SO LUCKY TO MAKE AN IMPACT

SFA chief Maxwell happy to oversee brighter days

- By Michael Gannon

SCOTTISH football loves a fall guy to blame when things go awry — and they usually reside on Hampden’s sixth floor.

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster has made a career out of being a piñata for fans to beat, even when in reality he’s only doing their bidding.

In previous years, the under-fire Doncaster had his SFA counterpart, Stewart Regan, for company in the competition for the title of Public Enemy No.1.

Doncaster still happily takes the rough without much smooth in his role, but it’s been a far less torturous experience for Ian Maxwell at the SFA.

Regan had the referees strike, the Rangers crisis, a Scotland team stumbling from one disaster to another and the bumbling over appointing managers. In the end it didn’t take much to topple him.

In contrast, Maxwell made it seven years in the gig this month and has avoided campaigns calling for his head.

The ex-Partick Thistle centre-half then chief exec has been more of a peacetime leader — even if there have been testing moments. VAR has been tricky and highly controversial.

And then there was Covid nearly destroying our game.

But Maxwell has steered the SFA through those troubled times and the national team has qualified for the Euro finals twice after decades of misery.

The 50-year-old looks comfortable and confident in a role that has sent some batty.