The Heralds reports


SRU president: Will it be a PC appointment?KEVIN FERRIE June 09 2007

Brown: Safe hands for SRU?
In his autobiography, the late, great Gordon "Broon fae Troon" Brown devotes a chapter to his brother Peter entitled "The Man on the Coathanger". There is barely a trace of sibling rivalry as, his words laced with admiration and affection, one rugby legend pays tribute to another.

That title well describes, to this day, the unique gait of the broad-shouldered man recognised throughout the rugby world by his initials "PC". As a player his eccentricities included a fondness for heading the oval ball, not to mention a goal-kicking routine which involved turning his back on the ball then wiping his nose with his sleeve before turning to regularly knock it over the bar. That was while playing lock or No.8 incidentally.

Some at Murrayfield are apprehensive about his decision to stand for the presidency of the Scottish Rugby Union, which becomes vacant at the end of this month when Andy Irvine completes his two-year stint. They appear to believe this ebullient character, as full of enthusiasm for life as ever in his mid-sixties, may be something of a maverick. Yet Brown insists that as an administrator he is anything but, saying: "Every organisation I've been involved in business or sport I've left stronger than when I joined it."

In particular he points to long involvement with the Scottish Building Society, chairing its board from 1993-2003 as it resisted all outside influences to remain mutual.

advertisement"It has the lowest bad debt level of any financial institution in the UK. I have always been a safe pair of hands," Brown asserts.

This is said not boastfully, merely to reinforce his point that his approach to business is rigorous. As a vastly experienced non-executive director he can be as rugged in the boardroom as an ex-international forward might be expected to be, but believes strongly that what takes place in it should remain there.

Brown was among those brought into that role to do nothing short of save the sport after it was thrown into turmoil two years ago, when chairman David Mackay and chief executive Phil Anderton were ousted and the SRU general committee made its power grab. Along with Allan Munro, now SRU chairman, and Tom Inglis, also still a board member, Brown helped Fred McLeod, the caretaker chairman/chief executive, drive through the governance overhaul required.

Yet amid some further board room manoeuvring, Brown was the only one of the three non-execs not invited to stay when a new board was engaged.

A passionate rugby man, who believed he had much to offer, was incandescent. Yet when asked at a recent meeting of Premier One clubs, he was asked whether he would carry any baggage and his answer was that would categorically not be the case. He maintains he has absolute confidence in the current administrators.

"If Allan Munro says X,Y, or Z he'll tell you the truth and if Gordon McKie says they are now managing the debt then I am certain that is the case."

As for Andy Irvine, he is in no doubt about his contribution, saying: "I think he has done a great job. We had to get the confidence of the Scottish rugby public back and I think he has achieved that."

Brown believes that having a high-profile rugby figure to succeed Irvine is important and also that, while it is not mandatory that the president must chair the Scottish Rugby Council and so be on the board, as is the case with Irvine, it would be useful if he were.

"I think they need me on the board from my rugby playing point of view. When Andy's gone there will be no-one else there who played at the top level."

While those playing days are more than 30 years ago, he has kept very much up to date with the modern game over the past decade as a match commissioner who has travelled to New Zealand, Russia and all over Europe in the past 12 months alone.

Brown wants to use the presidency to move between clubs learning lessons from those that are thriving - and, as he observes, there are many of them, often in non-traditional rugby areas - and helping those that are currently struggling.

At top level he also believes there is scope for the president to offer assistance to the national coach.

"I've never been in such despair watching Scotland as when, this season, after Chris Paterson scored the try that got us back to just seven points behind, no-one went for the kick-off, we threw the ball into the lineout, lost it and Italy scored. I wanted to speak to Mr Hadden on the Monday morning to ask him about it.

"You have to ask who carried out a review of his performance at the end of the season? Who has the rugby ability to do that?

"That has to happen, it has to be honest and he has to know the guy doing it is 100 per cent on his side. I said that to the Premier One clubs when we met them and got a round of applause.

"I don't want to get at Frank Hadden, but it is a lonely position and I think it is very important that he has people who have operated at that level to consult."

Of course there are three possible motivations for standing for a post such as the SRU presidency - belief that drastic changes must be made to what is happening, a desire to offer support to people who are doing a good job and ego.

In his comments about McKie and Munro it could hardly be more clear that Brown leans towards the second of those and he also admits that the third is a consideration.

"There's a bit of ego in that I'm saying I think I can do a very good job, not because I want to be President at internationals, but because I think it is important that it is done well. In a way all I can do is damage the reputation I've got already. It is potentially a poisoned chalice but the competitive bit in me says that's why I want to take it. I think my brother would have been proud of me."

The other candidates
GEORGE JACK
It may seem strange from the one candidate for the SRU presidency who was directly involved in the events that brought the sport to its knees two years ago, but the thrust of George Jack's campaign is a call for unity.

The long-time General Committee member who was among the 10 who voted to remove then chairman David Mackay believes huge strides have been made, with the new board working closely with the advisory council that replaced the committee.

"The main challenge is to improve the image of the sport and I would like to challenge up front and out loud every strand of Scottish rugby to concentrate on the word union," he said.

He stresses that depends on relationships which in turn depends on personalities. In that regard rebuilding his own reputation was vital, a process that reached a new level this week - along with Allan Munro, the SRU chairman - he was one of Scotland's delegates who successfully negotiated to keep Edinburgh in next season's Heineken Cup.

Involved in rugby coaching and administration for 45 years, he believes his work on various international bodies sits well with the intention within the new constitution that the president be principally a figurehead.

"The contacts I have developed in Europe and at home over recent years would be to the benefit of our sport," he said. "My track record is built on developing and strengthening relationships, bringing to the fore mutual respect, honesty and trust."

On which note he, too, lauds the work of the current administration, saying: "I have the greatest admiration for what both those guys Munro and chief executive Gordon McKie have achieved in a short space of time. They don't always get the kudos they deserve."

However, he does single out Andy Irvine, pragmatically observing that it would be folly for the three candidates to attempt to match the current president's work-rate.

JIM STEVENSON
The candidacy of Jim Stevenson as president of the SRU is a perfect demonstration of how every cloud has a silver lining.

Had it not been for the threat to the sport's future two years ago he would not have emerged so rapidly as a candidate seen by many clubs as a champion of their cause via the Premier Three forum, one of several groups formed to ensure clubs fully understood what was happening.

His nomination was only suggested five days before the cut off date at the end of April after delegates to that forum realised their representative would be lost to the Scottish Rugby Council as a result of his club, Cambuslang's relegation. Flattered and so persuaded to stand if the required 10 nominating clubs could be found, he has been astonished and touched by the response.

"By the following day I had more than enough nominations and ever since then I've been getting messages of support," he said.

Like Peter Brown he takes particular encouragement from nominations having come from all over the country. Again like Brown and George Jack, he expresses huge confidence in the work being done by the current SRU executives and board, and is principally standing on a platform of believing that what is needed is no more than a change of emphasis.

"The message clubs are bringing to me is that they understand the focus from Murrayfield being at the top end, and appreciate they have to get that right because that is where the money comes from. However, it has to be broadened out because clubs have a pivotal role to play in the game's growth," Stevenson explained.

"We've now steadied the ship in terms of finances and while there should be no question of hand-outs we now need to target money to help those clubs that are doing the right things, and there are tremendous examples of good practice all over the country."

This article was posted on 9-Jun-2007, 08:07 by Hugh Barrow.