Stewart Regan confessed on Wednesday that nothing – and certainly not Yorkshire County Cricket Club, which he described as having been “a very old fashioned, sleepy organisation” – had prepared him for the incredible intensity of the Old Firm rivalry and the scale of its impact far beyond sport.
The chief executive of the Scottish Football Association was speaking in the aftermath of the organisation’s annual general meeting which, in almost any other year, would have allowed him to parade a list of estimable achievements.
He had a stab at it when he mentioned the 16 per cent increase in the SFA’s turnover to £32.2 million, the biggest ever solidarity payment to member clubs and a record number of registered players north of the border.
However, Regan acknowledged the behemoth in the room when he said: "We're making substantial progress yet one issue dominates Scottish football and is reflected across the world and unfortunately it doesn't paint the game in as positive a light as it should be."
Rangers, past present and future – whatever that might be – dominated all but a few seconds of Regan’s half hour with the daily newspaper correspondents.
Given that his two years in office have encompassed a referees’ strike, mail bombs sent to a Celtic manager who was also the victim of an assault by the side of the field, a root and branch reform of the SFA’s procedures and the near-meltdown at Ibrox, is it not reasonable to suppose that if anybody had presented that scenario when he was still at Headingley, he would have run for cover?
"Anyone would have probably laughed at you if you'd have said that's what you were facing,” said Regan. “No one could have predicted it so it's a hypothetical question, but I would say that I personally have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this job.
“I love the fact we have made so much change in such a short space of time and I like the fact the game is moving forward. There's still a long way to go especially with league reconstruction, but I really have enjoyed it.
"Of course I get frustrated when I get the police giving me advice on how to behave in Scotland, given the culture we operate in, and when people send me inappropriate emails and messages but I've learned to live with that and put it down to experience. I know some of you get the same abuse I do so that kind of makes it a bit easier.
"I think Scottish football fans are more passionate than any fans I've seen anywhere in the world. I've grown up in the North East of England in a football-loving family and a football-loving culture and I've been to some of the most passionate derby matches you can imagine.
“However, I haven't seen anything like the Old Firm rivalry and how it takes on a very different perspective when you roll in religion and politics all into one pot. Unfortunately a minority actually choose to use any attempt they can to undermine you, to create conspiracy theories to try and deflect from the good work that is going on.
“And I think it's very sad for the world of football but it's the world that we live in, and we deal with it.”
One high-profile figure who might yet become a casualty of the revelations at Rangers is Campbell Ogilvie, who was secretary/director at Ibrox when the contentious Employee Benefit Trusts (EBTs) were introduced there.
Regan, though, presented a stout defence of his president when he said: “Let's not forget that EBTs are not illegal. They are illegal if they are used knowingly in an incorrect manner. That is something we are still waiting for facts on, but I am satisfied that Campbell has discharged his duty of care.
"He has done everything we could have asked of him and, so far as his integrity is concerned, he is a man with many years as a highly respected administrator across the game of football in Scotland. He has been upfront, transparent and the board are happy we could not have expected any more of him at this stage."
One particularly significant change to SFA articles, which was approved unanimously, came out of the Rangers morass and obliges clubs to investigate the background of prospective new owners.
Regan also declared that Fifa will take no action against the SFA for Rangers’ action in going to court to contest a 12-month transfer embargo imposed by the association’s independent Judicial Tribunal.
Rangers fans, meanwhile, will be given the chance to rename the club's Murray Park training ground, according to Charles Green, who is leading a consortium who wants to buy the ailing Glasgow giants.
Green met with the Rangers Fans' Fighting Fans Fund and he described the meeting as "constructive".
One of the issues raised was the club's training complex at Auchenhowie, which was officially opened in July, 2001 and named after Sir David Murray, the club's then owner who sold Rangers to Craig Whyte last year.
Season ticket holders have been promised the chance to change the name in homage to Moses McNeil, one of the club's founding fathers, or Davie Cooper, a former winger.
Scotland have leapt seven places in the latest Fifa world rankings to sit in 41st place despite losing 5-1 to the United States last weekend.
Scotland Under-21s will take on their Belgian counterparts in a friendly at East End Park on Aug 14.
Coach Billy Stark will use the match as preparation for his team's final two European Under-21 Championship qualifying matches in September against Luxembourg and Austria.
Gregory Tade has confirmed he will be playing for St Johnstone next season.
The 25-year-old French striker has signed a pre-contract with the Perth club after leaving Clydesdale Bank Premier League rivals Inverness. The deal is for a minimum of one year.
Peterborough United have signed midfielder Danny Swanson on a two-year deal following the expiry of his contract at Dundee United.
Kilmarnock have confirmed they will play Sheffield Wednesday in a testimonial match for James Fowler at Rugby Park on Aug 8, with a 7.45pm kick-off.
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| Stewart Regan Rangers |
The chief executive of the Scottish Football Association was speaking in the aftermath of the organisation’s annual general meeting which, in almost any other year, would have allowed him to parade a list of estimable achievements.
He had a stab at it when he mentioned the 16 per cent increase in the SFA’s turnover to £32.2 million, the biggest ever solidarity payment to member clubs and a record number of registered players north of the border.
However, Regan acknowledged the behemoth in the room when he said: "We're making substantial progress yet one issue dominates Scottish football and is reflected across the world and unfortunately it doesn't paint the game in as positive a light as it should be."
Rangers, past present and future – whatever that might be – dominated all but a few seconds of Regan’s half hour with the daily newspaper correspondents.
Given that his two years in office have encompassed a referees’ strike, mail bombs sent to a Celtic manager who was also the victim of an assault by the side of the field, a root and branch reform of the SFA’s procedures and the near-meltdown at Ibrox, is it not reasonable to suppose that if anybody had presented that scenario when he was still at Headingley, he would have run for cover?
"Anyone would have probably laughed at you if you'd have said that's what you were facing,” said Regan. “No one could have predicted it so it's a hypothetical question, but I would say that I personally have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this job.
“I love the fact we have made so much change in such a short space of time and I like the fact the game is moving forward. There's still a long way to go especially with league reconstruction, but I really have enjoyed it.
"Of course I get frustrated when I get the police giving me advice on how to behave in Scotland, given the culture we operate in, and when people send me inappropriate emails and messages but I've learned to live with that and put it down to experience. I know some of you get the same abuse I do so that kind of makes it a bit easier.
"I think Scottish football fans are more passionate than any fans I've seen anywhere in the world. I've grown up in the North East of England in a football-loving family and a football-loving culture and I've been to some of the most passionate derby matches you can imagine.
“However, I haven't seen anything like the Old Firm rivalry and how it takes on a very different perspective when you roll in religion and politics all into one pot. Unfortunately a minority actually choose to use any attempt they can to undermine you, to create conspiracy theories to try and deflect from the good work that is going on.
“And I think it's very sad for the world of football but it's the world that we live in, and we deal with it.”
One high-profile figure who might yet become a casualty of the revelations at Rangers is Campbell Ogilvie, who was secretary/director at Ibrox when the contentious Employee Benefit Trusts (EBTs) were introduced there.
Regan, though, presented a stout defence of his president when he said: “Let's not forget that EBTs are not illegal. They are illegal if they are used knowingly in an incorrect manner. That is something we are still waiting for facts on, but I am satisfied that Campbell has discharged his duty of care.
"He has done everything we could have asked of him and, so far as his integrity is concerned, he is a man with many years as a highly respected administrator across the game of football in Scotland. He has been upfront, transparent and the board are happy we could not have expected any more of him at this stage."
One particularly significant change to SFA articles, which was approved unanimously, came out of the Rangers morass and obliges clubs to investigate the background of prospective new owners.
Regan also declared that Fifa will take no action against the SFA for Rangers’ action in going to court to contest a 12-month transfer embargo imposed by the association’s independent Judicial Tribunal.
Rangers fans, meanwhile, will be given the chance to rename the club's Murray Park training ground, according to Charles Green, who is leading a consortium who wants to buy the ailing Glasgow giants.
Green met with the Rangers Fans' Fighting Fans Fund and he described the meeting as "constructive".
One of the issues raised was the club's training complex at Auchenhowie, which was officially opened in July, 2001 and named after Sir David Murray, the club's then owner who sold Rangers to Craig Whyte last year.
Season ticket holders have been promised the chance to change the name in homage to Moses McNeil, one of the club's founding fathers, or Davie Cooper, a former winger.
Scotland have leapt seven places in the latest Fifa world rankings to sit in 41st place despite losing 5-1 to the United States last weekend.
Scotland Under-21s will take on their Belgian counterparts in a friendly at East End Park on Aug 14.
Coach Billy Stark will use the match as preparation for his team's final two European Under-21 Championship qualifying matches in September against Luxembourg and Austria.
Gregory Tade has confirmed he will be playing for St Johnstone next season.
The 25-year-old French striker has signed a pre-contract with the Perth club after leaving Clydesdale Bank Premier League rivals Inverness. The deal is for a minimum of one year.
Peterborough United have signed midfielder Danny Swanson on a two-year deal following the expiry of his contract at Dundee United.
Kilmarnock have confirmed they will play Sheffield Wednesday in a testimonial match for James Fowler at Rugby Park on Aug 8, with a 7.45pm kick-off.
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