THE HERALD REPORTS

KEVIN FERRIE, Chief Rugby Writer May 08 2007

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS: John Clarke doesn't believe there is a big enough fan base to support two teams in Stirling. Picture: Nick Ponty
The financial trouble-shooter who helped save Stirling County from bankruptcy has warned the consortium seeking to bring professional rugby to the city that the time is wrong for such a venture.

John Clarke, achkowledges that his perspective on the proposal is coloured by his devotion to the Bridgehaugh club, of which he is now president. Seven years have elapsed since, as a former director of Bank of Scotland specialising in business recovery, he was invited on to County's board. The club was on the point of folding just five years after becoming the first to take the national title from the south-east. He is now deeply emotionally attached.

"The first thing I've got to think of is the impact on our membership, support, sponsorship, advertising and player drift," he said. "I suspect there would be some strain put on us if there was a successful, competing pro team in the city."

Yet as a businessman he has also been puzzled by the consortium's reticence about consulting those who have addressed many of the issues they would have to. Since one of its members was Kenny Logan, County's first international player, it is inconceivable that they did not know the history of how the club realised they could not depend on rugby to generate the necessary finance so transformed itself into a social and sporting hub now boasting an annual turnover of close to £500,000.

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Yet it was not until Logan brought an invitation team to the inaugural City of Stirling Sevens tournament held at the club 10 days ago - the pro team plan being put together first emerged more than a year earlier - that introductions were made with Graham Burgess, the Aberdeen oil man who is heading the consortium.

"At no stage was Stirling County brought into the equation," said Clarke. "Kenny said that was for reasons of confidentiality, but it would have been quite useful to have been brought into the discussion, whereas we've not been approached at all. Being the premier club in this area it was surprising that we were virtually the last to know what was happening and were reading about these proposals in the press.

"The first time we spoke was on the evening of our sevens tournament and I was very open with the man Burgess."

While it would seem natural that to maximise their appeal locally there should be some attempt to invite County into the process through some sort of partnership, Clarke said nothing of that kind was put on the table, other than the possibility of training facilities being shared. Since those will be provided not by the consortium but by the city council as part of its already approved Sports Village proposal, it would seem safe to presume their prospective availability to the local rugby club anyway.

Yet Clarke is not so much hostile towards the Burgess/ Logan consortium as sceptical.

It’s a brave man who comes in here and tries to make a pro team work and I would hate to see it damage what’s now happening


"Don't get me wrong, if they have the finance and the ability to go out and do this there is nothing we can do to stop them, but you have to ask where you're going to get the support base required," he said. "We struggle to get people to come and watch us. This is the central belt. The Old Firm have a huge impact here, so turnstiles are not the key source of our income.

"I do not believe there would be the level of resentment here that there was in the Borders and there are people around here who would probably very much support the idea of a pro team, but I personally don't believe the market is there. From a business perspective I have grave reservations.

"Anyone coming in here to set up a pro team would have to have a dynamic impact and I don't see how you can do it, but if they want to try that's up to them.

"I was quite astonished, though, that a very significant and successful businessman is prepared to take in what I personally perceive as a financial black hole at this location and this time."

To place all that into context it should be noted that Clarke has been unusual within the sport during his time at Bridgehaugh as both an outspoken critic of the SRU's lack of support for clubs yet also a strong supporter of the concept of professional rugby.

"I've always believed you must have professional teams as a conduit between club and international level, but they must be funded properly. You should build one up, make it successful, then follow on from that," he said.

"The perfect formula is for the SRU to make Glasgow work and work well. They also have a commitment to Edinburgh for the next four years, so should look to make that work.

"It's an evolutionary process, particularly in Scotland. So it's a brave man who comes in here and tries to make a pro team work and I would hate to see it damage what's now happening."

Perhaps most significant of all, taking into account the criticism levelled at the SRU over the past few weeks regarding the closure of the Border Reivers, the governing body's contractual dispute with Edinburgh's owners and their unwillingness to rush into a deal with Burgess, is his support for the SRU's top brass.

"What happened in the Borders was inevitable and there's been a fair old amount of unnecessary vitriol directed at the SRU, yet I genuinely believe clubs are shoulder to shoulder alongside Gordon McKie the SRU chief executive regarding what has taken place," he said.

Whether that is the case and the extent to which campaigning against McKie and his team has been mere propaganda will be tested at the SRU's annual meeting next month.

Meantime, Burgess and his consortium must decide quickly whether to defy local knowledge and bring pro rugby to Stirling in time for next season as they claim to want to do.

This article was posted on 8-May-2007, 15:23 by Hugh Barrow.