The thoughts of President Ogilvie

[ian1964 10,710]

By Andrew Smith

 

George Peat is gone but don't expect his successor to be as colourful

IT was just about as loaded as any question could be. After his blunderbuss predecessor George Peat, did newly elected Scottish Football Association president Campbell Ogilvie see himself as more conciliatory figure? Even Ogilvie, a model of diplomacy, had to let the corporate demeanour give way to a giggle at Hampden the other day over the drawing of parallels with a man who, for all his faults, ultimately proved a successful reformer.

 

"We are all our own people," Ogilvie said. "I thank George for his time and he's probably gone through one of the most difficult years any president's had to endure. He is the one who put forward the need for change with the Henry McLeish report. We are all different characters; we deal with things differently."

 

There have been some attempts by Celtic followers to question Ogilvie's character as a consequence of his 27 years at Rangers ââ?¬â?? 16 of these before the club ended their unwritten policy of not making high-profile Catholic signings. Yet Ogilvie, initially secretary at Rangers, did not earn a policy-shaping position at the club, which came with a seat in the board, until the month after Mo Johnston's arrival in 1989 marked a break with the Ibrox club's discriminatory ways. He would have been a curious club secretary if before then he had had a say in the religious background of the players he was drawing up contracts for.

 

Ogilvie does not see his past club allegiances ââ?¬â?? he spent five years with Hearts on leaving Rangers in 2005 ââ?¬â?? as creating potential difficulties with Celtic or any other club. Especially in light of the fundamental changes to the disciplinary procedures and committee structures that proved so grievous to the Parkhead club and their legal representatives last season.

 

Indeed, for all the claims from the more rabid Celtic followers that there is institutional bias against their club within the governing body, Ogilvie becomes the first former Rangers board member to hold the presidency since the 19th century. In the past 40-odd years, there have been two presidents from a Celtic background, Bob Kelly and Jack McGinn.

 

"I have never had any issues with Celtic or any member club," Ogilvie said. "You deal with matters as they come up. In this new structure people in my position won't be part of the disciplinary processes. This perception we would sit down and take decisions on clubs we are involved with or not involved with was never the case ââ?¬â?? when I was at Rangers I had to leave one meeting four times ââ?¬â?? but this new structure creates a judicial panel that will be more stand-alone and that will help."

 

The problem for Ogilvie and the SFA is that too much is expected of the organisation. It may have 78 clubs within its jurisdiction but it has less than half the annual turnover of Celtic alone. The new president points out that the SFA has come in for much greater criticism since the national team has stopped performing, even though it was precisely when it was reaching finals that many of the messy structures that have at last been swept away were tacked on. Ogilvie petitions too that there is far more to the SFA than the national team and dishing out sanctions; that the true mass of the organisation is "good work", from the youth coaching structures to the development side.

 

All of that is worthy, but frankly dull. The very description which, with all due respect, might be applied to Ogilvie himself. And after the sparks-flying stewardship of Peat, a successor who is happiest as a back-room negotiator makes him the perfect foil for chief executive Stewart Regan.

 

Rather quaintly, Ogilvie sets out as his mission a desire to instil a more collegiate approach. He just wants everyone to work together for the greater good. In Regan, he has no doubts the SFA has a man who can drive the organisation forward without the president poking his nose in. The Englishman has already made great strides, with his comprehensive reforming agenda receiving unanimous backing at the association's AGM this week.

 

"I'll be frontline when I have to but Stewart will have that role since he will be running operations more so than any previous incumbents in his position because of the structure that has been put in place," Ogilvie pointed out.

 

"He'll be allowed to get on with the day-to-day running. As chief executive that is as it should be. The strategy will be set down by the board and he'll operate within that. I wouldn't expect Stewart to come and discuss with me or any office bearers some of the everyday issues that will come up. He will be given rein to run the association and he is excellent, first class. He is very quick on the uptake. You all know from his first day the issues he had to deal with and that certainly gave him a quick learning curve. It may have made things uncomfortable at the time but it told him what required to be done. He is very good with people."

 

So too is Ogilvie. Nevertheless, the SFA president and his organisation have been accused of not being hands-on enough with the other important people in the game. They haven't taken a lead over bringing the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football League together or what size and shape the top flight should take ââ?¬â?? even though Ogilvie is well versed in this matter, having been one of the key figures in the creation of the SPL breakaway 12 years ago.

 

"The fact of the matter is that we don't vote at the SPL," he said. "We can sit down and discuss the commonality, that would help. One of the reasons there has not been a decision at the moment is the fear factor about falling into the next league.

 

"We can't vote on the number of teams but (with the newly-created professional football board] what we can do is sit down with the leagues and discuss the way forward. Over the years we have had a top league of 14, 18, 12, 12 with a split and a ten. The common denominator is that some people have never been satisfied."

 

Short of the SFA being able to pass a resolution changing human nature, no president, chief executive or even ground-breaking AGM will be able to do anything about that.

 

http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/football/The-thoughts-of-President-Ogilvie.6783702.jp

[Guest Dutchy]

It will be interesting to see what tack septic take this coming season. I'm sure if they contiue to bleat about unfairness, Ogilvie's postion will be drawn out as an example. No matter how many times they have it expalined to them that the SFA has only ever been corrupt in favour of both septic and Rangers.

 

Hence the term Old Firm.

 

Jonge, jonge. (Dutch for 'dearie me')

[Stimpy 0]

The Pope could be the next president of the SFA and still be labeled as a bigot after making a decision against them.