MILESON STADIUM APATHY A GRET SHAME

Sep 9 2007 Rob Maclean

A FUNNY thing happened in Gretna on Tuesday night. Football philanthropist Brooks Mileson spoke for half an hour without a fag in his hand.

Mind you, the well-known chain-smoker was so lit up himself he had no need for a cigarette. And when he fires off on his specialist subject he's compulsive listening.

The hot topic is lack of support and I'm not talking about a shortage of fans driving up the M74 to watch Gretna at their temporary home in Motherwell.

No, what the pony-tailed one was ranting about at a midweek Clydesdale Bank-organised chat show was the reluctance of politicians to back his plans to build a community stadium.

Multi-millionaire Mileson is delighted Sir David Murray is singing from the same songsheet after the Rangers chairman's recent blast at what he sees as the real Scottish shame.

Murray called on the government and business community to zap up their investment in sports facilities to help tackle serious social issues like drug abuse, obesity and poor health.

Mileson, below, has been banging the drum for a long time to try to have sport hauled higher up the priority list - but all he gets is platitudes.

Earlier this year he had a meeting with then Scottish sports minister Patricia Ferguson.

At the time she said: "Clubs like Gretna have an important, inspirational role to play in the communities in which they are based, which extends far beyond sport.

"I'm impressed by Gretna's enthusiasm in their community initiatives and interested to learn more of their plans for a community integrated sports stadium."

So interested and impressed, clearly, that nothing came of the meeting.

Even with a change of government at Holyrood there's still no joy for the grand Gretna plan.

Maybe Mileson has become a victim of his own generosity.

He must have splashed out close on £5million since taking over the club and politicians appear to expect him to carry on spending with no help from them.

It's not just the government failing to offer support. Talks have been going on for a couple of years with Dumfries and Galloway Council.

But while Gretna have been climbing the leagues there's been a distinct lack of action from the local decision makers.

What they want to build is a new football stadium with integrated community facilities - like a sports hall and a boys' club to get youngsters off the streets.

Brooks and chief executive Graeme Muir see it as their moral responsibility to get something done in an area which, per head of population, has Scotland's biggest drugs problem.

Others wielding much more power seem happy to sit back and do nothing.

SPL rules say Gretna must have their own 6000-seater stadium for next season and they're still hopeful sense will prevail and they'll be able to move away from Raydale Park.

Their current ground would be snapped up for housing if it was put up for sale - although Mileson insists he has no interest in making any personal gain out of the move.

He doesn't want to waste money redeveloping Raydale.

It's hemmed in by houses and all Gretna could do would be to build a stand at each end with nothing down the sides. That doesn't sound like a real football ground to me.

Mileson agrees something that can be be thrown up in a few weeks out of a Meccano set isn't the answer. And it would be an expensive mistake too.

A Raydale revamp would cost a few million. Mr Gretna doesn't mind giving his cash away but he does have a problem wasting it.

The club's youth academy is across the border at Penrith with education on a par with football development.

And Mileson will receive an honorary fellowship from the University of Central Lancashire next month for his work in the community.

His efforts have also been recognised at Westminster. He was invited to speak to MPs in the Commons about the role of a football club in their community. How ironic.

Politicians picked Gretna as a model for other clubs to copy and were happy to listen to Brooks outline the interaction that works so well.

Closer to home they've also heard what he has to say and - to use a Scottish football abbreviation - done SFA.

The authorities seem happy to stand back while a great opportunity is missed and allow Mileson to pour millions down the drain. It's a crying shame.

I would happily listen to more babbling from Brooks if I thought it might stop his stadium plan going up in a puff of smoke.