Annan Athletic determined to stay among the big boys after joining SFL

Gretna spent just six years in the Scottish professional ranks before going out of business this summer, after their major backer Brooks Mileson withdrew his financial support.  

But Annan chairman Henry McClelland is confident his club will make it a long-term stay in the SFL.   At a meeting at Hampden this afternoon, the SFL clubs voted in favour of the East of Scotland League team being invited into the Third Division.  

A cut above: Annan Athletic will step up at the start of the season

Spartans, Edinburgh City, Preston Athletic and Cove Rangers were also vying to take over from Gretna, who ceased trading after being relegated from the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.  

Despite coming from the south of Scotland like Gretna, McClelland refuted suggestions Annan will follow the same path as the Black and Whites who motored through the divisions after joining the SFL in 2002 before going bust.  

'Six years ago, when Gretna joined the league, they probably had a sustainable model. But it certainly wasn't a sustainable model for the SPL and that's clear to everyone,' a passionate McClelland said.  

'Our feet are quite firmly planted on the ground. Thirty years ago we were in the Carlisle and District Amateur League like Gretna.  

'We chose to move to the South of Scotland League, we then put a senior side in the East of Scotland League and we have been making progress over that 30 years with a solid financial grounding with feet firmly on the ground.  

'That's where they are and that's where they will stay.  We have spent £300,000 to £400,000 developing the ground but we don't owe anybody anything, it's all paid for and that's the way we work.  

'We only spend what we can afford. Simple.  Our aim since 2000 is to get the facilities for 'SFL Three'.  

'We have to look at "SFL Three", not the SPL.'  

McClelland insists the celebrations in the town will carry on for days and be inclusive of all residents when Annan holds its annual horse riding and pipe band event at the weekend.  

He said: 'This isn't Annan Athletic, this is the town of Annan. Let's get it right.   The people of Annan have been coming up saying "When are we getting into the SFL?" and they are talking about the community, the town of Annan.  

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'When we get back down the road to the Annan Athletic social club it will be mental and it will be like that for the next four days.  

'This weekend Annan celebrates its Riding of the Marches. That's normally a two-day celebration, but it will become a four-day celebration.'  

After three rounds of voting, in the final ballot Annan gathered 17 votes to Cove Rangers' 12.  

The Highland League club's chairman Keith Moorhouse talked about his frustrations as Cove came so close.  

'It was very frustrating," he said. 'It might have been easier if we had gone out in the first round as opposed to being a close second to Annan.  

'I had hoped that we had could have persuaded more clubs to vote for us. But at the end of the day that's the way it goes.  

'Annan are probably more equipped to go in to the league today with their present set-up.  

'We know we had a lot of work to do but if people had voted in terms of the future and the vision we have for the club, then we probably would have been the best bet.  

'So we have a feeling that people went for the safer bet.'  

With a new ground and academy on the way, Spartans had appeared to be favourites but dropped out of the race at the second ballot with only six votes.  

Spartans chairman Craig Graham put a brave face on the somewhat surprising result. 

He said: 'Obviously we are disappointed. We will never find out why we only got five votes in the first ballot but there's nothing we can do.  

'We gave it our best shot but at the end of the day we came up short.'