Heavily conflicted Andrew Dickson networking his way to power at Hampden

As Scottish football braces itself to be hit with the consequences of the Five Way Agreement of 2012 one figure continues to scuttle around the corridors of power- Andrew Dickson.

Largely going under the radar there can be little doubt that Dickson is one of the most heavily conflicted individuals in the Scottish game.

Until June 2012 he was the Football Administrator at Rangers, with the formation of Sevco he took on the same role for Charles Green’s club.

As football administrator at Rangers (IL) he liaised with the SFA and SPL over contracts, ensuring that everything was properly registered, Dickson was also in at the sharp end of contract negotiations working with clubs and agents to deliver the dreams of Dave Murray and Craig Whyte.

After the departure of Campbell Ogilvie, Dickson administered the EBT’s used to recruit players who would normally be outwith the reach of the Ibrox club.

Last week Lord Drummond Young added: “It seems to us to be self-evident that the obligations in the side-letter were part of the employee’s employment package, and provided him with additional remuneration. They were negotiated as part of the total employment package.

“Furthermore, so far as the footballers are concerned, at least, it seems to us that if bonuses had not been paid they might well have taken their services elsewhere.

“We realise that the fifth respondent (RFC 2012) was in, potentially, a difficult financial position, competing for good players in an international market where other countries may not have the same rigorous approach to taxation as the United Kingdom.

“Nevertheless, the law is clear: the payments made in respect of footballers were in our view derived from their employment and thus the payments were emoluments or earnings.”

As well as deceiving Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs Dickson also deceived the footballing authorities and every club in the country.

Lord Nimmo Smith found the club guilty of not reporting all payments to players to the SFA and SPL. For reasons known only to himself, seasons of using players not properly registered attracted a fine of just£250,000. East Stirling and Spartans found themselves kicked out of the Scottish Cup for clerical errors relating to registrations.

While the SFA hammered Craig Whyte with a lifetime ban and fine (unpaid) for non-payment of social taxes during the 2011/12 season no action was taken on individuals by Nimmo Smith.

Dickson and directors Paul Murray and Dave King were all aware of what was going on with the side letters to deny Her Majesty and provide a sporting advantage at every game they watched after meeting and greeting opposing directors, often in the blue room of unsurpassed dignity.

Having escaped punishment for cheating every club in the country shameless Dickson is now creeping his way back towards power at Hampden.

In July he was appointed onto the Scottish FA Football Regulatory Advisory Group, yesterday the purpose of his networking was revealed by Sevco chief executive Stewart Robertson in an interview with the club’s TV station.

Interestingly the interview took place on November 4, the day that the club auditors issued a going concern warning, but wasn’t published until November 11.

Explaining the plan to gain further influence with the SFA and SPFL Robbo revealed: “It’s absolutely key that we do that – myself and Andrew Dickson have been having regular meetings with Stewart Regan [SFA CEO], Neil Doncaster [SPFL CEO] and Ralph Topping [SPFL Chairman], and some of the PLC board members have been doing that regularly too.

“It’s about building relationships – it helps that we know them from days gone past, so that’s made it a bit easier to do that. They have got the confidence in us now that the board and the team here are looking to do the best for Rangers, but also for Scottish football.

“Andrew is already on a couple of key committees. The next stage will be to get onto the SPFL board and in due course the SFA board, so these are steps we definitely want to take.”

With the £250,000 fine for Rangers (IL) failure to register all payment details to the SFA and SPL still unpaid, it’s hard to justify the increasing influence of Dickson is having within the game. That is a matter for the clubs who rubber stamp and vote these decisions through.

The outcome of the Big Tax Case has turned the focus of supporters back on the SFA. With Dickson in-house the football authorities don’t have to look too far to find out what was concealed during the EBT years- until all links to that period are severed everything from Hampden will be viewed with the deepest of suspicion.

CLICK HERE for the full list of EBT patriots including Dicko.