No final fling

Your View: Football fans' forum

Rowan Alexander, the manager of Gretna - whose astounding season will climax this afternoon when they contest the Tennent's Scottish Cup final with Heart of Midlothian at Hampden Park - last night insisted that he would not leave Raydale Park "while there is unfinished business" at the Borders club.

Alexander, who has steered Gretna to the Scottish Third Division championship and Second Division title in consecutive seasons, as well as guiding the team to the cup final from the first round of the competition, said that it would be "unthinkable" for him to accept an offer from a bigger club.

In a disclosure that heightens the already marked contrast between the two finalists - Hearts' owner, Vladimir Romanov, has sacked three managers in the space of 10 months - Alexander revealed that Brooks Mileson, the Gretna owner, had once tried to become involved in team matters but had been firmly warned off.

"I never interfere with that," Mileson confirmed. "If I did I would be told to bugger off."

"There would be a few choice words other than that," Alexander added. "He found it difficult at the start because he didn't realise how football differs from other businesses. He wanted to be involved in selection of personnel coming into the club, but he realised he was better off being a businessman. There was never a problem, but he was very quickly put in his place and we have a very strong bond together.

"Given where this club have been and how hard we've fought for what we've got, to turn my back on that and not reach our ambitions would be unthinkable. Any offer would have to go through Brooks, and I know exactly what he'd say."

Romanov, meanwhile, issued an eve-of-battle statement as he prepared to fly back to Scotland from Bosnia, where he has been on business this week. "I hope all the fans have a wonderful day out at Hampden and that we can do them proud by bringing the cup back to Edinburgh," he said.

"I was really surprised that such a small club as Gretna have managed to get to the final when Celtic and Rangers couldn't make it. That is to the credit of Brooks Mileson and his players and coaches, who have done an amazing job.

"I think Gretna will give us a real game. Both Hearts and Gretna have undergone significant transformations and the two are relatively new to this stage of the cup, so neither has an advantage as we go into this battle.

"Hearts' task is clear - to bring the cup back to Scotland's capital city."

Taken from telegraph.co.uk