Gretna, the Scottish Premier League's bottom club, could go into administration before the end of the season. This latest blow comes after head coach Davie Irons and his assistant Derek Collins surprisingly walked out on Tuesday to join First Division outfit Greenock Morton.

Chief executive Graham Muir admitted: "There's always a danger of going into administration but we've had these kind of rumours before.”

It first became apparent that the club might be experiencing financial difficulties earlier this week after staff failed to receive their pay. It later emerged that the weekly payroll is taken care of by club owner Brooks Mileson, who is seriously ill in a Newcastle Hospital.

'The continued support of Brooks Mileson appears to be the club’s only realistic hope of avoiding a slide into administration and the inevitable 10-point deduction that would bring'


Muir explained: "The payroll problems have been created by Brooks being ill and getting the release of funds to get it processed. Brooks usually puts the payroll through on a weekly basis. I don't want to paint a bleak picture but you can never say never in football. With the amount of effort that's going on between the club and the Mileson family, we hope that administration is not going to be the case.”

Gretna attempted to ease their plight by offloading a number of players during the January transfer window. However, the continued support of the millionaire owner appears to be the club’s only realistic hope of avoiding a slide into administration and the inevitable 10-point deduction  that would bring.

The club sit rock bottom of the SPL, nine points adrift of Kilmarnock, the team immediately above them, having secured just three league wins all season.