A NORTH-EAST entrepreneur is on the brink of leading a tiny Scottish club into a European football adventure.

Gretna, owned by Sunderland-born businessman Brooks Mileson, will meet Hearts in the Scottish Cup Final next month after his team defeated Dundee 3-0 in Saturday's semi-final.

With Hearts already looking certain to qualify for Europe through their league position, Gretna are expected to join them even if they lose in the final.

Gretna, who used to play in the Northern League, have enjoyed a meteoric rise since multi-millionaire Mr Mileson took over the club in 2002 - the year they were elected to the Scottish League at the third time of asking.

After finishing sixth and third in successive seasons, the former Northern League champions romped to the Scottish Third Division title with a record points total last year.

The club has already clinched promotion to the First Division this year and seem on an unstoppable march to the Scottish Premier League - a claim strengthened by their fairytale victory at Glasgow's Hampden Park on Saturday.

The club is becoming accustomed to making history - in 1991 they became the first Scottish club to play in the first round proper of the English FA Cup for more than 100 years when they took on Rochdale, only to lose in a replay.

Mr Mileson, a former English cross-country champion, is also an enthusiastic supporter of grassroots football in the North-East.

His company, the Durham-based Arngrove Group, sponsors the Northern League in a deal which will continue throughout his lifetime - and that of his children.