SFA appoint Martin Black as new compliance officer

It means Andrew Phillips, who was given the job last March, is departing the role after 20 months in charge.

He joins from the Office of the Advocate General, where he was a solicitor in charge of constitutional litigation.

In a statement, the SFA said that Black has: "a wealth of legal experience, having 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".

It is the first time a compliance officer will operate solely in with VAR in play.

"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," he commented.

"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."

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