Gretna - Living (and dying) the Dream

[Alert Mongoose]

Bairney's having a belter here.

[The Master]

13 hours ago, DA Baracus said:

This article (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/2051975.stm) says the other applicants were Gala Fairydean, Cove Rangers, Preston Athletic, Huntly, Edinburgh City and Airdrie United.

Why the f**k were Gretna chosen over any of them?!

Why not?

At the time they were just an ordinary team. It wasn't until they were in the SFL that the Brooks Mileson circus rode into town. 

[Ivo den Bieman]

I think at the time there were quite a few sensitivities about the Airdrie situation. "Airdrie United" only started in the league by franchising Clydebank. At the time of the election for the league place the Airdrie club had no track record at any level of football and the original club had suffered a protracted and embarrassing death. I think there was a view that it wouldn't be right for a club to re-form and take a vacancy caused by the shambolic collapse of its own predecessor. Oddly those niceties went out of the window when the Bankies were bought out, ridding the SFL of the other slow-moving car crash of that era at one fell swoop. 

Gretna had a profile from their time in English non league and occasional appearances in the FA Cup. They had also failed to join the SFL twice in the elections caused by the expansions of the 90s.

Other than Cove, the rest of those applicants weren't taken very seriously IIRC.

Brooks Mileson wasn't involved until the back end of their second season in the league. Before that, as others in the thread have said, they were seen as Annan were when they first joined the league.

Edited January 18, 2018 by Ivo den Bieman

[cowdenbeath]

22 hours ago, Ivo den Bieman said:

Gretna were a largely anonymous outfit of Unibond League Geordies in their first season before Mileson came in.

2004/5 was a ridiculous season. I think the play offs were relatively new and for some reason only the champions went up. We lost four times in a row to Gretna as did most teams in the league. At New Year we pushed them hard in a 2-3 defeat at Links Park and were very unlucky not to have taken something from that game.

A 4-1 drubbing down at Raydsle, a game where Martin Wood missed a sitter just before half time and then the roof came in horribly in the second half, was perhaps our low point against them. I do remember some god awful attempts at literary prose from David Holdsworth in their programmed as he discussed the youth team, and a pompous article on how Brooks was considering hiring a plane for fans who wished to go and see Gilfillan play for the Failed Statelet's U-21s.

The Gretna fans themselves were bizarre sorts with flags air horns and foam hands who very clearly hadn't a clue who the players were. I remember feeling sorry for the hundred or so old timers from NPL days who must have enjoyed some of the ride but ultimately had seen their team disappear and be replaced by what looked like a pilot episode of Sky Sports Harchester United, beamed down from outer space. That now demolished narrow enclosure was full of holes, and was like standing in a filing cabinet without the drawers.

Was very bizarre seeing the likes  of Alan Main and Tosh strolling through Third Division games in second gear and the season was a non event before it even started. Ultimately Montrose's Spice Boys just missed out on the new fangled play offs as they just couldn't be arsed being consistent.

Mileson was taken very seriously by boards and fans at that time. Personally, he was a quiet sort, and made a donation if some kind to our supporters trust. I think people began to see through the charade in 2006- those that went to football regularly, anyway.

Lucozade and Marlboro Lights journalism was the Gretna equivalent of succulent lamb and only when Mick Wadsworth was left to steer the crippled wreckage over the line of their final season did the media begin to drop the fairytale nonsense. Most of that squad now play in the lower leagues in Scotland or the National League down south.

The play offs didn't start until 05/06.

 

[cowdenbeath]

10 minutes ago, Ivo den Bieman said:

I think at the time there were quite a few sensitivities about the Airdrie situation. "Airdrie United" only started in the league by franchising Clydebank. At the time of the election for the league place the Airdrie club had no track record at any level of football and the original club had suffered a protracted and embarrassing death. I think there was a view that it wouldn't be right for a club to re-form and take a vacancy caused by the shambolic collapse of its own predecessor. Oddly those niceties went out of the window when the Bankies were bought out, ridding the SFL of the other slow-moving car crash of that era at one fell swoop. 

Gretna had a profile from their time in English non league and occasional appearances in the FA Cup. They had also failed to join the SFL twice in the elections caused by the expansions of the 90s.

Other than Cove, the rest of those applicants weren't taken very seriously IIRC.

Brooks Mileson wasn't involved until the back end of their second season in the league. Before that, as others in the thread have said, they were seen as Annan were when they first joined the league.

Mileston came in at the start of the 2nd season.

[DA Baracus]

1 hour ago, Ivo den Bieman said:

I think there was a view that it wouldn't be right for a club to re-form and take a vacancy caused by the shambolic collapse of its own predecessor.

 

 

If only that view was taken the last time there was a vacancy...

[Ivo den Bieman]

youre quite right. Peterhead went up too that year. scrambled memories

Edited January 18, 2018 by Ivo den Bieman

[Stu]

2 hours ago, cowdenbeath said:

Mileston came in at the start of the 2nd season.

Yeah that's what I thought as they signed Martin Cameron off us in the summer of 2003.

Vaguely remember the reason given for Airdrie not getting voted in is it would set a precedent where clubs could spend money, wrack up debt and then start afresh just a few leagues down with a clean slate. Our chairman even suggested clubs could do it deliberately to wipe what debts they had built up.

How that was (rightly) deemed unacceptable but it was perfectly reasonable for Airdrie to buy another club remains lost on me.

[Dunning1874]

11 hours ago, Ivo den Bieman said:

youre quite right. Peterhead went up too that year. scrambled memories

Unfortunately I can't find a link to any stories on it with the quotes or voting numbers, but I think comments made by Mileson at the time the playoffs were introduced in the summer of 2005 could have contributed to your wires being crossed on that.

Gretna were one of, IIRC, eight clubs to vote against, with Mileson having a surprisingly coherent rant about the potential unfairness of the system using the 04/05 Third Division table as an example. Although Gretna had finished 20 points ahead of second placed Peterhead, Peterhead had finished 27 points ahead of third place and Mileson felt it would be inherently unfair for a club finishing so far ahead to be denied promotion on the basis of a knockout.

At the time I completely shared his view that it was unfair - a team who has finished first has proven themselves to be better than the team in second, the team in second has proven themselves to be better than the team in third and so on - but now that we're accustomed to them it's undeniable that playoffs have rejuvenated the lower leagues, even if it does lead to average mid-table teams getting promoted and being miles out of their depth like Brechin.

[Skyline Drifter]

On 28/11/2017 at 16:12, RandomGuy. said:

 

Was around 10,000, Hearts sold nearly 33,000 and the rest was suits.

A lot of people from Dumfries went to that final (I wouldn't). Mileson bought lots of kids tickets personally and gave them away.

On 28/11/2017 at 19:06, RandomGuy. said:

QOS took the same to theirs, no idea how many were neutrals though

 

Actually we took over 15,000 to the Final and more or less none were neutrals. Only about 500 got to public sale. The rest were bought by season ticket holders, shareholders, semi final ticket holders and voucher holders from the last couple of League games. Granted lots of them were cases of regular fans bringing their mums, dads, partners, grandparents, etc and lots of it was exiles coming back from all over the World for such a one off occasion but they were pretty much all people who genuinely would consider Queens their first choice team.

Edited January 19, 2018 by Skyline Drifter

[Skyline Drifter]

On 12/2/2017 at 07:51, AyrshireTon said:

A couple of seasons later they were in the Premier and we were drawn together in the Scottish Cup - a 2-2 draw at Scapa. The replay was moved to Palmerston - and the winners were due to play Queens away, leading to loads of questions as to what would happen if Gretna won. In the end it became a moot point as we horsed them 3-0.

Winners were due to play Queens at home but it had already been agreed it would be at Palmerston if Gretna won, albeit they would have run the game.

[edinabear]

Have any of the fans from the Brooks Mileson days stuck around?

[Ivo den Bieman]

1 hour ago, Dunning1874 said:

Unfortunately I can't find a link to any stories on it with the quotes or voting numbers, but I think comments made by Mileson at the time the playoffs were introduced in the summer of 2005 could have contributed to your wires being crossed on that.

Gretna were one of, IIRC, eight clubs to vote against, with Mileson having a surprisingly coherent rant about the potential unfairness of the system using the 04/05 Third Division table as an example. Although Gretna had finished 20 points ahead of second placed Peterhead, Peterhead had finished 27 points ahead of third place and Mileson felt it would be inherently unfair for a club finishing so far ahead to be denied promotion on the basis of a knockout.

At the time I completely shared his view that it was unfair - a team who has finished first has proven themselves to be better than the team in second, the team in second has proven themselves to be better than the team in third and so on - but now that we're accustomed to them it's undeniable that playoffs have rejuvenated the lower leagues, even if it does lead to average mid-table teams getting promoted and being miles out of their depth like Brechin.

I still hate the play offs but you're right, it's now very much a minority's view and they are here to stay. Think there was nothing wrong with Milesons argument on that issue and Brechin are a very good contemporary example of the point.

Hard to believe that bizarre Gretna season in the basement was 13 years ago.

[cowdenbeath]

18 hours ago, Ivo den Bieman said:

youre quite right. Peterhead went up too that year. scrambled memories

Aye Gretna and Peterhead went up we finished 3rd but were miles behind. I think the other 8 sides held back on splashing out on players and kept their cash for the next season when the league was going to be more even.

[cowdenbeath]

4 hours ago, edinabear said:

Have any of the fans from the Brooks Mileson days stuck around?

You would think that folk who supported them pre Mileson would maybe have given the 2008 club their backing. I would imagine most of the glory hunters would have went elsewhere.

[Lou Brusch]

You've missed when they had to bin Alan Main because he'd signed a pre-contract with St Johnstone and they had suspicions after the Queens game he maybe wasn't giving his all. A glorious moment.

Watch Alan Main during the penalties at Hampden, he falls to his left before each one is taken and all four go to his right. Despise him for that

I was 12 when they went bust and first went in January 2006 with a freebie from their schools initiative. Looking back at 22, knowing the story far better as well as getting to know some of the people involved, I am disgusted at how “we” operated. One has to concede that the last ever game was special, Gavin Skelton of all people scoring the winner with the last kick of the ball; I cried

[Stu]

Someone in the office has loaned me a copy of "Living the Dream", which is a behind-the-scenes book about the season they got promoted to the SPL.

Looking forward to reading it. Already had a good laugh at Irons claiming Alexander will definitely be back and he's just filling in for him.

[Rab B Nesbit]

On 19/01/2018 at 10:46, edinabear said:

Have any of the fans from the Brooks Mileson days stuck around?

Was there watching Whitehill on Saturday and they’ve still got a few hardy souls following them. Crowd about 100 odd. When they first came up into the East of Scotland Premier they brought a couple of buses but that’s tailed off now. 

[Honest_Man#1]

6 minutes ago, Rab B Nesbit said:

Was there watching Whitehill on Saturday and they’ve still got a few hardy souls following them. Crowd about 100 odd. When they first came up into the East of Scotland Premier they brought a couple of buses but that’s tailed off now. 

That goulmouth

[Rab B Nesbit]

5 minutes ago, Honest_Man#1 said:

That goulmouth

That’s real fitba for you HM