IF GRETNA do go to the wall there will be no shortage of clubs hoping to take their place in the Scottish Football League.
The country's most ambitious non-league outfits are already watching the situation develop on the English border with great interest.
Six years ago, when the then Unibond League club Gretna were voted in to replace Airdrieonians, the unsuccessful
applicants were Huntly, Cove Rangers, Gala Fairydean, Edinburgh City and Preston Athletic, who proposed to change their name to East Lothian Athletic.
If another vacancy arises, most of those clubs, plus East of Scotland heavyweights Annan Athletic and Spartans, would all be expected to throw their hats into the ring once again. The best equipped Highland League clubs, Inverurie Locos and Deveronvale, as well as Whitehill Welfare from the East of Scotland, would be other potential contenders.
Following the Gretna saga, another club from a small Dumfriesshire town may not seem the obvious contenders to replace their near neighbours, but Annan insist they would be a good addition to the SFL.
Annan chairman Henry McLelland said: "We are one of several clubs monitoring Gretna's situation very closely. It has always been our ambition to join the SFL and we have never deviated from that. I feel very sorry about what is going on at Gretna and hope they don't go bust, but if something did happen, we would be interested in applying to join the SFL."
Spartans, who have claimed a number of lower division SFL scalps during highly successful Scottish Cup runs in recent years, hope to have their £3 million new complex at Ainslie Park in north Edinburgh, which has been designed to meet SFL requirements, ready by August and have already declared their intention to apply as soon as an opportunity presents itself. "We hope Gretna survive," said Spartans chairman Craig Graham. "We still believe a pyramid system is the best and fairest route into the SFL, but we are ready to apply."
Although junior clubs took part in the Scottish Cup for the first time this season, they have consistently failed to show any interest in joining the SFL. One possible exception could be Clydebank FC, created by the supporters group from the ashes of the club taken over by Airdrie United in 2002. They have since transformed themselves into a successful junior side with a big support, but an inadequate ground means this summer would be too early for them to make the step up.
It remains possible that the SFL will be looking for two new member clubs by the end of the season. East Stirlingshire are currently bottom of the Third Division, as they have been for five seasons in row. New rules dictate that they would have to reapply if they finish there again.
CONTENDERSAnnan Athletic (East)
Cove Rangers (Highland)
Clydebank FC (Juniors)
Deveronvale (Highland)
Edinburgh City (East)
Gala Fairydean (East)
Huntly (Highland)
Inverurie Locos (Highland)
Preston Athletic (East)
Spartans (East)
Whitehill Welfare (East)
The full article contains 505 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
