posted Mar 31, 2008

Good Luck Gretna from a Pompey fan. I really hope you come through this, and still exist in some form.
In terms of deserving a shot in the SPL, from where I'm standing your players earned that right on the pitch last season. That's good enough for me, although I appreciate other factors have to be considered.
Finally, you were always a good bet last season in an accumulator, so thanks!

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posted Mar 31, 2008

When I say 'good riddance' I certainly do not want the club to fold. That's not what I'm saying. I wouldn't want any club to fold. I mean, by that, that they will not be missed from the league set up. I do feel sorry for genuine fans who've lived a bit of a dream but are now faced with uncertainty.
I hope your club survive, but only back where they came from and belong (unless they achieve success and status in the same way that the vast majority of other clubs have done so.)

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posted Apr 1, 2008

Well first off, Gretna, whether they deserved their place in the SPL or not should not be open to debate, if Rangers go on and win the SPL, should they really get into the Champions Cup, or if Man UTD win the Champions Cup, should they get in next season, it's football, Gretna progressed through the Scottish leagues fair and square, they won their respected divisions, therefore earning the right to be promoted. I agree with some comments that the SFA should off looked into the finances of Gretna before they got promoted into the SPL, but for any club to fold, really that bodes ill with football all over, what will people be saying if it happens to one of the major clubs in the world, would there respected leagues help them out. Secondly, people have a short memory, it wasn't to long ago that a certain other team clawed there way out of the Scottish 3rd division all the way to the Premier League, subsequently they got relegated the first season in the Premier League, but there was none of this "Good Riddance" crap flying around (btw, Meadowbank Thistle now known as Livingston was the team). Also Swansea progressed from the old 4th division in England to do the same there, and there was none of this negativity flying around. Give credit to the teams that fight in the lower divisions, what's the point of them even trying for promotion if people are going to belie their ability. It's a dream for all smaller clubs to progress to the higher ranks and earn some praise. Gretna's position is unavoidable due to the owner being somewhat seriously ill, therefore he has stopped his support for the club, but what if a consortium or someone else like Richard Branson buy Gretna and eased there financial constraints, would people be saying "good riddance" then, i think not. Gretna was a breath of fresh air to Scottish Football the last 4 years, making a fairytale entry into the Scottish Cup Final last year was awesome for them and a kick in the rear end for the 'big boys'. Gretna, i hope don't fold, but they need to concentrate staying in the lower divisions for a couple of seasons to build up there financial wealth. Good luck for the future Gretna.

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posted Apr 1, 2008

Part of the problem, if not the whole problem is the stupid stadium criteria. It forces clubs to spend money on facilities and not on players. What is the point of clubs like Gretna spending money on a stadium they would only fill when Celtic, Rangers and possibly Hearts come to play ? It cripples small clubs before they start playing each season, as they know there is no real point in winning promotion to the SPL as they just could not afford it. I have been critical of Gretna, but I'd be genuinely sorry if they folded completely with the loss of all they offered the town and off field activities. And make no mistake, Gretna FC likely did more to promote their town in a few short years than the local tourist board did in 20. I hope they can survive, even if it means having to drop into local football. When Gretna got to the Scottish Cup Final, how many folk were rooting for them ? I was for sure, and don't forget, they gave Hearts a helluva fright.

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posted Apr 1, 2008

Killie loathed them because their "fairweather" crowd don't even turn up for a home game never mind a cup final.

They were worried for a while because mathematically they could have went down and some of them actually applauded them going into admin.

Poor taste, bearing in mind their own shortcomings.

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posted Apr 1, 2008

Oh and Wee footnote for the nugget who wrote this :

“have to spend my time going to small grounds like Ibrox & Celtic”

Ricoh, Capacity 32,609
Greyskull, Capacity 51,082
Paradise, Capacity 60,832

What are you studying at Poly, Quantum Physics and Arithmetic ?

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posted Apr 2, 2008

Wooooooo! No need to get all flustered! It's a joke. I, personally, wouldn't get quite so protective over the capacity of my club's stadium, but... fair enough!
I like Celtic Park & Ibrox, both are amazing stadiums and, yes, for someone who normally gets to watch his team in a 2/3rds full, 30k(ish) stadium, they blew me sideways. Absolutely brilliant.
It's a shame I'm not studying medicine at my 'Poly'...maybe then we could arrange to undo your humour bypass.

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posted Apr 2, 2008

"Humour Bypass"

Based on the wordage of the original article and the backtracking.....

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posted Apr 2, 2008

Sorry I didn't throw in any side-splitting one liners into the original post...clean passed me by! Don't recall backtracking either, but fair enough.

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