Still living the dream?

It would be fair to say that the baptism of life in the Scottish Premier League has been tough for Gretna. The Raydale Park outfit, complete with charasmatic owner Brooks Mileson, captured the imagination of the nation after a success laden few years in Scottish football but now they are struggling to avoid a quick fire return to the First Division.

Since replacing the defunct Airdrieonians in 2002 though, the Black and Whites have managed to climb many mountains. Helped by Mileson’s millions, they steamrollered their way through Division Three in 2005, en route to becoming the first ever British club side to achieve three successive promotions, with the club capturing promotion to the top flight in the final minute of the final day of last season.

A Scottish Cup final with Hearts in 2006 and a brief stint in European competition saw Gretna’s stock rise but, it could be argued, that it was during the run in to their First Division title that the rot started to set in.

Amid rumours of discontent within the dressing room, manager Rowan Alexander was given a leave of absence, which eventually resulted in him leaving the club. Assistant Davie Irons took charge and guided the Borderers to the First Division championship, but Alexander’s appearance at Gretna’s first home game of the season claiming to still be in charge set the tone for what has been a turbulent debut season in Scotland’s top flight.

They were crushed 4-0 on the opening day by Falkirk and while results have gradually improved, they remain 9 points adrift of Kilmarnock and look odds on favourites to be relegated.

But it is not just on the pitch that they are struggling. Off the park, the evidence suggests that the dream Gretna have lived is about to turn into a disasterous nightmare. Their home matches are being played at Motherwell due to Gretna’s own Raydale Park not meeting SPL standards and, as well as costing the club a fair degree of money for use of Fir Park, it hasn’t done their crowds any favours.

Of course, Gretna itself only has a population of 3,000 people but their home gates can sometimes struggle to reach 2,000 with the inclusion of away supporters. Indeed, only 342 attended a CIS Cup tie with Cowdenbeath. That can be cause for alarm, as less income is being generated through the turnstiles to help cover the day to day running costs of the club.

But today has seen a significant development with the news that Gretna’s players and staff have had the payment of wages delayed. Owner Mileson’s health has taken a turn for the worst and is in hospital in Newcastle, and he is responsible for the club’s payroll. Gretna say the issue will be resolved but this, combined with the club shedding many high earners during the transfer window, suggests that their financial position may be more precarious than first thought. Perhaps Mileson doesn’t have the energy to bankroll the club any further, due to his health. With Gretna relying heavily on him, these are testing times for the tiny club.

And it could yet get worse. Plans for a new stadium on the town’s outskirts, which would meet the SPL’s 6,000 seater criteria, have gone quiet and with the league seeking assurances building work will start by March, Gretna could even face the prospect of being thrown out of the league. The plans are subject to Government approval but this has not yet been granted, but you would have to question if Gretna have the money to enable their new stadium to be a viable option.

All Davie Irons and his players will be focusing on is how they can claw into the gap between themselves and the teams above to try and avoid the dreaded drop. But it looks like Gretna may well have reached their own peak and the dream they have lived, and been lauded for, may be about to turn sour, both on and off the pitch.