New Scottish FA president Mike Mulraney makes facilities a 'key priority'
- Published
Mike Mulraney (right) with Sir Alex Ferguson in 2021
Mike Mulraney says retaining and upgrading facilities is a "key priority" after being elected Scottish FA president at its annual meeting.
The Alloa Athletic chairman replaces Rod Petrie, who was elected in 2019.
Hamilton Accies vice-chairman Les Gray has been appointed vice-president.
"Those that know me know that, when I take on a role, I do it with 100% commitment and focus," Mulraney said. "The SFA is committed to inspiring the nation and transforming lives."
The new president says the SFA has agreed a £20m fund with the department of culture, media and sport but believes the governing body requires further investment.
And he explained: "We made an impassioned plea at Holyrood only last week urging government and politicians to see us as allies in improving the health and wellbeing of the country and that is something I am determined to facilitate in a practical sense.
"The national association is primarily responsible for the development of the game, the grassroots, and it is imperative we work with governments both national and local, philanthropists, commercial and charitable partners, to improve the fundamental infrastructure of our game - facilities.
"We need to retain and upgrade the pitches we currently have, attain new funding for new facilities, especially to meet the growth of girls' and women's football, and ensure we contribute to sustainable clubs and communities, both from a financial and an environmental perspective. This will be a key priority for me as president."
Meanwhile, Scottish Gas will become the new sponsor of the women's and men's Scottish Cup tournaments in a five-year deal reportedly worth about £1.2m.
SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell described it as a "very successful AGM" gave his "personal thanks to Rod Petrie" and said was "delighted" with Mulraney's appointment.
"The big news today was the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup title partnership we've announced across the men's and women's competitions and the significant investment they are going to make into the grassroots game across the country over the next five years," he added.