Gretna have fresh hope in their survival quest after administrators received a firm offer for the club.

All 40 remaining paid staff of the club were made redundant on Monday and Gretna appeared to be heading towards closure.

However they could have a future in the First Division of the Scottish Football League if the bid, thought to have come from the consortium headed by Glasgow businessman Paul Davies, is considered a viable proposal.

Gretna have finished bottom of the Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League and will be relegated if they avoid liquidation.

Administrator David Elliot of Wilson Field Ltd told Setanta Sports News: "I received an offer through a solicitor acting as a purchaser.

"We're in a situation where we're still a member of the SPL but we don't have any staff. There's an automatic right for Gretna to enter into the SFL but at what level is open to debate.

"I haven't got a specific deadline. Yes I can give some hope - what we're waiting for is the purchasers to supply me with a three-year business plan.

"I'll review that, if I think it's workable I'll contact the SFL. That's the plan at the moment and that's what we're working on."

The business plan will need to contain precise detail regarding the consortium's vision of the future for the club who were plunged into crisis in February when backer Brooks Mileson withdrew his funding.

Englishman Mileson bankrolled Gretna's rapid rise from the Third Division to the SPL to the tune of around £8million, but he fell seriously ill earlier this year and has maintained a public silence on the club's plight since being released from hospital.

Gretna went into administration on March 12 and 28 employees, including nine first-team players, were made redundant two weeks later.

Gretna survived until the end of their season after being given cash advances by the SPL, but administrator Elliot always warned the money would then run out, meaning a second round of redundancies became inevitable.

It emerged their debt was nearing the £4million mark, with their Raydale Park stadium valued at £850,000 in the club accounts.

Meanwhile goalkeeper Greg Fleming has joined Coca-Cola League One club Oldham on a free transfer, having lost his job at Gretna on Monday.

The Scotland Under-21 international has signed a three-year deal with John Sheridan's men.

The Latics beat Crewe to the deal after it was revealed on Tuesday that 21-year-old Fleming was approached by the Railwaymen's first-team coach Steve Holland.

"It was a good chance to come down, Oldham are a big club", the youngster told Latics World.