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SPL looking farcical as Gretna Saga grumbles on
17th March 2008
SPL LOOKING FARCICAL AS GRETNA SAGA GRUMBLES ON
After such a fantastic season for Scottish football it is extremely disappointing that our league is being tarnished by a club falling tragically into administration. In the past year, our clubs have performed heroics in Europe, our national team has surpassed all expectations and the title race as well as the race for third place are too close to call. Yet Gretna?s struggle to stay in business has taken some of the shine off of our success.
You have to feel sorry for Gretna. They progressed through the lower leagues in indestructible fashion with the backing of Brooks Mileson. They made it into the SPL thanks to a win on the last day of the season against Ross County but when Brooks became ill and the money disappeared the fairytale turned to disaster.
Whilst you have to feel pity for the Gretna fans ? the sparingly few that there are- this crisis is not doing much for the image of our top flight across the world. It would be horrific if we ended the season with only eleven teams in the league. The SPL has been forced to pay Gretna an advance of £100,000 to help them stay alive, at least until the split. It is a truly sad state of affairs.
Come the end of the season though, I don?t think many people will be sad to see the back of Gretna. They have brought little to the SPL apart from embarrassingly low attendances and an abundance of pitiful performances. A side with no history and no fan base, not forgetting no ground, should not have been allowed to take the position of a St Johnstone or a Dundee that could have battled away at the bottom of the league. Instead of there being any interest in the relegation zone this season it seems like Gretna were destined for the drop ever since their opening match against Falkirk when they were thrashed 4-0.
And as if the club has not caused enough problems, the fact that they don?t have a stadium fit for the SPL has meant that they have groundshared with Motherwell, with disastrous consequences. Fir Park has taken an absolute battering by the relentless use of its turf. This has lead to match after match being postponed with Motherwell?s fixture against Celtic at the weekend another victim of this abuse. If Fir Park had only been used by Motherwell this season then there is no doubt that many of these cancelled games would have been played.
Hibernian seized the opportunity to jump into third place after a convincing win against Kilmarnock. It may be that Motherwell?s desire to earn an extra few bucks by letting out their premises to Gretna every other week could come back to haunt them. Mark McGhee?s men have two games in hand with Dundee United and Hibernian who are above them in the league but managers always prefer to have points in the bag. Motherwell?s run of postponed matches may have a detrimental effect if they go on a losing streak when their pitch becomes playable once again. The club will be furious if it costs them the much-coveted prize of European football next season.
SIX NATIONS CAMPAIGN FOR SCOTLAND TO FORGET
Scotland?s 23-20 defeat to Italy at the weekend summed up their Six Nations tournament. They simply haven?t been good enough. Excluding the Calcutta Cup victory over England the Scots have underperformed and they only managed to avoid the wooden spoon by two points.
Frank Hadden?s men have struggled to score tries during the tournament and relied too heavily on the kicking of Chris Paterson and Dan Parks. Paterson?s kicking has been phenomenal. He is currently the most accurate kicker in the world with 33 consecutive successful kicks.
A late drop-goal from Andrea Marcato was a cruel blow for Scotland in an otherwise entertaining match.
MOMENTUM WITH MAN UNITED
Cristiano Ronaldo?s solitary strike against Derby was enough to put Manchester United top of the Premiership after Arsenal could only manage a draw with Middlesbrough. Arsenal have not won in four league games and their quest for the title seems to have fallen apart since the injury to Eduardo.
In Europe, Alex Ferguson will be delighted to have drawn Roma in the Champions League after having thrashed them 7-1 last season. If they manage to overcome the Italians then you would expect Barcelona to overcome Schalke to face them in a mouth-watering semi-final tie.
TALKING A GOOD GAME
?If I play them in the Champions League, I want to go there and kill them ? that?s my message.?
Jose Mourinho has worrying plans for his return to Stamford Bridge.
?As for the fourth official, he is a doughnut.?
Bolton?s Gary Megson tells it as it is after the UEFA Cup match against Sporting Lisbon.
?There?s a few villages missing their idiots.?
Mark Lawrenson after some Barnsley fans ran on to the pitch when they mistakenly thought they had heard the final whistle in the FA Cup win over Chelsea.
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