Gordon Smith left the SFA due to the frustration of being unable to implement his vision for the future of Scottish football. Smith quit his chief executive post at the SFA last Monday after just under three years in the post and admits he was disappointed not to make the changes to the game he had hoped for before submitting his resignation.
Smith said: "There's a degree of frustration in that and it's sad. I've had a lot of ideas over time, stuff I've talked about before coming into the job. That's why it's difficult to walk away. It wasn't an easy decision. But I've made it now, you just get on with it. If you are not happy in your work, you need to walk away. That's why I did it. The amount of time I was putting in, the hours I put into the job were unbelievable. Even just not getting to see my family and things like that were a factor. There was a negativity towards me, I knew where it was coming from and, while you work away, it became obvious. After a while you think 'I don't need this in my life, I can do without this'."
Smith had come to the SFA role with a well-established profile in the game as a successful player with the likes of Rangers and Brighton and latterly his role as a media pundit and players' agent. But he insists he has no idea what his next step will be. He said: "I have no plans at all, I need to wait and see what happens. This was a decision not based on something else lined up. I just thought it was the right thing to do."
Gordon Smith left the SFA due to the frustration of being unable to implement his vision for the future of Scottish football. Smith quit his chief executive post at the SFA last Monday after just under three years in the post and admits he was disappointed not to make the changes to the game he had hoped for before submitting his resignation.