Alistair Hood

WITH the unexpected death of Alistair Hood, Scottish football has lost a man who was able to combine a skill for managing safety with a deep appreciation of the complexities of the game, derived from his own experience as a player.

Hood, who died suddenly on Monday at the age of 74 following a heart attack, is credited as the strategist who took security standards in the modern game to a higher level. Many innovations he implemented during his 11-year career as chief of security with Rangers Football Club in the 1980s and 1990s were subsequently harnessed by other clubs in Scotland and England.

Hood's motto throughout a stellar career with the police and in football safety management was: "To fail to prepare is to prepare to fail" - and this attention to detail was a trademark in everything he tackled.

Born in Edinburgh's south side, he was a bright lad with a passion for playing and watching football. Despite a close subsequent working relationship with Rangers, it was Heart of Midlothian that remained closest to him and he was delighted to be asked recently to help set up a Supporters Conduct Group with the Edinburgh side.

His own ability as a footballerwas evident from schooldays and, as a youngster, he was offered a trial for Rangers. Instead, following National Service, he opted for a career in the police.

He joined Edinburgh City Police, as it was then, in 1956. The beautiful game was never fully placed on the back-burner though and he captained the Edinburgh City Police team during the late 1950s and early 1960s, during which period they won the British Police Cup. He also played left back for the British Police side.

After two years, he was attached to the Chief Constable's office, where his ability to communicate well and get the job done was spotted. He was encouraged to sit the examination for Edinburgh City Police's first accelerated promotion scheme, which involved a written exam, followed by an interview for the 36 officers who performed best.

Despite tough competition, he emerged joint winner and, together with 11 fellow newlypromoted sergeants, he spent a year training at the Scottish Police College at Tulliallan.

He came back to Edinburgh as an inspector and from there, rose quickly through the ranks, with his even-handed approach to management winning him admirers at all levels. Former colleagues remember Hood as a man who would never ask anyone to do something he wouldn't do himself, and who, when he embarked on a project, poured his heart and soul into it.

It was during his time in Edinburgh that he met Betty, who worked then as a civilian with Edinburgh City Police.

They married in Carrington Parish Church, Midlothian, in 1959.

Hood returned to Tulliallan as a superintendent for a spell before going back to Edinburgh to be chief superintendent of what was then B Division at Gayfield Square. He achieved the rank of assistant chief constable with Lothian and Borders Police before a final time at Tulliallan from 1983-86 as deputy commandant.

One anecdote he relished telling against himself came from the time he was assigned the task of policing the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1982.

In keeping with his thorough approach, he arranged a visit to St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh city centre to talk to the priest about the pontiff's visit and check the building. As he followed the cleric, he became entranced by the ambience of the cathedral and lifted his head to take in the full picture. Unfortunately, the priest paused by the altar to genuflect and there then followed the undignified spectacle of the Assistant Chief Constable in full uniform careering headfirst over a very startled priest.

Like many former police officers, he retired at the relatively young age of 54 with a wealth of experience under his belt. He was awarded the Queen's Police Medal in the New Year Honours List 1986.

A few months earlier, he had been appointed the first fulltime head of security for the Scottish Football Association and his first major task in this position was overseeing safety for the SFA at the World Cup in Mexico in 1986. Having established himself quickly as an efficient and conscientious head of security, he was then approached by Rangers to manage security at Ibrox.

Until then, the job of managing security had fallen to club secretaries or other officials but, following a series of stadium disasters and, with increasing conflicts between commercial and supporter interests, it became apparent to bigger clubs that they needed to have someone in the job full-time.

Hood joined Rangers at the time Graeme Souness was ushering in the nine-in-a-row league success. Hood was a key member of the team.

One of his biggest tasks was to look after the club's safety arrangements in Europe and track down supporters guilty of unacceptable behaviour - a job which, thanks to his police background, he carried out very professionally.

Hood remained in the background as a steady influence on the staff at all levels, from tea lady to chairman. He had a good rapport with the players and was occasionally called upon to use his skills as a diplomat to deal with errant behaviour in the dressing room.

A keep-fit fanatic, he was regularly seen jogging round the pitch at Ibrox. In his time off, he was a keen hill-walker and often climbed in the Grampian and Pentland hills.

He retired from Ibrox at the age of 65 in 1998 and, never one to be idle, went on to cofound the Football Safety Officers Association (Scotland), later becoming honorary president of the organisation.

Although family life was always to the fore, he continued to work in football. For the past eight years, he was head of safety at Livingston Football Club.

In his later years, one of his joys was spending time with his wife, children and growing band of grandchildren at home in Linlithgow. He was particularly proud that his son, Brian, now a chief inspector with Lothian and Borders Police, chose to follow his career choice.

He is survived by his wife, Betty; son, Brian; and daughter, Margaret.