Gordon Strachan’s dual roles at Celtic and Dundee may break SFA rules
A bizarre arrangement between Gordon Strachan, Celtic and Dundee is to be discussed at the Scottish Football Association’s professional game board as it may breach the governing body’s articles of association.
Article 13 of the Scottish FA’s rulebook deals with dual interests in clubs; in this case, both play in the same division. It may well be that Strachan is asked to sever ties with one of the clubs.
Celtic announced on Tuesday evening that Strachan, their manager between 2005 and 2009, was returning in a three-month consultancy role.
A statement read: “Gordon will spend his time looking at our activities within our football academy, our women’s team and newly established B team, with a view to providing recommendations to chief executive Dom McKay on how we can develop these areas further, feeding into wider work ongoing across the club.”
Strachan said: “Great people at Celtic always do great work. I look forward to building on this work, liaising with Dom and all our Celtic colleagues once again and hope we can work together for the benefit of the club and these teams so they ultimately can develop further and bring Celtic success.”
Eyebrows were raised with Strachan’s subsequent assertion that he was looking “forward to continuing my work at Dundee FC where I have established a great working relationship and close bond with the manager, managing director, staff and coaches”. Strachan has been Dundee’s technical director since the summer of 2019.
In a subsequent statement Dundee said: “This evening it has been announced that Gordon has taken a shortterm consultancy role with Celtic Football Club but this will not affect his role with Dundee FC. We have been in constant communication with Gordon and Celtic throughout this process.”
Yet not, it would seem, with the Scottish FA. Its articles of association state that without written consent of the board: “any person who (i) is a member of a club, (ii) is involved in any capacity whatsoever in the management or administration of a club or (iii) has any power whatsoever to influence the management or administration of a club may not take up any such role with another club until such time as the Scottish FA is reasonably satisfied that such person has ceased to hold such role in the first club.”
The professional game board is scheduled to meet next week. Celtic cantered to a 6-0 win over newly-promoted Dundee on Sunday.