THE second wave arrivals of the new era at Ibrox did not have the fanfare of the first.

 

On Monday, a sea of cameras and barrage of questions greeted Mark Warburton and David Weir as they were named as Rangers' management team.

The following night, confirmation of Stewart Robertson's appointed as the club's new managing director, and Andrew Dickson's rise to director of finance and administration, came via a short statement on Rangers' official website.

It was, according to Craig Brown, in many ways befitting of Robertson's personality, but the low-key nature of the announcement should not detract from his importance at Ibrox. Brown got to know Robertson on a personal and professional level during his twelve month spell as manager of Motherwell and recalls a bright, hard-working individual that has played a key role behind the scenes during times of strife and success at Fir Park.

Having operated without a chief executive since assuming power in March, the board turned to Robertson, a qualified chartered accountant, as they made their first behind the scenes appointment. It is another important step in the right direction for Rangers. Just months after leaving Motherwell in the aftermath of Les Hutchison's arrival at the club, Robertson now finds himself tasked with the day-to-day running of Rangers and shouldering significant responsibility as the rebuilding job gets off and running at Ibrox.

Like Warburton in the dugout, Robertson is now operating in a new environment and braced for new challenges but Brown is confident he is up to the task.

"He was outstanding, a top class, decent guy," the former Well boss told Herald Sport. "He was quiet and not ostentatious but very courteous and efficient. He was a real gentleman and I can't speak highly enough of him.

"He was at all the games and was always very supportive. He assumed the role at Motherwell superbly. He was not a showy guy but he was very efficient and intelligent. He is a very good administrator of quality and substance.

"Everything at Motherwell was very well run and that was down to Stewart and Karen Paterson. He was effectively the General Manager and would have delegated and have had the overall responsibility, while Karen was more hands on. But Stewart was always very helpful and excellent to work with."

The hiring of Robertson and promotion of Dickson are the first moves by the new Rangers board to strengthen their backroom team, with the announcement greeted warmly by a group of supporters who have seen so many men in suits come and go in recent years.

It will be Warburton who will be the public face of the remodelling work in the coming weeks as he looks to strengthen his depleted squad ahead of the new Championship campaign. Yet Robertson will have his part to play as Rangers prepare for a hectic and defining few weeks ahead of a season in which there is no room for error.

"There is a lot to deal with in the running of a football club and you need to be clued up on a lot of areas, like contracts, transfer rules, work permits," Brown said. "Stewart is the kind of guy that handles that responsibility well and I am sure he will do a good job for Rangers.

"There will be a huge staff, a lot of staff that you don't see at a football club, at Ibrox and Murray Park and he will have to delegate and oversee them. It is a big role and a big responsibility. He is a keen and knowledgeable supporter of the football department."

It is not just at Fir Park where Robertson has learned his trade and built his reputation in the game as he has acquired the experience necessary to land a key role at Rangers. He is a former board member of the Scottish Premier League and arrives at Ibrox as the new Rangers regime look to re-establish the club at the top of our game in the coming years.

"Stewart will bring gravitas to Rangers and he could do to the SPFL board," Brown said. "He has a good knowledge of football and of business.

"He has spent a number of years at Motherwell and done a very good job. He was with the club when they were in Europe, which is another experience for Stewart. Obviously he will delegate, but it is a huge task to run a football club. It is one that Stewart is up to, though."