BACK in the day, when I was “on the tools”, beavering away at the coal face in search of truth, justice and a good sports story, the SRU posted a vacancy in their media department, which I fancied applying for.
I
duly posted in my application, then mentioned I had applied to one of
the best of the old amateur “bufties”, who had only just been
eased out of the Murrayfield exit. His take was brief an to the point
– as might be expected from an old prop: “You've got nae chance,
you're way over qualified: you know too-much about Scottish Rugby and
how it works, they will not want you anywhere near the place.”
I
duly received a very nice: “thanks but no thanks” response from
Murrayfield and, sure enough, the job went to a callow youth, fresh
from a university “media studies” course, clutching a nice fresh
diploma in journalism, but, unable to tell a tight-head prop from
Chris Paterson.
Chris Paterson - definitely not a tight-head prop
I
reckon that's still how Murrayfield works. A friend of mine, in the
certain knowledge he would not get past first base, recently applied
for the vacancy for a Non-Executive Director with the SRU. My friend
has considerable experience in business and rugby, he ticked all the
boxes that I could see, but, all he got was a very polite brush-off
from the – I am sure very nice – young lady sifting the
applications with Odgers Berndtson, the head-hunting company which
the SRU has hired – at I am sure a nice little fee to them – to
find them their new NED (Non-Executive Director).
I
checked-out the Odgers Berndtson website, and the “our people”
section, which lists everyone from the Chair – Baroness Bottomley
of Nettlestone, better known as former Tory Party cabinet minister in
the John Major government, Virginia Bottomley – right down to the
researchers in the various UK offices, 172 people listed in all, but
not the young lady who responded to my mate. Maybe the office junior
is handling the SRU vacancies, certainly nobody important enough to
get their mug shot on the company web site appears to be involved.
Baroness Bottomley - nice to know the SRU are funding a Tory Lady's life-style
Hiring
companies such as Odgers Berndtson does not come cheaply. I cannot
help thinking, it was maybe better in the old days, when the guys
running Scottish rugby knew who could do the job, and brought them on
board. However, I rather suspect, today's professional administrators
would rather work to a template resembling Tommy Docherty's legendary
profile of the ideal football club board: “Three-strong, two dead
and one dying,” since this would allow the manager to work
unhindered.
Yes,
I can see the Fat Controller liking that scenario.
And,
speaking of Mr Dodson, another pal, concerned at the way the hired
hands are rampaging unhindered through Murrayfield's corridors of
power, did a wee bit of sleuthing through the minutiae of the SRU
accounts. He discovered:
Total
payments to Directors £1,273,000
Subtract
payments to the NEDs and Chairman £155,000
Amount
left for payments to the four Executive Directors £1,118,000
We
already know the Fat Controller picks-up something like £500,000
pa,
which leaves £618,000 to be divided-up between Messrs McKay, Howat
and Healey. Nice little earners if you can get them. No wonder they
don't want inquisitive NEDs, with a bit of rugby knowledge,
questioning them and their competence.
Look
at it this way, the average cost of a ticket for the Fiji game, the
first match in the Autumn Internationals at Murrayfield, will be £17.
If they can sell-out the stadium, to its 67,000 capacity – the
income will just pay the four Executive Directors' salaries for the
year, with a wee bit left over.
I
doubt if anyone involved in Scottish Rugby will begrudge executives
their big salaries, but, there has to be a degree of value for money.
The Fat Controller and the Thin Controller have both done well in a
commercial sense. They have tidied-up the mess they inherited,
steadied the ship and, at the top level, presided over better times.
Cracks are being papered over
But,
they have to be accountable to the stakeholders, principal among whom
are the clubs, and there is abroad in Scottish Rugby a sense that,
maybe, in some parts we are seeing cracks being papered-over.
These
Executive Directors are very-well paid, but, for their big salaries
we expect big results:
- We don't want to see departmental managers sacked on a whim, without due process being followed.
- We don't want, as a result, to see the SRU's good name dragged through the courts, and precious resources spent on pay-offs which have been enhanced by SRU stupidity.
- We don't want to see “whitewash” jobs in the subsequent enquiry – whereby Board members who were involved in the contentious decisions are “independently investigating” these decisions. Aye Right!!
- We don't want, or need, Council reps, who did nothing when things ere being badly handled, standing for higher office on a ticket to: “hold the executive to account”, when they have singularly failed to do this in the past.
- We want to see the executives doing their best for Scottish Rugby, not for themselves, while being subject to stakeholder oversight of their actions.
I
trust, at the hustings for the vacant vice-presidency, the clubs will
send representatives, prepared to ask difficult questions of the guys
who will ultimately be representing them on the Council. I trust
these difficult questions will be honestly and satisfactorily
answered.
I
trust further, the guys who have singularly failed to hold the some
might say over-paid executives to account, but think they deserve a
second chance, can really, honestly convince their constituencies of
this, but, that the alternative candidates show they might do things
differently.
We
have a small, highly-paid elite running the game in Scotland. They
appear to be doing ok for the small, professional side of Scottish
Rugby, and, via their salaries themselves. But, they do not seem to
be doing as-well for the bulk of the game here – the clubs.
THIS
MUST CHANGE.
