Gretna latest: Club relegated to Third Division, Airdrie and Stranraer promoted

Published on Thursday 29 May 2008 17:38

GRETNA have been relegated to the Third Division after a vote at the annual general meeting of the Scottish Football League.

The troubled club, which went into administration in March this year after owner Brooks Mileson stopped funding the operation, had already dropped down from the Scottish Premier league to the First Division. But at today's vote it was decided that the club should drop a further two divisions to the basement league.

The administrators, Wilson Field, have been given until next week to find a way of keeping the club in business. If no buyer can be found, the club will lose membership of the SFL and an election will take place to find a replacement club.

Gretna were elected to the Scottish Football League in 2002 and made rapid progress through the divisions, reaching the Scottish Cup final in 2006 and then winning promotion to the SPL in 2007. But just as the club reached the top flight of Scottish football, the cost of getting there caught up with owner Mileson.

All of the club's staff were made redundant earlier this month.

Airdrie United will now be promoted to the First Division from the Second Division, and Stranraer go up from the Third Division to the Second Division to make way for Gretna.