Last updated 17:02, Thursday, 12 June 2008

Mick Wadsworth has hit back at claims his arrival sparked Gretna’s demise. Wadsworth, who joined the club as director of coaching in the summer of 2006 to work for close friend Brooks Mileson and ended up as caretaker manager, denies he contributed to the Borderers’ downfall.

Mick Wadsworth

Gretna have gone to the wall after Mileson walked away from the club he bankrolled to the SPL following an illness.

Former midfielder Steve Tosh last week accused Wadsworth of destroying the pioneering spirit that characterised Gretna’s incredible success, which saw them become the first-ever club to win three successive championships and reach the 2006 Scottish Cup Final.

The midfielder blames him for his shock release by the club in January 2007 with 18 months left on his contract, and believes Wadsworth ripped the heart and soul out of a thriving club. But Wadsworth, who was also at the helm when Huddersfield, Scarborough and Norwich City went into administration, insists he was only acting in Gretna’s best interests.

Speaking from his holiday base in the Caribbean, the former Carlisle United manager said: “I tried to make the club sustainable and better run, which we did to a degree.

“Too much money had been spent. I think the club was on a downward spiral in terms of what it was costing on things that weren’t relevant to a successful football club.

“Brooks poured in a ridiculous amount of money on a weekly basis. Credit to him for doing that.

“It’s very, very sad what’s happened, but what can you do?

“I was the one who kept it going in the end. If it hadn’t been for me, it would have died in February when Brooks was taken ill. Nobody tried harder than I did – and that ****** me off.

“I’m grateful for working for Brooks for two years. We tried our hardest but we were fighting a losing battle.

“The saddest thing for Gretna is that there is no football club. It went up like a sky rocket over five years – and came down even faster.”

Wadsworth, who was abroad having talks over a key job with the Canadian FA when Gretna went into administration after Mileson cut ties, is still seeking a job, and is thought to be considering opportunities abroad.

The Yorkshireman enjoyed big success in the mid-Nineties when he guided Carlisle to the old Division Three title and to Wembley in the Auto Windscreens Shield in 1995 before quitting to become No2 at Norwich City.

He was among 40 Gretna employees made redundant last month by administrators.