Gretna's demise is complete

Gretna: Rags to riches and back again

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Gretna have been relegated two divisions by the Scottish Football League.

The club have struggled financially since wealthy backer Brooks Mileson withdrew his support on becoming ill back in March and were forced into administration as a result.

Already marooned to the foot of the SPL table, a further points deduction then confirmed the club's fate.

Unable to pay both their on and off field staff, mass redundancies followed as the club battled bravely against the threat of extinction.

Their meteoric rise through Scottish football was coming back to haunt them as the realisation that they had been punching above their weight for far too long was resulting in disastrous consequences.

Titles

Gretna had only been voted into the Scottish league in 2002, before winning three league titles in as many years to take them into the top flight.

Despite all their problems they were eventually able to complete their fixture SPL fixture list, but finished the 2007/08 season with just 13 points to show for their first taste of life in the big time.

In a whirlwind six-year period they now find themselves back where they started, in the Scottish Third Division.

They now have less than a week to stave off expulsion from the league altogether as the governing bodies will not allow them to continue as a side in administration.

The SFL want a takeover to be completed by the start of next week or they will invite applicants to replace the stricken club.

Consortium

A consortium led by football agent Paul Davies is believed to be interested in taking charge of the club, but the league were unconvinced that the business plan put forward warranted handing Gretna a reduced sentence.

SFL chief executive David Longmuir confirmed that the action had been taken in the best interests of Scottish football as a whole.

"The SFL had to make sure we protected the integrity of our league," he said.

"There was no commitment from the administrator that Gretna could fulfil the fixtures at all in the coming season, which means we had to do what we thought was right for our league."

While their demise has come as blow to everyone connected with the club, their misfortune has inevitably resulted in good news for others.

With Hamilton already booking their place in the Premier League for next season, Longmuir has confirmed that Airdrie will now be promoted to Division One and Stranraer to Division Two.