The Scottish FA is pleased to report an increase in turnover and payments to member clubs at its Annual General Meeting at Hampden Park today.
Turnover rose from £28.5m in 2013 to £33.6m by year-end 2014. This has enabled an increase in payments to members from £9.6m to £10.9m across various strands of the Scottish FA’s Performance Strategy, including Club Academy Scotland and National Club Licensing.
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Alan McRae was also appointed President of the Scottish FA, replacing Campbell Ogilvie, who stepped down after four years and two terms of office. Rod Petrie was appointed Vice-President, with Gary Hughes endorsed as a second Independent Non-Executive Director, replacing the previous role of second Vice-President.
Other significant resolutions and proposals passed today by the members include:
- Reformatting of Council to become a fully representative Congress, including membership from PFA Scotland, Coaches and Managers Association, Scottish Senior Football Referees’ Association and Supporters’ Groups.
- Entry to the William Hill Scottish Cup extended to the East of Scotland and South of Scotland Football League champions and the winners of the Scottish Amateur FA Cup.
The increased turnover and payments to clubs are a reflection of the many highlights of a successful 2014 for the Scottish FA Group.
Hampden Park Ltd, its subsidiary company, played host to an unforgettable Commonwealth Games - widely regarded as the “best-ever” - and showcased the adaptability of the National Stadium as a top-class sporting venue. That reputation was underlined when Glasgow was chosen as a host city for the UEFA European Championship finals in 2020; with Hampden Park one of 13 stadia across Europe selected to help celebrate the 60th anniversary of the competition.
A successful bid involving Hampden Park Ltd, Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau and Event Scotland will provide a tantalising staging post for the Scottish FA’s strategic plan, Scotland United: A 2020 Vision.
Success was also achieved on the field, with Gordon Strachan’s national side finishing 2014 strongly, with a 1-0 victory against Republic of Ireland at Celtic Park that kept Scotland in contention in European Qualifying Group D. Anna Signeul’s Women’s National Team came agonisingly close to qualifying for FIFA World Cup 2015 in Canada, losing to Netherlands in the play-off semi-final.
Scotland’s women’s under-17s and under-19s reached the Finals of their respective 2013/14 European Championships, and the men’s under-17s did likewise, advancing to the semi-finals.
It also proved a landmark year for the flagship Performance Schools project, with Zak Rudden of Broughton High becoming the first player in the programme to score a goal at international level, netting the winner in an under-15 match against Switzerland.
Football Development continues to grow the game, with more than 130,000 participants now registered and 12 brand-new 3G multi-use pitches opened as part of the CashBack for Communities project.
The Scottish FA has also grown its social media audience to more than 500,000 across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, YouTube and Snapchat and has sold out its 35,000-strong Scotland Supporters Club.
Stewart Regan, Scottish FA Chief Executive: “I am pleased to introduce Alan McRae as President and I would like to thank Campbell Ogilvie for his direction and input as President during his four-year term, especially in the implementation of our strategic plan.
“The members’ decision to vote in favour of the modernisation of Council, to a fully representative Congress, addresses another key governance recommendation of the McLeish Review of Scottish Football.
“It’s fair to say that 2014 has been a positive year on and off the pitch for the Scottish FA in what is challenging financial climate for the game as a whole.
“As we approached the midway point of our strategic plan, Scotland United: A 2020 Vision, it was important to analyse the journey so far since the strategy was first implemented in 2011.
“On the field, we have been delighted by the progress made by Gordon Strachan and his players during the European Qualifying campaign for UEFA Euro 2016. We have also witnessed the first green shoots from our seven Regional Performance Schools, with a healthy smattering of players from the schools now populating our earliest National Youth Team.
“The growth of women’s football continues apace, too, and despite not reaching the World Cup, Scotland’s reputation continues to flourish domestically and internationally.
“Securing a successful host city bid for Euro 2020 was the culmination of months of hard work, preparation and successful lobbying. I would like to thank Sir Alex Ferguson for his endorsement of Glasgow’s winning bid and to everyone who contributed to such a first-class proposal.
“With the publication of part two of our strategic plan taking us to 2020, I am confident that the Scottish FA can fulfil its mission to lead the national game with integrity and innovation to foster a culture of performance, unity and trust.”