Former Gretna owner Brooks Mileson made bankrupt a year after dying

• Brooks Mileson

The millionaire businessman who bankrolled Gretna FC's rise to the Scottish Cup final died after leaving an "astronomical" trail of debt, it has now emerged. The revelation is the latest bizarre indication of the financial chaos that surrounded his life.

A judge at Carlisle County Court made the ruling on Wednesday after considering a request from a businessman owed 1.85m by the club's debt-ridden benefactor.

And the bankruptcy could have far-reaching consequences for Mr Mileson's family and anyone who had close financial links with him. Trustees will now be appointed with sweeping powers to investigate his finances.

Mr Mileson died in 2008, aged 61, a short time after he collapsed in the grounds of his luxury home at Blackford, Cumbria.

It has now emerged Barclays Bank has begun proceedings to repossess the house where Mr Mileson lived with his wife Geraldine. He had two mortgages on the property totalling more than 600,000.

The sprawling country house yesterday appeared abandoned, with discarded personal belongings scattered around the grounds.

Piled up on the gravel driveway near the front door were the charred remains of more personal items. Inside the house, the carpets had been removed and ornaments and pictures could be seen packed away in boxes.

Meanwhile, the North Cumbria coroner David Roberts confirmed the pathology reports analysing what may have caused Mr Mileson's death have still not been sent to his office.

During his colourful life, the former insurance and property tycoon had an estimated fortune of 36m. Rated the 49th richest man in football, he became a folk hero in Gretna as he funded the club's meteoric rise to the SPL.

But since his death, financial investigators have uncovered a trail of debt. In the end, Mr Mileson was so debt-ridden he could not even afford to pay for the hay and barley used by his pet horses. He had debts of 8m but assets of 2m.

Bankruptcy trustees have now been appointed to delve further into his finances in a last-ditch bid to recover cash. They will have wide-ranging powers, allowing them to seize any assets he "disposed of" after becoming insolvent. The bankruptcy order was made by Judge John Park after an application by businessman Robert Ward, who is based in South Africa.

His lawyer, Stephen Bayliss, of Langley's Solicitors in York, said Mr Mileson's known assets would give creditors between just ten and 20 per cent of the money they are owed.

"The making of an order by Carlisle County Court will allow the commencement of the process allowing us to determine the full extent of Brooks Mileson's assets and debts when he died.

"On the basis of preliminary information obtained so far, it appears Mr Mileson has debts exceeding 6m. But his financial affairs were so complex, it may take several years to unravel them."

Mr Mileson was rarely out of the headlines as he bankrolled Gretna FC's fairytale rise. But while all seemed rosy, in reality the club was losing money at an alarming rate and eventually went into administration with debts of more than 2.5m. The club's staff and players were thrown out of work and all the club's assets were put up for sale.