of Bradford Park Avenue, Farsley Celtic and Harrogate Town in their non-league days.
Gretna began life just over 60 years ago as a Carlisle & District League club, alongside pub sides, with a team of local lads, and then progressed to the Northern League.
During their time in non-league football they hit the headlines by twice becoming the only Scottish team to play in the FA Cup.
They reached the first round proper when they played Rochdale and Bolton Wanderers – but that was nothing compared to the success that lay ahead.
Gretna’s magic carpet ride to stardom began in 2002 when they applied to join the Scottish Football League, and secured a place after missing out on two previous occasions.
A crowd of 1,800 turned out to watch their historic first game in Scottish football when they drew 1-1 with Morton with Matt Henney scoring their goal after only 14 seconds.
But it was the following season that Gretna took off when soccer-mad businessman Mileson arrived at Raydale Park with his chequebook, having missed out on buying Carlisle United.
After narrowly missing out on promotion in 2004, they won the 2005 Scottish Division Three title with a record 98 points, with two months of the season still to go, and scoring a record 130 goals. Top scorer Kenny Deuchar equalled Jimmy Greaves’ record by scoring six hat-tricks in one season as part of his haul of 41 goals.
The drive and ambition of manager Rowan Alexander, the tactical nous and man-management of his No2 Davie Irons and the lavish financial backing of Mileson saw Gretna win the Division Two title in equally spectacular style.
Then came the greatest moment in the club’s history – the 2006 Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park, when 14,000 supporters, decked in black and white, descended on Scotland’s national stadium to cheer on Gretna against Hearts in a game watched by 52,000 fans and a world-wide television audience of millions.
Ryan McGuffie’s equaliser earned them a 1-1 draw, taking the game to extra-time and penalties before Gretna finally lost 4-2. Finishing runners-up even saw Gretna qualify for Europe when they played Derry City in last season’s UEFA Cup.
But it wasn’t all harmony behind the scenes and in March last year Alexander was forced to take a back-seat amid claims he was suffering from stress. He was later replaced in the hot-seat by Irons, who led them to the Scottish First Division championship in a thrilling day in The Highlands.
James Grady’s injury-time goal in a 3-2 win over Ross County sealed their place in the SPL.
It put them on the road to ruin.
Because Raydale Park does not meet SPL stadium criteria, Gretna had to ground-share Motherwell’s Fir Park – a massive financial burden – and the club has not been able to sustain its place in the top-flight.
Despite the battling efforts on the pitch, they have lost 20 of their 28 games, conceding 66 goals, and are marooned at the foot of the SPL.
With Mileson seriously ill after collapsing with a brain infection, staff, including players, were not paid two weeks ago, and crippling debts have forced club chiefs to put the club into administration.
Savage cuts are looming, relegation is a certainty and even the fans have deserted them. Gretna’s fairytale has turned into a harrowing sob story.
