By Amanda Little

Published at 05:41, Friday, 08 August 2008

GRETNA Football Club will finally go into liquidation today – the final nail in the club’s coffin.

Anton Hodge: Sad day for club

The Borderers, who played the likes of Rangers and Celtic in the SPL last season, went into administration in March with debts of £4million after owner Brooks Mileson walked away from the club he bankrolled to Scotland’s top-flight following an illness.

Administrators Wilson Field will today formally place Gretna into liquidation after failing to salvage it as a football league club.

Raydale Park is for sale and could now end up being sold to developers as building land.

A new Gretna FC has been formed, based at Annan’s Everholm athletics stadium, and will kick of the season tomorrow with a trip to Kelso in the East of Scotland League First Division.

Anton Hodge, from the Gretna Supporters’ Society admitted it was a sad end to Gretna, which was the first-ever club to win three successive championships and reach the 2006 Scottish Cup Final at Hampden Park.

He said: “It’s the last act in the history of the old Gretna but we’re now looking to the future with a new club.

“We were expecting this as it is a formality. Now we have to move on and not look back.

“We’re looking forward to the new season and hope Saturday’s game goes ahead despite the bad rain in Kelso.”

Mileson has not been seen in public since he withdrew his funding after he became ill in February with a brain infection.

Administrators were called in to handle the stricken club’s affairs for the remainder of the season, before Gretna were relegated after just one season in the SPL.

A takeover by Glasgow-based football agent Scott Davies fell through when the Scottish League demoted Gretna to the Scottish Division Three instead of Division One.

The administrators then resigned the club from the Scottish League, with neighbours Annan Athletic replacing them for the new season.

Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk