Martin Black has been named as the Scottish FA's new compliance officer.
He joins from the Office of the Advocate General, where he was a solicitor responsible for constitutional litigation. Andrew Phillips is the outgoing officer and his succesor brings with him a wealth of experience to his new role. He worked as a specialist criminal lawyer in private practice for more than a decade, while he also held an advisory role during the COP26 conference in Glasgow.
Black says he's excited to be taking on his new position at Hampden but insists that his focus will be ensuring football takes centre stage rather than any potential controversial refereeing decisions in future: "Having gained considerable and varied experience as a criminal court practitioner before taking on positions in-house and in government, I believe I am perfectly placed to take this next step in my career with the role of Scottish FA Compliance Officer.
"It’s an exciting time for Scottish football, which plays an integral part in life throughout the country, and I fully understand the importance of this unique position’s role in the game. I look forward to building on the excellent work conducted by Andrew in the role and shall continue to strive to ensure that focus remains on the spectacle of the football itself.”
