Vital Hearts would like to express their condolences over the news that former Gretna owner Brooks Mileson has died at the age of 60.
Mileson pretty much single-handedly put Gretna on the footballing map when he bank-rolled their charge into Scottish football’s top division, and most memorably got them to within a penalty shoot-out of an improbable Scottish Cup victory in 2006.
As we all know it was our own club Hearts who managed to snatch a nervy victory on that gloriously sunny day at Hampden, but Mileson was arguably the man who emerged from the afternoon having won the most friends, and few who were there will forget the sportsmanship that he and his team showed after what must have been a really sore defeat for them in the end.
Mileson continued to have a good relationship with the Hearts fans and only last season was a well-received guest speaker at one of the Shareholders’ Dinners at Tynecastle. Like Dundee United’s Eddie Thompson, he always seemed to come across as one of the genuine good guys in football, and it’s always very sad to see these sort of people leaving our lives.
RIP Brooks….and thanks for the memories.
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RIP another great footballing man who cared baout his club so much has been lost
rip brook
Such a shame, RIP Brooks
Despite many football pundits saying that Gretna got what they deserved, I feel what he did in backing Gretna’s rise was hugely admirable. For personal reasons (as well as for winning a trophy !!), that day at Hampden in 2006 is very dear to me – and it is a real tragedy that he was struck down so quickly and harshly. RIP Brookes.
Yes I agree Specs. A “fairytale” rise to the SPL and getting to a cup final was in the end somewhat scorned upon by many pundits rather than enjoyed, celebrated. It casts a bit of a shadow on what the man and his club achieved. Very sad.
RIP Mr Mileson