Gretna head coach Davie Irons has left the club with immediate effect.
Coach quits as staff go unpaid
Gretna head coach Davie Irons has left the club with immediate effect.
Irons and his assistant Derek Collins have departed as the club appear to be sinking into crisis, as reports from Scotland claim they could be forced into administration.
However, Irons and Collins have wasted little time in finding new employment as they have taken charge at First Division Morton.
Irons leaves Gretna as they currently lie nine points adrift at the foot of the SPL table and are odds on to be relegated after spending just one season in the top-flight.
Gretna, who are playing all their SPL fixtures at Motherwell's Fir Park as their Raydale Park home is not up to standard, have shown few signs that they were looking for a long-term future in the top-flight.
Having failed to bolster their ranks significantly in the summer, they have been shedding players in dramatic fashion this season.
Steve Tosh, Alan Main, John O'Neil, Danny Grainger and Colin McMenamin have all been sold by the club, whilst Fraser McLaren, Erik Paartalu and David Bingham have been loaned out.
Tony Caig, Martin Canning, David Cowan, James Grady, David Graham, Niall Henderson, Allan Jenkins, Ryan McGuffie and Colin Scott were also released on free transfers.
Crisis
The current crisis at the club, which has seen staff go unpaid, is being blamed on the fact that owner Brooks Mileson is currently hospitalised.
Gretna chief executive Graeme Muir confirmed there are big problems at the club.
"It's a worrying time for everyone at Gretna as the man who pays the wages is seriously ill in hospital," he said.
"We are working hard to resolve the situation.
"Obviously we're concerned for Brooks and we're all hoping he'll pull through. But there's a big problem if he's not here to process the payroll.
"We're experiencing the same problems any club would have without a hands-on owner.
"There are a lot of questions which we don't have the answers to. The only man who has the answers is ill in a hospital bed."
