By Martin Morgan

Last updated 20:27, Thursday, 10 July 2008

Workington Reds’ reserves boss Herbert Briggs has hit out at new Gretna gaffer Stuart Rome over claims he is entitled to sign Borough Park youngsters for the fledgling Scottish outfit.

Workington Reds Youth Squad players Daniel Carmichael (left) with his player of the year and player's player of the year trophies and Steven Rudd (right) holding his player of the year trophy. Pictured with Head Coach Stuart Rome. TUESDAY 12th JUNE 2007. DAVID HOLLINS

Briggs, who was Reds’ reserves secretary last term, when Rome as manager led the team to the Lancashire League title, estimated that 75 per cent of last season’s side wanted to move to Gretna. But he described their switch as “a backward step.”

And he is unhappy that Rome, below, this week said publicly that he had brought a lot of the reserves to the club and had the right to give them the chance to join Gretna, his home-town club.

Briggs declared that he had in fact made the approaches to their local clubs for Tony Nicholson, Ross Johnston, Dan Burgess and keeper Stuart Pettit.

“We had three good years, but I feel the way Stuart has handled this is wrong, and I’ve told him that,” said Briggs, who stressed that he was speaking personally and not on behalf of his club.

“Some of those lads are spot on and could have made it here. Some will say they didn’t get a chance, but you’ve got to remember that they are only 18 and it’s a big step up to Conference North.

“If they are looking to go down that road, where can they go from Gretna? The league they’ll be going in to has no promotion or relegation.

“If they had ambition, they should have stayed here or gone somewhere else. Whitehaven have gone in to the Northern League.”

Gretna play their opening friendly against Reds at Borough Park on Saturday. The match was instigated by Workington manager Darren Edmondson who is keen to see the new club do well.

“I can understand Stuart’s principles in taking the job, and good luck to him on that front,” said Briggs, who revealed that Dan Gullen and Steven Rudd were among the young reserves who had not switched to Gretna.

Briggs, meanwhile, is planning ahead for the new season with a fresh squad.

“There's plenty of talent out there, and we are going down the road of getting them,” he said.

Reds’ second-choice keeper Arran Taylor has trained with Barrow this week and been invited to turn out for the Bluebirds in a friendly on Saturday.