EXCLUSIVE THE MAN WHO CAN SAVE SCOTTISH FOOTBALL
From Back Page damage Stewart Regan wreaked on the Scottish game.
Record Sport revealed yesterday Maxwell is a contender to replace Regan at Hampden after the Firhill general manager applied for the post and quit his seat in the SFA boardroom to avoid a conflict of interest.
And while Beattie admits Thistle could be the biggest losers he says Maxwell is the best candidate for the sake of the game in this country.
He also feels he is the ideal man to rebuild the broken relationships between the game’s governors and its clubs on the back of Regan’s catastrophic reign.
Beattie told Record Sport: “I don’t want to compare Maxy with Stewart Regan but what I can say is he will bring a freshness, an honesty and a common touch to the position.
“He is aligned with a lot of Scotland’s clubs and he understands the game. I’d have thought, given where the SFA is and where Regan left it, that understanding football should be a prerequisite for the job.
“Maxy is different to Stewart Regan. I would suggest he is more rounded and more experienced in working with football clubs.
“As much as I would like him to stay at Thistle I hope, for the good of the Scottish game, that he gets the job. It will leave us with a big hole to fill but if we employ good people and they outgrow what we can offer them then so be it.
“We always knew there would come a day when Maxy would go on to bigger things. It’s probably come a bit quicker than expected but that’s just football.”
After a journeyman playing career spanning 17 years at five clubs – Queen’s Park, Ross County, St Johnstone, St Mirren and Partick Thistle – Maxwell is now in line for one of the biggest jobs in the game.
And Beattie is sure the 42-year-old’s skills as a communicator, coupled with his in-depth knowledge of the game, will bring football in this country back together.
He added: “There has been a lack of communication between the SFA and the clubs.
“It’s fine laying on educational projects or doing things like the McLeish Report but the game is bigger than just a project or a report.
“Maxy understands that and will bring that to the job. It will take him time because he’s not completely rounded yet but I think he would be a breath of fresh air for football in this country.
“He is measured in his thought process, he has experience due to his background as a player and has been running Partick Thistle and learning about working within a budget.
“He understands the SFA, having sat on the Professional Game Board, has built up a good network and is well respected within the football community.
“This is a role he can grow into. It’s not a given he’ll get the job but I believe he has a lot of support already.
“I also think he is up for the challenge which is good because there are some big tasks facing the SFA in terms of restructuring. That may be one of his agenda items and now is surely the time to do it.
“Maxy will come up with his own ideas and he will be able to bring others with him.
“He aligns people with his honesty and openness. He’s not a condescending type and is well received by clubs.”