Stuttering to a close

Gretna and Hearts' seasons ended tonight, with a 1-0 win for the "home" team at Fir Park. Just over 1,000 punters were watching... somewhat less than the 50,000 at Hampden Park exactly two years ago, when Hearts beat Gretna on penalties to win the Scottish Cup.

How times change. Back then, despite some clear danger signs, most Hearts supporters were still 100% behind Vladimir Romanov. His first season in charge of the club had seen trauma - such as the ridiculous sacking of George Burley - but winning that trophy and finishing 2nd in the League above Rangers was enough to appease the doubters.

Tonight they finished the 2007/8 season in 8th after another poor display. There has been no credible domestic challenge. They have made no impact in Europe at all. They have a bloated, disinterested squad led by caretaker Stevie Frail who is called "Shaggy" by his players and is palpably out of his depth. Neither are there any signs that things are going to get better. Some Jambos hang on to tenuous rumours that a credible manager - Mark McGhee or Billy Davies - is about to be parachuted in with a multi-million warchest to sort out the problems, but they are living in dreamland. Most of the supporters, however, just seem to shrug their shoulders and accept it... afraid that if Romanov walks, things could get much, much worse.

How much worse? Just ask Gretna. This wasn't just the end of the season - it could be the end of the club, full stop. When their sugar daddy turned off the taps, the whole house of cards collapsed, and while the administrators occasionally make positive noises about potential buyers, a rescue plan is looking less and less likely. Frankly, there isn't much to rescue - the youth system has already been dismantled, there are negligible player "assets", and their own stadium is partially demolished.

There is more to save at Hearts, should it come to that, but the scale of the debt is so much worse. What the supporters need to realise is that the "Romanov era" will come to an end at some point. It just depends how bad the situation is when it happens... and whether anyone will come to rescue their club.