Scottish FA pays tribute to David Taylor

[ian1964 10,761]

The Scottish FA President, Campbell Ogilvie, has paid tribute to “astute, forward-thinking and passionate” former Chief Executive, David Taylor, who died today, age 60.

 

European football's governing body UEFA - for whom David worked with distinction as General Secretary and, more recently, Executive Director - confirmed the sad news after the 60-year-old had taken ill.

 

A Scotland supporter since childhood, David became the first Chief Executive of the Scottish FA in 1999, succeeding the long-serving secretary, Jim Farry.

 

“On behalf of his friends and former colleagues at the Scottish FA, and throughout Scottish football in general, I would to express our profound sadness at the tragic news of David’s death," said the President.

 

“I would also wish to send our deepest condolences to his wife Cathy, and their children James and Alan, at this dreadful time.

 

“David was a solicitor to trade but it was his love of Scottish football and, in particular, the Scotland national team that stirred his passion during his tenure as Chief Executive.

 

“He was great company, had an astute business mind and a forward-thinking approach to the game that, allied to his patriotism as a member of the Scotland Supporters Club, helped take the Scottish FA forward administratively.

 

“It was no surprise to any of us who witnessed his work at close hand when UEFA came calling for his services as General Secretary in 2007. He has remained a friend and supporter of the Scottish FA and the game in general in this country and he will be dearly missed by all of us.”

 

Born in Forfar in 1954, David was educated at Dundee High School before graduating from Edinburgh University with an LLB degree in law. He qualified as a Solicitor and practised until 1985, during which time he added to his legal qualifications with an MSc in Economics, and an MBA.

 

He joined the Scottish Development Agency (now Scottish Enterprise) in 1985, and held a succession of senior positions before being appointed the first Director of Scottish Trade International - a body set up to promote Scottish business overseas - prior to his appointment to the Scottish FA.

 

http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=2986&newsID=13456&newsCategoryID=1

[RANGERRAB 3,772]

Always struck me as a fair and decent man. Unfortunately I cannot say the same thing about the current SFA chief executive who has presided over an absolute shambles of an organisation in which he has allowed one club to have far too great a say in it.

[Gribz 919]

Very young to pass away, shame.

[BrahimHemdani 1]

Always struck me as a fair and decent man. Unfortunately I cannot say the same thing about the current SFA chief executive who has presided over an absolute shambles of an organisation in which he has allowed one club to have far too great a say in it.

 

I think that in this thread you might have been better to leave it at your first sentence and reserve your other comments about the SFA for another time and place.

 

David Taylor "successfully lobbied for more teams to qualify for the European Championships Finals - unashamedly to help Scotland and other smaller nations have a better chance of qualification." He did more to put Scotland on the map at a time when our national team was not exactly setting the heather on fire. The fact that he was head-hunted by Platini speaks volumes.