coisty

Gretna Relinquish League Status


The administrator running the troubled club concluded that Gretna could not continue running as a business.

Gretna only entered the SFL structure in 2002 and completed an astonishing rise to the Premier League in 2007.

With doubts over the club's ability to fulfil fixtures next season, the SFL took the decision to drop Gretna down to Division Three.

But the one previously interested party withdrew their offer to purchase the club and Gretna are now out of business altogether.

An SFL spokesman said: "I have received intimation from the Gretna FC administrator of their resignation from the Scottish Football League with immediate effect.

"I have accepted this resignation on behalf of the Scottish Football League and accordingly, we now have a vacancy in the Third Division and are seeking applications."

The SFL have set a deadline of 12 June for prospective new clubs to apply for membership.

The SFL Management Committee will then visit each applicant club by 27 June.

Applicant clubs will then be invited, following assessment, to present their business and football plans to all 29 members of the SFL at a Special General Meeting to be held at Hampden Park on 3 July.

The 29 SFL clubs will then vote on the day to decide which club has been invited to join the SFL as a Third Division club with effect from the 2008-09 season.

Spartans, Annan Athletic, Preston Athletic and Cove Rangers are all preparing applications.

happy slappy

Come on Spartans.

Claret

How come none of those teams actually sound Scotish?

Claret

(poor speeling again WingCo )

From what i read on Wiki he is skint as well as not in so good health.

iajafer

The English want to follow Berwick Rangers into the glory of the Scottish League

If anyone's interested, the iajafer view.

Annan Athletic, from Dumfries and Galloway...have a senior club in Queen of the South, roughly (very roughly) the same area as Gretna, population of ~8/9000

Cove Rangers, from Aberdeen...have a successful senior club in Aberdeen.

The Spartans, from Edinburgh...two senior teams in Hibs and Hearts

Preston Athletic, from Prestonpans, East Lothian...no senior clubs, but very close to Edinburgh, population of ~7000

The reason I mention the locations (apart from to tell WingCo they are Scottish ) and populations is to point out the pitfalls as felt by Gretna.

With populations of between 7 and 9000 Preston and Annan are highly unlikely to get crowds of more than 1000, given that the huge majority of the population will be rather less than interested in actually physically supporting the teams.

Preston have said in the past that, if they gained admittance to the League, that they would change their name to East Lothian and take in the local populations to raise the crowds...but old rivalries would make it difficult for the neighbouring towns to support a 'Pans based team.

That leaves Spartans and Cove.

Spartans, again, would find it difficult to bring in the crowds, given the other two senior teams...can Edinburgh sustain three?

I reckon Cove are the most likely, given that out of the last five new teams admitted four have been Highland League, and Aberdeen may just have the population who would support the new team.

My prediction?

If no other teams present an application...Cove Rangers.

...and I'll spit

Sancho

Ian, I don't understand the post, you first name a team (e.g. Annan Athletic) from a location (Dumfries and Galloway) that has another team (Queen of the South).

So I don't understand - is the first team playing with the English?

iajafer

I'm not sure I understand your question, to be honest.

Annan Athletic play in Scotland in a Scottish senior league. Is that what you were asking?

Sancho

I guess I wasn't understanding the syntax, but I got it now... If each small team in your example is shadowed by a much larger team, then how relevant is the moving up and down the leagues in Scotland?

In other words - lower league teams would only aspire to a place high enough to support themselves but not able to reach the glory of the top league in a stable way? Else suffer the Gretna pathway?

iajafer

The Scottish League are a bunch of money hungry bastards, not interested in football, purely interested in politics and how much money they can get into the league[/allegedly]

Therefore the team with the biggest fanbase and the most potential will be preferred to the best football club every time.

That showed last time with the Airdrie/Airdrie United/Clydebank fiasco.

Money talks.

Cosmo-poof

What was that fiasko about, Ian?