Mark Warburton accepted the job of managing Sevco without meeting Dave King!
The rookie boss signed a three year contract last week after talks with Sevco directors Paul Murray and John Gilligan.
Twelve years after giving up his job as a city trader Warby is currently in the Czech Republic working towards getting his UEFA coaching licence.
While that qualification looks at the technical side of the game it seems that the former Enfield star has plenty to learn about the unique characteristics of football boardrooms- especially the one at the top of the marble staircase which has recently hosted Craig Whyte, Charles Green, Dave Murray, Malky Murray and Sandy Easdale.
Holding a face-to-face meeting with the club owner is regarded as an essential part of managerial recruitment but Warbo was happy to sign up at Ibrox based on a video of Mr King spelling out his ‘vision’ for the company.
“We haven’t met as yet,” the former Leicester City trainee told the Sunday newspapers. “I heard the interview, the passion was very evident.
“I thought he spoke very well of the aims and ambitions for the club. It was a long speech and the questions were quite demanding and the answers were good.”
A little research into Mr King might have provided Warbo with some valuable background information on the man recently described by a South African judge as a glib and shameless liar.
After issuing a plea for supporters to buy season tickets Mr King failed to appear at the recent General Meeting called by Mike Ashley and was back home in his vineyard as the new manager was unveiled.
When he issued his season ticket plea Mr King claimed that there was no limit on the budget available for the new manager.
Proposed scoops for John Eustace and Rob Kiernan would suggest that Warbo’s budget will be very limited with the new boss still waiting to make his first signing.
While Mr King claimed that there was no limit to the manager’s war-chest his boardroom colleague Murray admitted that there will be little money available to compete with Hibs, St Mirren and Alloa for a place in the top flight.
“People are looking to make up headlines saying we will spend x number of millions but it is not really what we want to do,” the borders based blazer chaser admitted. “We want to spend money wisely and probably a bit differently from the past – we will try to get value.
“Our ambitions are to get the club back to the very top of Scottish football as quickly as possible. But we don’t want to do that by taking unsustainable risk. I don’t think just making a marquee signing for the sake of it is always a good idea but if a player becomes available that Mark thinks can add some value to the club then we will obviously look at that.
“We are not going to sign Ronaldo or Messi anytime soon but there are obviously a good number of players being offered that we are having initial discussions with.”
With expenditure of over £30m to be met from ticket money it seems that staying afloat for the new season without further loans from Mike Ashley will be the biggest challenge facing the new executive team at Ibrox.
