SFA chief receives backing for reforms

SFA chief executive Stewart Regan has received backing for his proposals to overhaul the organisation's decision-making procedures.

• SFA chief executive Stewart Regan

The Scottish football chief has secured the support of the SFA board to streamline and speed up of the governing body's management processes with the changes set to be implemented at the start of next season.

Regan revealed the plans included restructuring the board, incorporating a professional and non-professional board and a main strategic board, with responsibility for financial and other major decisions.

"The committee structure, whilst it has worked for many years, is very bureaucratic and laborious, he said.

"We need to have much slicker, more transparent, more up-front system where all clubs, players and officials know exactly what's happening and how long it takes for things to be dealt with.

"I made a commitment to modernise the structure of the organisation and the processes.

"I'm delighted to say that, at a board meeting yesterday, the board have backed the proposals and we will be taking them to the AGM on June 6."

Regan also revealed that disciplinary procedures would be streamlined, pointing out that five committees currently deal with certain disciplinary matters.

"We believe that having that number of committees leads to inconsistency, bureaucracy and lengthy delays in dealing with matters," the former Yorkshire County Cricket Club chief executive said.

"We want to streamline that and have one compliance or regulatory body which meets after each weekend's fixtures and tries to deal very promptly with what happens in those games.

"If the charges are accepted by those involved they are actioned before the next game, in which case everyone can move on and there is an understanding of the disciplinary process."