Teflon Andrew Dickson back in the spotlight

Among the many worrying charges detailed at the Ibrox Fraud case yesterday the role of Andrew Dickson was again highlighted.

Charge six of the 15 listed at the High Court in Edinburgh covers Whyte’s application to the SFA  to be registered as a football club director. 

Dickson was the man that oversaw and submitted Whyte’s application to the SFA. As an experienced administrator and operating in the highest circles at Ibrox Dickson would be well aware of the concerns of directors over the former billionaire’s ‘colourful’ business career.

Paul Murray was among those that expressed their concern about Whyte, Murray is currently a director of Sevco where Dickson continues in his role of football administrator, working with the SFA and SPFL in a number of key areas including contract and registration issues.

As a non-executive director at Rangers (IL) before Mr Whyte paid Dave Murray £1, Murray and other directors commissioned private investigators Titon to compile a dossier into the alleged wealth of the man from Motherwell.

In October 2012 Mr Murray’s favourite paper the Daily Record uncovered the dossier.

After highlighting the fact that Whyte had used two different dates of birth the Record reported from the Titon dossier: “Our findings to date raise some clear areas of concern, which range from alleged billionaire fortune that is in no way substantiated through business, to commercial relationships associated with financial anomalies.”

The dossier added: “A series of financial complaints and civil disputes have been raised against Craig operating under these company names.

“The complaints are based on finding the owner of these business entities, in order to recover funds.

“In the local French lingo, he has been described as a ‘fuyant’ – evader as well as a clever manipulator.”

Despite those warning signs Dickson submitted Mr Whyte’s application to be a football club director to the SFA in May 2011 just as the £2.8m core tax bill arising from the wee tax case dropped through the Ibrox letter box. In his role as an experienced administrator regarding club licencing he would have advised RFC Finance Director Ken Olverman how to report the status of that bill to UEFA.

In July of 2015 after being nominated by the SPFL to join the SFA Congress the SFA website announced: “Heart of Midlothian owner Ann Budge has also been appointed to the Scottish FA Football Regulatory Advisory Group. She will join Brian Caldwell (St Mirren FC), Andrew Dickson (Rangers FC), Henry McClelland (Annan Athletic FC), Michael Nicholson (Celtic FC), Rod McKenzie (Harper Macleod solicitors) and Iain Blair (SPFL Company Secretary), all of whom stay on the Group as SPFL representatives.”

At the 2013 SFA Disciplinary Tribunal into Rangers (IL) and Craig Whyte (pages 16 & 17) the role of Dickson is laid out explaining: “That for some years commencing prior to 6 May 2011 Mr Andrew Dickson C.A. has been the Head of Football Administration of Rangers FC.

“His duties prior to 6 May 2011 included preparation of players contracts with players and their agents. His duties included representing Rangers FC and the Glasgow Football Association on various committees within the sport. His duties included all administrative responsibilities, and in particular he dealt with all football registration requirements and documentation which required lodging with the Scottish FA, the Scottish Premier League, UEFA and elsewhere.

“The role included preparation of the Official Return detailing the identities and personal details of all directors and officers of Rangers FC which required to be lodged with the Scottish FA each year prior to the new playing season and any amendment form which might become necessary on account of board or management changes occurring during the playing season.

“Mr Dickson had carried out this role continuously and competently for many years and is highly experienced and knowledgeable about club, player, official, and ground registration and licensing matters.

“The appointment of any new director to the Board of Rangers FC was an appointment which required registration procedures to be completed and fell squarely within Mr Dickson’s experience and remit.

“Such an appointment required to be intimated by the completion and lodging of an amendment form relative to the Rangers FC Official Return, specifying the appointment and lodging the director’s details with the Scottish FA.

For reasons unknown, despite his horrendous track record, having withheld the side letters detailing EBT payment to players, managers and directors from the SFA and SPL it seems that the Hampden welcome mat is always in place for the Mr Fix-it of Ibrox. According to a BBC report Dickson was paid a £33,000 EBT.