Last updated 15:55, Thursday, 05 June 2008

GRETNA hero Steve Tosh today spoke of his anguish at the club’s demise – and accused former director of football Mick Wadsworth of sparking the Borderers’ downfall.

Steve Tosh

The fans’ favourite was sensationally dumped by the club in January 2007 with 18 months still to run on his contract – a decision which triggered the club’s slide towards oblivion.

Tosh, who joined Gretna from Aberdeen two years earlier in a bargain £20,000 deal, had a starring role in the side which won back-to-back Scottish Second and Third Division titles, and also played in the 2006 Scottish Cup Final team which gave Hearts a mighty fright before losing 4-2 on penalties.

But fans were stunned when Gretna showed the gifted midfielder the door after he played a major part in their success, and favourites like Alan Main and Derek Townsley soon followed him out of Raydale Park.

Then boss Rowan Alexander was acrimoniously sacked – eight months after taking sick leave.

The team, which had been 12 points clear at the top of the Scottish First Division at one stage, eventually staggered over the line and only an injury-time winner from James Grady in a dramatic final day of the 2006-07 season clinched Gretna’s place in the SPL after a 3-2 win at Ross County.

A traumatic first season in Scotland’s top-flight without any experienced players ended with the club sinking into administration after a financial crisis when owner Brooks Mileson cut ties with the club following an illness.

Last week they were demoted to the Third Division, sounding the death knell as it wrecked a takeover bid, and then this week they resigned from the Scottish Football League in preparation for the club going out of business.

Tosh, 35, now starring for last season’s Scottish Cup runners-up Queen of the South, refuses to blame Mileson for the harrowing end to the Gretna fairytale as he believes they simply became victims of their own success.

But he pointed the finger at Wadsworth for ripping the heart and soul out of the club and for underestimating the demands of Scottish football by replacing experienced pros with unknowns like Henry Makinwa, Danny Hall and Aurelien Collin.

Tosh said: “I’m devastated about what has happened to Gretna and really disappointed for Brooks because people are sticking the knife in him when he’s down.

“He did a lot for Scottish football and made small clubs who were in the doldrums wake up. Other clubs became much more professional as they were inspired from seeing Gretna rising up through the divisions.

“I’m really disappointed for the fans that the club has disappeared because in the two years that I was there the fans always turned out at Raydale Park.

“The whole village – men, women and children – used to turn out on a Saturday and the football club brought out the community spirit.

“But if you look at the balance sheets of the past four or five years, it wasn’t feasible for the club to go on. A lot of people have lost money and a lot of people are disappointed by what’s happened, but Brooks is not a well man.

“He also has a family and grandchildren to look after and it would be foolish to continue spending money over the years.

“Unfortunately, I think Gretna were too successful too quickly.

“They may have survived if they had stayed in Division One for a few years and been playing at Raydale in front of 2,000 fans. As soon as they had to start playing at Fir Park, it signalled their demise.”

Tosh reckons the camaraderie and pioneering spirit which characterised Gretna’s success came to an end when Wadsworth was appointed director of football in the summer of 2006.

Within six months, the outspoken Tosh was sensationally axed and, in his first interview about the manner of his departure, he admitted he is still bewildered why players with SPL experience were released.

He said: “I don’t think Mick Wadsworth gave Scottish football the respect it deserved. He decided to get rid of players who were quite capable of playing at SPL level and replace them with young kids from England.

“The players who were left weren’t good enough or weren’t ready for the SPL. He was doing all the hiring and firing.

“Mick coached at a high level but a lot of us felt there was disrespect towards Scottish players, teams and the leagues.

“Mick discovered that older and senior players wouldn’t be manipulated and we would stand up for our beliefs. It became a strained relationship between him and players like myself, James Grady, Alan Main, David Bingham and Derek Townsley. The vocal ones were punted quite early on.

“When Mick came the club changed. The team that reached the Scottish Cup Final and played Hearts off the park for long spells with good football changed into a long ball team.

“If you ask fans there was something attractive and pretty and nice about Gretna.

“It was a good football club. There were SPL players like myself, David Bingham, Degsy, Alan Main and Chris Innes but we didn’t come down thinking we were something we weren’t.

“The mood and the vibe changed when Mick arrived and it wasn’t for the better – but you can’t put the full blame on him.”

Tosh was stunned when he was shown the door just weeks after he had spoken to Alexander about extending his stay at Raydale.

His eight goals in 16 appearances, including an opening day hat-trick against Hamilton Accies, helped take Gretna to the top of the First Division.

But he admitted: “In the end I was glad to get out and other players will say the same. But I’m still sad at the way things have ended.”

ALittle@cngroup.co.uk