Rod Petrie’s eagerness to avoid the limelight during almost three decades of involement with Hibernian has led to stinging criticism and, those closest to him would say, a level of misunderstanding.
So, when the outgoing chairman was asked to expand on an anecdote told by Sir Tom Farmer on the day the pair relinquished control of the Easter Road club, the tears that welled up in his eyes may have surprised at least some of his detractors.
Farmer recounted how Petrie’s emotions got the better of him when the pair gathered their non-football staff together on Tuesday morning to inform them of their decision to sell Hibs to United States-based businessman Ron Gordon.
Petrie, often accused of not being a ‘football man’ and coming across as aloof, was clearly not comfortable with the tale, but reaching the end after 28 years of working on the nuts and bolts of the Edinburgh club was always going to be a moment for reflection.
“It’s never been about me,” he insisted. “It’s always been about the club. I’m a team player and I try…Am I misunderstood? I’ve heard that said, but why?
“My role at Hibernian Football Club was to make the club the best it could be. It was to give the players, the manager and the coaching staff the best opportunity to be successful. It was about performing at the highest level and progressing as far in every competition.
“It was never about me. It was never about whether I’m a good guy or a bad guy, whether I’m human or dehuman, or whatever it might be.
“I was very fortunate in the 28 years that my kids were largely grown up, with my partner a workaholic the same as me. I was able to spend all the time that was necessary – albeit you never have enough time for a football club.
“But over 28 years I could count on these hands the number of games I missed. It was just part of my life and part of my being. Sir Tom goes to bed thinking about tyres and wakes up thinking about tyres. I got to bed thinking about football and I wake up thinking about football.
“The remit was ‘you just pop in there for six months and sort it out,’ and it turned into 28 years. That was literally the comment at the time, from Tom or someone in his team. I thought ‘I’ll give it six months and that’ll be fine,’ but it didn’t work out that way.”
📺| On an emotional, historic day for everyone connected with Hibernian, you can watch today's press conference in full.
— Hibernian FC (@HibernianFC) July 2, 2019
💚 You'll hear from the departing Sir Tom Farmer and Rod Petrie, plus Leeann Dempster and our new majority shareholder Ron Gordon.
➡️ https://t.co/EtaQYLRMyO pic.twitter.com/ynCdjArcgA
READ MORE:
Ron Gordon won't put limit on Hibs' ambitions after multi-million pound takeoverPetrie has stepped down from the Hibs board after he and Farmer sold their two-thirds majority shareholding in the club to Gordon, who has taken over at Easter Road as executive chairman.
Meanwhile, Petrie has pledged to do his best to ensure his stint as Scottish FA president is a successful one.
The 63-year-old was sworn in last month as the 53rd person to assume the role at the head of the governing body and insists he is aware of the size of the task he has taken on.
“Hopefully I’ll be a good one,” he said when asked what kind of president he would be. “I look upon it as an opportunity and the way I see it is that if Hibernian meant so much to Hibs fans then Scottish football means so much to everybody in every household.
“So it’s a big responsibility but it’s one I’m looking forward to very much. I’m enthusiastic about it and have some great people around me. So I’m very positive about it.”
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