By Martin Dempster - The Scotsman
New
Rangers chairman Fraser Thornton is continuing to fill his role as
interim chair of Scottish Golf as a recruitment process continues for
Martin Gilbert’s successor.
Thornton,
who has held many senior leadership and board positions throughout his
career in both private and public companies, started in his new post
with the Ibrox club on 16 December after being appointed to take over
from interim chairman John Gilligan.
However, the longest-serving member on Scottish Golf’s board, having
also had a stint as interim chief executive before Robbie Clyde took
over the reins last September, Thornton is also still involved with the
Rosyth-based organisation.
“We had already commenced the recruitment process for the next Chair of
Scottish Golf earlier in the autumn, so that process was already
underway when Fraser's new appointment was announced last Saturday,”
Clyde told The Scotsman.
“Fraser
will remain in his role as interim-Chair of Scottish Golf until the
board concludes the recruitment process, and provides their
recommendation for approval as new Chair at the Scottish Golf Ltd AGM on
14 March 2025. At which point Fraser will hand over the reins to the
new Chair.”
Gilbert,
one of the Scottish game’s biggest supporters over the past 20 years,
stood down at May’s annual general meeting at the conclusion of his
three-year term.
It had been communicated to member clubs that Gilbert would be seeking
re-election but, after a change of heart, the man who was the head of
Aberdeen Asset Management and currently backs Gemma Dryburgh through
River & Mercantile decided to step aside.
“I've
achieved what I had hoped to accomplish with Scottish Golf, in working
with the board to recruit a CEO and establish stability and renewed
confidence in the organisation and set out a refreshed, ambitious growth
strategy,” said Gilbert at the time,
“I
am particularly pleased to have steered us through a very challenging
technology transition last year, but now with an improved Venue
Management System installed in over 200 clubs, and additionally I am
happy to see that Scottish Golf is a much more outward facing
organisation.”
At
last year’s AGM, Scottish Golf was given the green light to raise the
per capita affiliation fee paid by golfers through their clubs by £3,
meaning the governing body can push ahead with some ambitious plans
under new CEO Clyde.
Representing
a first increase since 2019 after a proposal for it to go up to £15.75
last year was eventually shelved, the new fee of £17.50 was among 14
resolutions that were approved by stakeholders.
The
additional money from the affiliation fee has allowed Scottish Golf to
appoint regional development managers around the country, as well two
posts dedicated to a plan that aims to increase female playing
membership in the home of golf to 30,000, which would represent a 15 per
cent rise on last year’s figure, by 2027.
“Scottish
Golf has ambitious plans to increase female participation in the sport,
through its club support, participation, performance and marketing
teams,” clubs were told in the build up to last year’s agm.
“With
our membership’s support, we need to accelerate and invest in this area
over the short, medium and long term if we are to move the dial
significantly, and to do so will require committed resource, energy and
investment into this area of work. We are clear that golf clubs are
critical to the potential growth in women and girls in golf.”
