By Amanda Little

Last updated 05:36, Friday, 06 June 2008

GRETNA directors Ron and Helen MacGregor today spoke of their devastation at seeing their beloved club go to the wall after their desperate fight to save it this week ended in heartbreak.

The retired couple, who have devoted the past 20 years to Gretna, are now determined to help rebuild the stricken club back in non-league football.

The MacGregors have been left to shoulder the stress of Gretna’s demise after rich owner Brooks Mileson cut ties with the club he bankrolled to three successive championships following an illness.

The pair, who first became involved during the club’s humble Northern League days, revealed they were powerless to prevent the financial turmoil and had no choice but to put the club into administration because the Inland Revenue were demanding £350,000 in unpaid tax.

Ron, who is club chairman, and Helen, secretary and vice-chairman, refuse to condemn Mileson, but can’t understand the lack of communication from the former managing director and his family.

They also wish Mileson, who has not been seen in public since February, had provided enough resources to get the club to the end of the season to give it a chance of surviving beyond his involvement.

And they were left distraught when a rescue bid by Glasgow-based agent Paul Davies was wrecked when the Scottish Football League demoted them to Division Three instead of Division One.

Davies’ business plan depended on First Division football and then this week the administrator controlling the club’s affairs resigned their place in the SFL, sounding the death knell for the 2006 Scottish Cup finalists.

Helen said: “We’re devastated by what has happened. We’ve hardly slept through all of this as it has been very stressful.

“We’re so upset for the staff who had mortgages and families and ended up losing their jobs.We know Brooks is ill but we would have liked him to have kept the club going to see it through until the end of the season. It would have given us more time to make plans for the coming season.

“We hoped we could act as wise heads to help Paul Davies and put our experience to good use, and it has come as a real shock that he had no choice but to withdraw."

The MacGregors were furious over administrator David Elliot’s decision to resign from the SFL on Tuesday, which scuppered a last-ditch bid from a mystery backer.

Now their only hope is that the club can be re-established as a non-league club – possibly in the East of Scotland League – and they have vowed to back the Gretna Supporters’ Society, a fans’ group trying to save the club.

The public meeting to discuss Gretna’s future will be held on Wednesday, June 11, at the Richard Greenhow Centre, Gretna at 7.30pm.

Ron added: “The consequences have been so difficult to deal with because Mr Elliot resigned our place in the SFL against our wishes. Having membership was our only asset to attract a new owner.

“We’ve a lot of sadness, but we’re looking for positive ways forward. We will support the Gretna Supporters’ Society in whatever way we can and we’re actively trying to secure Raydale Park for the local community.”