Gretna and Hearts both win

According to the vast majority of so-called football experts, all Hearts needed to do was make the journey from Edinburgh to Glasgow, knock the ball about Hampden Park for 90 minutes, and score six or more goals.

Thankfully, nobody sent a copy of the script to Gretna. The Black and Whites battled against Hearts, who finished second in the SPL, for 120 minutes, levelling the score at 1-1, and were only beaten after a penalty shoot-out.

I would normally write a match report but, given that every sports hack and his dog has already filed mountains of copy, it would be surplus to requirements.

My colleague at Vital Hearts has done a good job, and his version of events can be read here.

When the dust settled and Hampden fell silent, Hearts might have won the cup, but Gretna won the plaudits - and rightly so.

The match was about so much more than just the events on the pitch. It was a celebration of football, a truly friendly match without the mindless needle and antagonism normally on display.

While it would be great if many of Gretna's 12,000-strong support come along to Raydale Park next season, perhaps it's more reasonable to expect them to turn up at Motherwell's Fir Park from the UEFA Cup matches.

After such an impressive season, Gretna have a lot to live up to next year. The Division One title, which would be the club's third in succession, is a realistic goal.

With a few signings in the summer, Division One could be over sooner than many fans expect. Opposition fans will no doubt trot-out the 'Gretna are buying their success' line, some things won't change, but without investment, Scottish football will stagnate.

Hearts may have won the battle, but in a little over a year, the war could resume in the SPL.