[Archived] Gretna

[nicko]

So...have you mentioned this idea to anyone outside of BRFCS?

No, it's just an idea.

[nicko]

or as I pointed out already on this thread, two ENIC affiliates played each other in the round of 32 in the UEFA Cup this season without so much of hiss of wind from UEFA.

However, lets be real, the reaction of the SFA to Rovers doing this would make you think the RAF had bombed Holyrood.

As it stands the SPL are going to fund Gretna for a while, probably until they have played Celtic and reached the 33-game 'split.' After that they will cut them loose and the administrators should have found a buyer by then [early April].

The SFL would love to see them go all the way to the bottom level, but if they make it through the season they will go to the First Division.

Of course some would not like the idea, but if a buyer is found then no-one can object.

The Scottish PFA would be relieved too as the club can't be sustained in its current state. Ridiculously, players in Scotland do not have the special status they have in England and have to be paid - they just get in the queue with the other creditors.

[Fife Rover]

I'm rapidly warming to this idea. I would be able to go and watch Rovers reserves playing at Gretna, a journey of just over 100 miles for me instead of nearly 250 miles to Blackburn, and still be able to watch Scottish 1st div footie including DAFC (that would give me a problem) but for that one I would be in a win/win and lose/lose situation both at once.

[ftry]

Gretna are a lost cause really. They have debts of around £4m, a ground not up to 1st division standard that needs renovating and a hardcore fanbase of a few hundred.

[only2garners]

I'm rapidly warming to this idea. I would be able to go and watch Rovers reserves playing at Gretna, a journey of just over 100 miles for me instead of nearly 250 miles to Blackburn, and still be able to watch Scottish 1st div footie including DAFC (that would give me a problem) but for that one I would be in a win/win and lose/lose situation both at once.

This might be a problem then, from the BBC website: -

Meanwhile, former Carlisle United boss Roddy Collins is heading an Irish consortium aiming to buy the club.

Collins said he and other members of property developers the McMullen Group, will meet administrators at Raydale Park on Tuesday to discuss the bid.

[nicko]

Gretna are a lost cause really. They have debts of around £4m, a ground not up to 1st division standard that needs renovating and a hardcore fanbase of a few hundred.

The debts go after administration. The ground isn't an issue. The fanbase is unimportant.

If there is another bidder, fair enough.

I wonder about their motives but I wish them well. The point I was making is that it would/could be a neat idea for Rovers.

[McClarky]

Personally I'm glad that Gretna are finished. Its a joke that they have risen so far and even more of a joke that they were allowed to play in the SPL with no home ground. As far as I'm concerned all their year in the SPL has achieved has been to deny a serious team a crack at it. If they had played in Gretna in front of 500 fans I wouldn't of been so offended by their presence but the Motherwell debacle was so obviously going to go wrong from the start that it should never have been allowed to go ahead.

[nicko]

Personally I'm glad that Gretna are finished. Its a joke that they have risen so far and even more of a joke that they were allowed to play in the SPL with no home ground. As far as I'm concerned all their year in the SPL has achieved has been to deny a serious team a crack at it. If they had played in Gretna in front of 500 fans I wouldn't of been so offended by their presence but the Motherwell debacle was so obviously going to go wrong from the start that it should never have been allowed to go ahead.

If one man wanted to fulfil his dream of taking a club from nowhere to a Scottish Cup final and the SPL - plus a 'run' in Europe he should be praised and not given stick.

As a fan of one of the so-called bigger clubs he passed on the way I admire the guy and am sorry to hear he is so ill.

The 'bigger' teams - with supporters they regularly let down - should sort themselves out before being jealous of someone with cash and a dream.

[blue phil]

Personally I'm glad that Gretna are finished. Its a joke that they have risen so far and even more of a joke that they were allowed to play in the SPL with no home ground.

With that kind of logic we'd be fighting it out with Burnley in a lower division .....

.......and The Drog's calls for Lanc's UTD would be deafening

[rover6]

If you controlled both clubs I think you would be entitled to make sure that doesn't happen. Nobody ever moans about Real Madrid having a ressie side or many German teams too.

As for Scottish football., what moral high ground can they take when one of their 12 'elite' sides is going bust?

It could work - for an English club's benefit.

Who wins? The fans, who still have a team to watch. The buyers, who have a cheap outfit to use as they see fit. The players, who have good games. The sponsors, who could have two lots of shirt advertising.

Who loses?

You really think real Gretna fans would turn up to see our reserve side. Not a hope. They'd rather not watch football - that's how mosts Rovers fans would feel, imo, if we suffered a similarly horrible fate.

Bona fide feeder status is a guarenteed way to kill the soul of a football club. I think if you spoke to fans of Antwerp and Beveren, they'd explain exactly how and why. Imo, you're better off not supporting a club than a genuine, affiliated feeder club. So Gretna are better off obliterated from the footy map than as a Blackburn franchise.

[Grabbi Graeme]

I see that four Gretna players have refused to play on Saturday due to not not getting any wages, nothing like a little loyalty in difficult times eh.

[philipl]

I read the issue is that the club's injury insurance has lapsed. So if they got crocked, they would be 100% on their own.

[thenodrog]

Is it now being proposed that Blackburn Rovers buy the club (or what remains of it) and pay the Gretna players (who would then become Rovers players) to function as the Blackburn Rovers Reseve team but play all their matches in the Scottish FL div1? Is this allowed? Is it a wise move for Rovers? I cant see it happening and I can see no benefit to Rovers if it did. But maybe I have misunderstood the situation? Anyone care to explain?

Yeah...... Here you go Fife

1. How much is their ground and training ground worth?

2. Could we get planning permission for houses?

[thenodrog]

I read the issue is that the club's injury insurance has lapsed. So if they got crocked, they would be 100% on their own.

Thats that then. They could take their own out of course but they are hardly likely to do that with no wages coming in.

[nicko]

You really think real Gretna fans would turn up to see our reserve side. Not a hope. They'd rather not watch football - that's how mosts Rovers fans would feel, imo, if we suffered a similarly horrible fate.

Bona fide feeder status is a guarenteed way to kill the soul of a football club. I think if you spoke to fans of Antwerp and Beveren, they'd explain exactly how and why. Imo, you're better off not supporting a club than a genuine, affiliated feeder club. So Gretna are better off obliterated from the footy map than as a Blackburn franchise.

How many 'real' Gretna fans are there? A couple of hundred...it's a small village, FFS. They are already watching a bunch of loan players whose home matches are 70-odd miles away.

I think the Gretna ultras would be delighted to see ANY form of football on their doorstep rather than see nothing from this moral high ground you have in mind.

[McClarky]

If one man wanted to fulfil his dream of taking a club from nowhere to a Scottish Cup final and the SPL - plus a 'run' in Europe he should be praised and not given stick.

As a fan of one of the so-called bigger clubs he passed on the way I admire the guy and am sorry to hear he is so ill.

The 'bigger' teams - with supporters they regularly let down - should sort themselves out before being jealous of someone with cash and a dream.

Dream? It was just a stunt, he wasn't even a Gretna man was he? You can hardly start comparing Jack Walker and him FFS if that's what you and others are trying to suggest. Its a sad state if any clown can take any non-league team up to the top level purely because they have a few bob. Its more MK Dons than Blackburn Rovers and thats why I am against it.

[nicko]

Dream? It was just a stunt, he wasn't even a Gretna man was he? You can hardly start comparing Jack Walker and him FFS if that's what you and others are trying to suggest. Its a sad state if any clown can take any non-league team up to the top level purely because they have a few bob. Its more MK Dons than Blackburn Rovers and thats why I am against it.

Who gives a toss where he came from? If winning three straight promotions and reaching a Scottish Cup final is a stunt then it can't say much for the rest.

[Ben-2000]

Personally I'm glad that Gretna are finished. Its a joke that they have risen so far and even more of a joke that they were allowed to play in the SPL with no home ground. As far as I'm concerned all their year in the SPL has achieved has been to deny a serious team a crack at it. If they had played in Gretna in front of 500 fans I wouldn't of been so offended by their presence but the Motherwell debacle was so obviously going to go wrong from the start that it should never have been allowed to go ahead.

It's no different to Wimbledon sharing Crystal Palace's ground and more so Fulham sharing QPR's. It's just unfortunate in this case that Gretna have got in to trouble and will probably not return 'home' for next season as planned.

[philipl]

McClarky, if its any consolation, I used to feel the same about Wimbledon (although they didn't buy their rise the way Gretna did) even though they did beat the dingles.

I guess the problem is that relatively speaking, a bag of tablet and a haggis can buy a place in the SPL these days.

Colne Dynamoes anyone?

OK before anyone thinks I am calling Scots druggies, tablet is sweet fudge purveyed by the likes of Nardini's of Largs (currently being refurbished- their daughter Daniela in This Life is still one of the best things that happened to British TV these past 20 years and a huge shame she did not go onto achieve the roles her talent deserved).

[nicko]

McClarky, if its any consolation, I used to feel the same about Wimbledon (although they didn't buy their rise the way Gretna did) even though they did beat the dingles.

I guess the problem is that relatively speaking, a bag of tablet and a haggis can buy a place in the SPL these days.

Colne Dynamoes anyone?

The Gretna guy ran up debts of £8 million and paid for them himself until he fell seriously ill.

I don't know what tablet and haggis you eat but it must be very expensive...

[philipl]

OK, in the English game, £8m would get you from the Unibond to......

League 1 if you are very very lucky.

[BiggusLaddus]

I see that four Gretna players have refused to play on Saturday due to not not getting any wages, nothing like a little loyalty in difficult times eh.

Why should they continue to work for free when their contracts have already been breached and there is no likelihood of them being payed the money that is owed to them? I bloody wouldn't.

[Jan]

The other way round, Celtic or Rangers could buy, for example, Coventry [yes I know we're too late for that, but Coventry Celtic sounds good] and get into the League that way. That's actually not a bad idea .................goes to speak to Celtic.

[Grabbi Graeme]

Why should they continue to work for free when their contracts have already been breached and there is no likelihood of them being payed the money that is owed to them? I bloody wouldn't.

The rest of the players have carried on, and next week they have Celtic at home which means a bumper gate for them and I would imagine that players and staff will be paid as best the club can as money filters into the club.

[BiggusLaddus]

The rest of the players have carried on, and next week they have Celtic at home which means a bumper gate for them and I would imagine that players and staff will be paid as best the club can as money filters into the club.

They're not charity workers, nor are they millionaires quibbling over an extra couple of grand a week, these are modestly paid players with bills and families to look after.

If some of them choose to work for nothing for a company that they no longer have a contract with, in the hope that they might get paid something one day, then fine but I know that I wouldn't do the same.