Mad Dog 2 Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Eight senior players and the former owner's son have followed ex-captain Chris Innes and six community coaches in being made redundant by Gretna. Aurélien Collin, Mickael Buscher, Henry Makinwa, David Mathieson, David Bingham, Mark Birch, Erik Paartalu and Michael Tait have been axed. The latter four players were on loan to other clubs. Operations director Craig Mileson, son of Brooks Mileson, is also out along with 13 youth players. It was Mileson's ill-health and withdrawal of financial backing for the relegation-bound Scottish Premier League club that led to its slide into administration two weeks ago. A formal redundancy letter has also been received by former chief executive Graeme Muir, two weeks after he told the club he was quitting. Discussions are continuing with the SPL to facilitate the completion of fixtures to the end of the season Gretna statement The 21-year-old Paartalu said: "We've got half our week's wages today. "From what I've heard, I don't think we'll get paid any more. It depends on what happens to the club for next season. "There's about five or six players but about five or six other staff members that are being let go. "I really feel for the boys who have got families to look after and mortgages to pay. It's really disappointing. "The transfer window for free agents closes on 31 March in Scotland and 27 March for clubs in England, so it's a bit of a rush now for everyone to try to find a club and get sorted for next season. "We're all trying to get dispensation from Fifa." But world football's governing body has told the Scottish FA that any Gretna player who wants to sign for another club must make an application through that club's national association. Defender Collin could now join Championship outfit Barnsley. But redundancy raises a question mark about forward Bingham's loan at Cowdenbeath, while defender Paartalu is at Stirling Albion and Birch and Tait at Newcastle Blue Star. Innes, who had helped Gretna rise from Division Three to Scotland's top flight after leaving Dundee United, has been linked with First Division Morton. "I've had three and a bit fantastic years at Gretna, but now I'll have to look for pastures new," said the 31-year-old defender. Gretna had on Tuesday agreed to release midfielder Fabian Yantorno, who had been their best player this season until he suffered injury in January, because they could no longer afford his medical treatment. Community coaches Kevin Somerville, Darren Edmondson, Paul Menlove, Ross Murray, David Bradbury and Kenni Dinnell were axed on Wednesday morning. Innes had earlier accused the administrator of doing a U-turn after last week saying that contracts would be honoured until the end of the season. MY SPORT: DEBATE In their rise to success, Gretna were gaining crowds far supperior to that of the present day JG Administrator David Elliott, of Wilson Field, had made promising noises about Gretna's hopes of survival before Sunday's fixture against Celtic after money was received from the SPL. But he will have hoped for a larger crowd than the 3,500 who turned up at Livingston's Almondvale Stadium, which hosted the game because of drainage problems at Fir Park. And his latest statement has placed new doubt on Gretna's ability to survive until the end of the season. "Discussions are continuing with the SPL to facilitate the completion of fixtures to the end of the season," it said. However, the league said there was nothing to suggest that Saturday's visit to St Mirren Park would not go ahead. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
delparlane 5,710 Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 I know most won't care, but I am still sorry for the players. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueben_d 40 Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 I know most won't care, but I am still sorry for the players. it's certainly not the players fault so of course there's sympathy for them, but they will be fine in the long run even if they have a period of worry just now Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
delparlane 5,710 Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 I know most won't care, but I am still sorry for the players. it's certainly not the players fault so of course there's sympathy for them, but they will be fine in the long run even if they have a period of worry just now Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricksen_da_best 2,034 Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Feel sorry for the players. would never happen, but all 11 clubs should donate some money to help pay these players. they get enough Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
docspiderman 1,243 Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 There is even less point in making/helping them fulfil their fixtures. Who will they play in the team for the next three matches? I don't know the fixture list but if they use random guys off the street it could affect top 6 /bottom six positions and that is after giving Celtic a three goal advantage on Sunday. I still think all their fixtures should be voided and put them out of the league. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dado'sMulls 2,628 Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 One of my pals played for the youth team, he got the chop aswell!! He said only 2 players from his team got kept on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricksen_da_best 2,034 Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 One of my pals played for the youth team, he got the chop aswell!! He said only 2 players from his team got kept on. good team theyll have there then Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluenose_Pete 4 Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 29 now according to the ET Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trueblue86 0 Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Feel sorry for the players. would never happen, but all 11 clubs should donate some money to help pay these players. they get enough In theory that is a good idea, but as you say RDB would never happen. As the GFITW showed last Sunday, they did not fill their allocation of tickets for the away end, which would have helped Gretna a bit more to get some more money from the gates. Instead the few GFITW who did show, all they did was patronize the Gretna players by waving money ( which in all honesty they probably stole from their own grannies or something!) in their faces Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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