THERE has been little if any sympathy expressed publicly for Stewart Regan since the Englishman was forced to stand down as chief executive of the Scottish Football Association last week after eight eventful years in the position.
Following the failed attempt to land Michael O’Neill as Scotland manager and the nonsensical decision to take on two end-of-season friendlies in Peru and Mexico this summer, few in the national game mourned his departure.
Yet, Jackie McNamara, who has moved from the dugout to the boardroom at York City, has received an eye-opening insight into the difficulties of being the man at the top in the last couple of years and admitted yesterday that he feels for Regan.
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The former Celtic and Scotland defender, who is now chief executive at the National League North club, suspects his counterpart was prevented from instigating real change for the better by the limitations of his role at the SFA.
“Stewart has taken a lot of stick over the last wee bit,” said McNamara. “I have a bit of sympathy there. How much can he alter? There are a lot of things we don’t know about going on behind the scenes.
“You aren’t just picking a manager. There are a lot of things to be resolved, sponsorships, organise friendlies, the future of our game. There are so many things there that have to be looked at. It is sometimes difficult for one man to change it.
“I’m sure he would put his hands up and say he made mistakes. But there is always the other side of it. How much did he want to change and couldn’t? When you are looking at it from the outside you only see so much. But having done this side of the job there is a bit of sympathy there because there is only so much you can do as one person."
He added: “I have been doing it for just over a year and a half now. There are not many ex-players doing it, but I enjoy it. I enjoy it because I am still involved. I am seeing all the ins and outs of simple things like, sponsorship, looking for kit deals, everything.
“As a manager and player you maybe just get on with your job, picking your team, playing your game on a Saturday. There is a lot to consider.”
McNamara, who played for Scotland the last time they qualified for the finals of a major tournament at France ’98, is also convinced Regan would have survived had the national team not fallen short of the Russia 2018 play-off place they had targeted.
“Everything now depends on results,” he said. “For him, if the national team had qualified nobody would have said anything. If Gordon had got us over the line and we’d qualified for Russia no one would have given him stick.
“As a chief exec, owner or manager or player it is what happens out there on the pitch, unfortunately, that matters. It doesn’t matter how good he is in his job. He could be the best chief exec ever in the history of Scotland, but if he did not qualify, that’s the first port as manager. It filters down.
“Little things help. Qualification would help sponsorship. It is all connected. Obviously, the first port of call for fans is the manager because everyone thinks they can do the manager’s job.
“After the manager goes he has to pick the next person that comes in to try to get results and if that does not work it turns to them. Then suddenly things don’t happen, like sponsorship. There are so many issues to be resolved like the national stadium. There is a lot to think about.”
McNamara worked under Ian Maxwell, the Partick Thistle general manager who has been linked with the SFA chief executive’s position, during his successful spell as manager at Firhill.
“Maxy has done a good job at Partick," he said. “But this is a different animal in terms of what you can do and what you can change, and the pressure and the scrutiny. You have to have really thick skin. You need to be a politician. There are things you can’t say or can’t change.
“Of course it can be done. Buy you need everyone to buy into what you want to change for the better. There are little things for the future of the game that, from the outside, worry me, like Project Brave.
"There are so many coaches with their badges, but for me the coaching is the biggest problem. They are teaching kids to be robots rather than express themselves and do things properly and learn the game. I don’t agree with it.
"We are now picking kids at an early age. Who is to determine if they are ready? Andy Robertson left Celtic at 15. They decided at that age he wasn't ready. He is now playing at Liverpool. We have the talent there."
“Jackie McNamara was speaking at a William Hill media event. William Hill is the proud sponsor of the Scottish Cup.”