Before joining Inverness Caley as their CEO Scot Gardiner was Chief Operating Officer at Hearts between July 2014 and August 2017. He has been in and around football for around two decades and had a spell as chief executive of Dundee FC who curiously are the side that is at the centre of the controversy surrounding their vote in the SPFL’s motion. Hearts and Dundee? Perhaps that’s just a coincidence.
Scot Gardiner also worked as both a Commercial Manager and Acting Commercial Director of Tottenham Hotspur FC so he clearly has plenty of experience in the game.
He even had a spell at the club he supports when he acted as a Commercial Sales Manager of Glasgow Rangers FC.
When he was appointed as the Inverness Caley CEO the Rangers supporting Executive was clear that generating income was his key task as the Highland side had failed to bounce back into the Premiership after relegation the previous season.
“I am also fully aware of the challenges facing the club in terms of reduced income from playing in the Championship for a second season,” Gardiner said, as reported by Insider on 11 April 2019.
“That said, the numerous meetings and phone calls I have had with the various board members over the last couple of weeks have convinced me that we can make a positive impact on the football club, both on and off the pitch.
“My priorities are to build a strong support team to generate the income needed to field a side capable of progressing to the Premiership of the SPFL and – parallel to that work – develop a strategy for the club which will give confidence to the local and regional business community as we look to garner their support for what is, after all, their team.
“There is no doubt that a successful football side in Inverness is good for the city.”
All well and good. Earlier this season we reported on the threat to Inverness Caley Thistle’s existence due to the lack of cash at the club. They had no debt, they own their own stadium but the funds were simply drying up and a meeting was arranged with supporters and sponsors asking for emergency financial help to keep the club afloat – and Scot Gardiner in a job. It has been a desperately tough struggle for ICT in the Championship.
If you were an experienced football operator who have worked at Hearts, Dundee and Rangers (anyone seeing a pattern here?) and also had some time in the big money English Premier League, then you may have decided that it would be a wise thing to do to look at your options for your next career move. Nothing wrong with that either.
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