 | |||
| Full name | Gretna Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Black and Whites; Anvils | ||
| Founded | 1946 | ||
| Dissolved | 2008 | ||
| Ground | Raydale Park | ||
| Capacity | 3,000[1] | ||
| 2007–08 | Scottish Premier League, 12th (relegated) | ||
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| |||
Gretna Football Club was a Scottish professional football club based in the town of Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway, close to the border between England and Scotland, that last competed in the Scottish Premier League, the then top flight of Scottish football. Nicknamed the Black and Whites or the Anvils the club was founded in 1946, and had rapid and continual success in the mid-2000s, and reached the Scottish Cup Final in 2006, but the club fell into severe financial difficulties when businessman Brooks Mileson, its main financial backer, withdrew funds due to ill health. The club was forced to dissolve in 2008 due to money issues.
Despite being based in Scotland, the club participated in amateur and semi-professional leagues in English football from 1947 until they were elected to the Scottish Football League at the third attempt in 2002. Relying heavily on substantial financial support from Mileson, the club were promoted through the Scottish leagues from the Third Division to the Scottish Premier League in less than five years. The club also reached the 2006 Scottish Cup Final, losing in a penalty shoot-out to Hearts.
Gretna struggled badly in the SPL and the club were placed in administration after Mileson withdrew his support due to illness.[2] At the end of the season, all of the club's staff were made redundant and the club were initially relegated to the Third Division due to their inability to guarantee fulfilment of their forthcoming fixtures. After this demotion, the one remaining offer to buy the club was withdrawn.[3] The club resigned their place in the Scottish Football League on 3 June 2008[4] and were formally liquidated on 8 August.[5]
The club's supporters' trust then decided to establish a new club, Gretna 2008, who were accepted into the East of Scotland Football League on 11 July 2008. Whilst sharing the same fanbase and a similar name, the new club has no legal connection with the original Gretna Football Club.[6]
- ^ "Scottish Football Ground Guide – Raydale Park, Gretna Football Club". www.scottishgrounds.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 February 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
- ^ Neil Drysdale (23 March 2008). "End of a romantic dream for the Roman Abramovich of Gretna". The Guardian. London.
- ^ Gretna no longer in existence, BBC News, 2 June 2008.
- ^ Death knell for crisis club[permanent dead link], Setanta Sports, 3 June 2008.
- ^ "Liquidation signals the final nail in Gretna coffin". The Cumberland News. 8 August 2008. Archived from the original on 14 March 2009.
- ^ "Gretna given place in the East of Scotland League". The Scotsman. 11 July 2008.
'We are obviously a new club carrying on the traditions of the old club and there is no connection with the old club other than the similarity in name,' said Hodge.