Thursday 13 March 2008

Is the This the Death of a Football Dream?

The Administrators moved in at Raydale Park home of SPL side Gretna yesterday and within hour they announced that unless £30,000 was forthcoming by lunchtime today the club would go out of business.

All through their progression through the league they were living the dream, but it appears they were also living in a dream world and not basing themselves on reality. Bills have gone unpaid and improvements to Raydale Park to meet Division 1 standards let alone the SPL criteria have not taken place. Miles Brookeson the Gretna sugar daddy is out of cash, the players and management are facing not getting paid and the football authorites in Scotland have already taken steps to avoid a repeat of the nightmare that Gretna have faced this season, no more groundsharing in the SPL being one, so grounds will need to be up to spec before promotion is gained.

However, it is always sad for any football fan when another team dies. The last time it happened ot a league side in Scotland it was Third Lanark back in 1967. Hopefully 13 March 2008 will not be the next occassion that a league side become extinct. Third Lanark at least had survived to the end of that season. But with the Inland Revenue, as ever in these situations, one of the big creditors after the club, and the club with few tangible assets, nor a sustainable fan base to cover the debts, it may not be long for Gretna now.

It could be a sad day for football, but fingers crossed that something might just save the little club even at the eleventh hour.

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