Gretna FC - Club History

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Gretna Football Club was formed in July 1946, with assistance and professional advice from the Messrs. McKinnell (Senior and Junior) of Queen of the South FC and under the chairmanship of Jock Kerr, an ex-professional player himself.

The club played its inaugural season in the Dumfries Junior League. The following season the decision was taken to transfer to the Carlisle and District League where the club remained until 1982, with the exception of season 1951-52 when it competed in the newly formed Cumberland League which folded after only one season.

Amongst the club’s best known players of this successful era were Billy Cross who skippered the team for several years without missing a match, and strikers Dennis "Touchy" Smith and the late Tommy McFarlane, who each hold the distinction of scoring over 100 goals in a season.

Six consecutive Carlisle and District League titles proved that the club was becoming too strong for its local surroundings and the club was admitted to the newly formed Second Division of the Northern League in 1982, spending over £100,000 on upgrading the ground to the standards required by the League.

Promotion to the First Division was achieved at the first attempt and the club spent nine successful seasons at this level culminating in back-to-back championships in 1990-91 and 1991-92, the latter ensuring promotion to the First Division of the Northern Premier League.

In their first season in the NPL the club finished sixth and reached the semi-final of the League Cup. Although the team was not able to match that League position again in the nineties they hit national headlines by reaching the 1st round of the FA Cup where they acquitted themselves well v Rochdale (1991-92) and Bolton Wanderers (1993-94), becoming the first Scottish team to appear in the English FA Cup proper since Rangers in 1887.

In 1993 and 1999 Gretna applied for membership of the Scottish Football League. Though not successful the club’s applications were well received. Gretna finished the 2001-2002 season in 7th place in the UniBond League First Division.

This was to be their last stint in English football, as in June 2002, the club were successful at the third attempt of asking in gaining membership of the Scottish League, taking the place of the defunct Airdrieonians.

The club finished a respectable sixth in their first season in the Third Division, 27 points behind Champions Morton. Gretna narrowly missed out on promotion the following season, finishing in third-place behind Stranraer and Stirling Albion.

However, the Black and Whites took the Scottish Third Division title in style in season 2004/05, re-writing the record books along the way.

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The club broke Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s 11-game winning run by 2 games in the December and striker Kenny Deuchar shattered the Third Division scoring record of 24 previously held by Michael Moore of Stranraer and D. MacFarlane of Hamilton Academical, hitting an incredible 41 goals.

They demolished the Third Division highest goals total of 87 held jointly by Stranraer and Ross County and the 130 scored was only 1 short of the British league record for goals in a season. Gretna also romped to the earliest promotion from the Division when they beat Cowdenbeath 1-0 on the 5th March and shattered the Division’s highest points total of 80 held by Forfar from season 1994/95, finishing just two shy of a century.

It was testament to local businessman and managing director Brooks Mileson’s vision and substantial cash injection into the club which saw players of Premier League calibre turning out at Raydale Park.

A second successive Championship followed as the club took the Second Division by a clear 18-points from nearest rivals Morton.

The record-breaking Borders side also claimed fastest promotion from the Division, collecting a massive 88 points and scoring 97 goals along the way.

Gretna also hit the headlines in 2005/06 after making it all the way to the Tennent’s Scottish Cup final where they were unlucky to go down 4-2 on penalties after drawing 1-1 with Premier League Hearts. With the Edinburgh side already claiming a Champions league spot, Gretna went into the UEFA Cup.

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But the club’s first ever European tie ended in disappointment as Irish side Derry City upset the odds with a stunning 5-1 win at Fir Park, Motherwell, on their way to a 7-3 aggregate victory in the Second Qualifying round.

Nevertheless, 2006/07 would prove to be a landmark season in Gretna’s short but illustrious history as the ambitious Borderers became the first British club to achieve three successive promotions.

On a dramatic final day of the season, Gretna edged rivals St Johnstone to the title as James Grady’s injury-time winner clinched a 3-2 victory over Ross County and a place in the SPL.

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Owner Brooks Mileson had realised his dream, guiding the tiny Borderers to the top flight of Scottish football - just five years after their admission to the senior game.