Dual-Ownership Model to Remain in Scotland, Says SFA Chief Ian Maxwell

SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell has claimed it would make no sense for Scottish football to now discourage dual-ownership models.

Previously reluctant to allow parties with stakes in teams playing in other countries to buy into clubs here, the governing body have recently approved a number of such deals.

Last year, Bournemouth owner Bill Foley bought up 25 per cent of Hibs for £6million.

In May, Hearts shareholders agreed for Brighton owner Tony Bloom to take 29 per cent of their club in return for £10m.

Earlier this month, 49ers Enterprises, who own Leeds United, formed part of an American consortium which took control of Rangers.

The deals were only able to happen after the SFA gave them a seal of approval, with the trend set to continue.

While Maxwell says the SFA will reserve the right to judge each case on its merits in future, he believes the right owners in the right circumstances should now be welcomed with open arms.

‘They’ve not been particularly complicated,’ he said of the deals. ‘To be honest, we’ve definitely been more open. Multi-club ownership is here. It’s part of football.

‘When you look across Europe, the number of clubs that are involved in some multi-club structure is growing by the day. We need to be part of that. Why would you limit that investment?

‘It was actually interesting when you start to think through the process. We had dual-interest regulations which meant that, if you’re involved in a club, you can’t get involved in a Scottish club unless we say yes.

‘But someone like a Tony Bloom, for example, that’s getting involved in Hearts, he has a track record at Brighton, understands football, has Union Saint-Gilloise, knows other clubs.

‘We actually make it harder for him to come into Scottish football than we do for someone who’s just sold a company for £10m that’s got no understanding of the Scottish game.

‘When you actually get into it, you go: “That probably doesn’t make a lot of sense”.’

While no Scottish club yet falls into the multi-club model seen at the likes of the City Group, allowing individuals with stakes in other sides to own percentages of clubs here does raise questions over dual ownership.

However, with wealthy individuals now buying up shares in teams in different leagues throughout the world, Maxwell believes it’s something that must be embraced.

‘The good thing is, because the vast majority of clubs (and their shareholders) that have come into Scotland have got other multi-club ownership models, they’re used to it,’ he said.

‘You speak to the guys involved in the Hearts deal and they’re very aware of what UEFA need, what they want and how that structure needs to look to make sure we don’t get ourselves those problems.

‘So, I think it’s here. We can’t ignore it. Why would you want to step away from it? 

‘Why would you want to block investment coming into the game if it’s going to be good for our clubs?

‘The trick is the club need to then go and spend that money as wisely as possible.

‘We don’t get involved in that bit. But, from a broad perspective, there’s definitely a willingness to look at anything that generates more investment into Scotland.’

The issue of dual and multi-club ownership has been given greater prominence in the past week due to Crystal Palace’s situation.

The FA Cup winners are battling to satisfy UEFA that there’s no impediment to them playing in the Europa League.

The club are owner by businessman John Textor – who also has a stake in French side Lyon – and apparently didn’t clear any potential European involvement before the March deadline.

But Maxwell is adamant that any Scottish side’s participation in European competition would have to be set in stone before a change of ownership is waved through.

‘Our board, we’re looking at it from two perspectives,’ he said. ‘Does it grow and develop the game? 

‘Will it generate financial investment into Scottish football? Does it give us an integrity issue?

‘The integrity issue falls away because that would only happen if it was two Scottish teams playing under our jurisdiction, which it’s not.

‘The jurisdictional matter becomes a UEFA point and we’ve been clear in all the dual interests, all the multi-club investment models that we’ve done.

‘If, similar to a Crystal Palace scenario at the moment, there’s a question mark about which one’s going to play in Europe, it can’t be the Scottish club that’s the unintended consequence or has to step aside from European competition.’