Roderick McKenzie Petrie (born 22 April 1956) is a Scottish football executive. He was the chairman and chief executive of Hibernian for over 20 years, and served on the boards of the Scottish Football Association and the Scottish Premier League. Petrie, who is a qualified chartered accountant and trained with Ernst & Young.
Petrie trained to be a chartered accountant with Ernst & Young, eventually becoming an audit partner in 13 years with the firm. [1] He was then managing director of investment bank Quayle Munro for over six years. [1]
Petrie, who had advised Tom Farmer throughout his rescue of Hibernian FC (Hibs) from receivership in 1991, joined the club's board of directors in 1996 and was appointed managing director in 1997. [2]
Petrie was involved in the creation of the Scottish Premier League, but Hibs themselves missed the first season in the new top flight of Scottish football due to being relegated to the First Division in 1998. The club won the First Division at the first attempt in season 1998–99 and returned to the top division. A new, multimillion-pound main (West) Stand was built, to add to the new North (Famous Five) and South Stands already built during Sir Tom's ownership.
Most Scottish football clubs hit financial difficulty in 2002 when the television broadcast deal with Sky Sports ended after the league and broadcaster failed to reach agreement on a renewal. Hibernian was one of the first Scottish clubs to react to the new financial landscape, taking action to reduce costs as quickly as possible. However losses accrued and added to the loan taken to develop the new stand, the club saw its debt level increase.
Petrie, the only significant minority shareholder in Hibs, and the board explored options to reduce debt. Two options were identified: one was for the club to stay at Easter Road while increasing revenue; the second was to sell the Easter Road site to clear the club's debt and to share a proposed new ground in Midlothian with Edinburgh derby rivals Hearts, who also had significant financial problems. [3] Hibs opened discussions with Hearts about the possibility of moving to Straiton, [4] but this was met with a sceptical reaction by the Hibs support. [5]
Hibs then appointed former player and manager Pat Stanton to act as an "honest broker" in a public consultation process that followed. [6] The result of the consultation was that Hibs decided to stay at Easter Road. [7] [8] The club launched a campaign called Stand Up And Be Counted to engage with fans in an effort to increase revenues. [9] Land behind the east side of Easter Road was sold by the parent company after the Club identified the footprint of land it wished to keep for future redevelopment. The sale, to a housing developer (Westpoint Homes), helped to reduce the club's debt to a more manageable level after the parent company forgave a significant sum owed to it by the club. [10] The club continued to exercise prudence in its financial dealings, with tight control of costs.
Petrie was appointed Hibs chairman in December 2004, after the resignation of Ken Lewandowski. [11] After the appointment of Tony Mowbray as Hibs manager in May 2004, Hibs made a trading profit in four consecutive years. [12] Hibs also received significant transfer income for Garry O'Connor (£1.6M), [13] [note 1] Kevin Thomson (£2M), [14] [note 1] Scott Brown (£4.4M), [15] Ivan Sproule (£0.5M), [16] [note 1] Steven Whittaker (£2M), [17] and David Murphy (£1.5M) [18] during this same period. Hibs also lost the services of Scottish internationalists Ian Murray, [note 1] Derek Riordan [note 1] and Gary Caldwell for little or no fee due to the expiry of their contracts.
Despite criticism, particularly after the resignation of John Collins, [19] that he has not used enough of these revenues on increased spending on players, Petrie has argued that the club has increased the budget for player wages four times [12] and invested in a new training ground in East Lothian, [20] while also reducing the net debt to under £3M. [21] Petrie's relationship with the Scottish media has also been a point of interest. Despite praise for his sure financial management, [22] some journalists accused Petrie of being uncooperative. [23]
Petrie resigned from his position as chief executive in April 2008 and was replaced by Scott Lindsay, [24] but has retained his position as chairman. Petrie stated that Lindsay would take over the "day-to-day running of the club", while Petrie would retain control of "executive duties", including the negotiation of player contracts and setting the player budget. [25] Hibs continued to break even in the 2009–10 season, although this was due to the sale of players offsetting a trading loss. [26]
After manager John Hughes left the club by mutual consent in October 2010, Petrie received criticism from former player Paul Kane for his track record in appointing managers. [27] The previous three managers – John Collins, Mixu Paatelainen and Hughes – had all left the club within 18 months of being appointed. [27] [28] Petrie was again criticised when Colin Calderwood was sacked after just over a year as Hibs manager. [29] Hibs announced that two other directors, Scott Lindsay and Fyfe Hyland, would conduct the next recruitment process. [29] After two years of declining attendances and financial losses, attendance stabilised in the 2012–13 season. [30] Lindsay and Hyland both left the club during 2012, with other directors taking on their executive tasks. [30]
Hibs continued to struggle on the field, culminating in their relegation to the Scottish Championship in 2014. [31] Petrie, who had made Terry Butcher his seventh managerial appointment in 10 years as chairman during the 2013–14 season, pledged to continue as chairman while overseeing the introduction of Leeann Dempster as chief executive. [32] A group of fans, led by former player Paul Kane, called on Petrie to resign. [33]
Petrie left the Hibs board in July 2019, after American businessman Ronald Gordon acquired majority ownership of the club. [34]
Petrie has served on the committees of the Scottish Football Association (SFA) since 1998. [35] He was elected second vice-president in 2011 (under the presidency of Campbell Ogilvie), [36] and then became first vice-president under Alan McRae. Petrie was himself elected SFA president in 2019, without any opposition. [35] His election was criticised by John Collins, who said he felt there were other people who could offer greater "passion and knowledge". [35] SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell defended Petrie, citing his long service and he claimed that Petrie was "misunderstood" by the public. [35] Soon after his election as president, the SFA completed a deal to purchase Hampden Park from Queen's Park. [37]
Petrie was nominated for a place on the UEFA executive committee in 2023, [38] but did not win election. [39] He was succeeded as president of the SFA by Mike Mulraney in June 2023. [40]
Easter Road is a football stadium located in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premiership club Hibernian (Hibs). The stadium currently has an all-seated capacity of 20,421, which makes it the fifth-largest football stadium in Scotland. Easter Road is also known by Hibs fans as "The Holy Ground" or "The Leith San Siro". The venue has also been used to stage international matches, Scottish League Cup semi-finals and was briefly the home ground of the Edinburgh professional rugby union team.
Hibernian Football Club, commonly known as Hibs, is a professional football club based in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland. The club plays in the Scottish Premiership, the top tier of the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL). The club was founded in 1875 by members of Edinburgh's Irish community, and named after the Roman word for Ireland. Nowadays, while the Irish heritage of Hibernian is still reflected in the name, colours and badge, support for the club is based more on geography than ethnicity or religion. Their local rivals are Heart of Midlothian, with whom they contest the Edinburgh derby.
John Angus Paul Collins is a Scottish professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder.
Ivan Sproule is a Northern Irish retired professional footballer who was most recently manager of NIFL Championship side Dergview. Early in his career, Sproule played in Northern Ireland for Omagh Town and Institute. He became a full-time professional in January 2005, after he signed for Scottish Premier League side Hibernian, just a month before his 24th birthday. He made a significant impact at Hibernian, scoring a hat-trick against Rangers and earning selection by the Northern Ireland national team.
Sir Thomas Farmer, is a Scottish entrepreneur.
Edward Hunter Turnbull was a Scottish professional football player and manager. He played as a forward for Hibernian and Scotland, forming part of the Hibs "Famous Five" forward line. He then had successful spells as manager of Aberdeen and Hibs, winning a major trophy with each club.
Lawrance Reilly was a Scottish footballer. He was one of the "Famous Five", the Hibernian forward line during the late 1940s and early 1950s, along with Bobby Johnstone, Gordon Smith, Eddie Turnbull, and Willie Ormond. Reilly is rated amongst the top forwards in Scottish football history and was inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2005.
Abdessalam Benjelloun is a Moroccan professional footballer who plays as a forward for Raja Beni Mellal.
Season 2007–08 for Hibernian could be split into three distinct parts: a great unbeaten start to the Scottish Premier League season that temporarily took the club to the top of the league; a terrible middle phase which saw a long winless run and the resignation of John Collins as Hibs manager; and, finally, a modest recovery under the management of Mixu Paatelainen, who was appointed in January 2008. This took Hibs into the top half of the SPL, but short of third place and the UEFA Cup spot, which was won by Motherwell.
Season 2006–07 was a mixed season for Hibernian; their league form suffered from extended cup runs, and they eventually finished sixth. The reward for their cup form was a first trophy in 16 years, thrashing Kilmarnock 5–1 in the final to lift the CIS Cup. Hibs were knocked out of the Scottish Cup in a semi-final replay by Dunfermline.
Season 2008–09 for Hibernian was their tenth consecutive season of play in the Scottish Premier League. The SPL season began on 9 August 2008 with a 1–0 defeat at Kilmarnock. The team were eliminated from each cup competition at the first hurdle, due to defeats by IF Elfsborg in the last Intertoto Cup, Greenock Morton in the Scottish League Cup and Edinburgh derby rivals Hearts in the Scottish Cup. The team was inconsistent in the league, and only squeezed into the top six by a single point ahead of Motherwell. This led to the resignation of manager Mixu Paatelainen at the end of the season. One bright spot for the club was the performance of the under-19 team, which won the Scottish league & cup double.
Hibernian, one of the most prominent clubs in Scottish football, was founded in 1875. The club was named in honour of the Roman name for Ireland and the Ancient Order of Hibernians. The club has competed in the top division of Scottish football in all but four seasons since they first gained entry to the top division in 1895. Hibernian have been Scottish champions four times, most recently in 1952. The club has also been champions of the second tier six times, most recently in 2017. Hibernian have won the Scottish Cup three times, the last time in 2016. This win ended a drought of 114 years and ten cup finals lost since 1902. The club has won the League Cup three times, most recently when they defeated Kilmarnock 5–1 in 2007.
Vladimir Romanov, a Russian born Lithuanian businessman, initially acquired 19.6% stake at Hearts during the 2004–05 season. After Romanov made financial guarantees, his stake increased to 29.9%, which was welcomed by a fans representatives. Romanov eventually increased his majority share in Hearts to 82%.
Season 2005–06 was a season of missed opportunities for Hibernian. The team started strongly in the league, winning 10 of their first 14 games, but this form dipped after Christmas. The Scottish Cup seemed to be opening up for Hibs after they defeated Rangers 3–0 at Ibrox in the fourth round, but they then lost 4–0 in an Edinburgh derby semi–final against Hearts. Hibs lost 3–0 in the quarter–final of the Scottish League Cup at Dunfermline, and were well beaten by Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the UEFA Cup.
Season 2010–11 for Hibernian was their 12th consecutive season of play in the Scottish Premier League. It was the first season played in the redeveloped Easter Road stadium, with its capacity increased to over 20,000 for the first time since it became an all-seater stadium in the early 1990s. The SPL season began on 15 August 2010 with a 3–2 win at Motherwell. Hibs competed in the UEFA Europa League, losing 6–2 on aggregate to Slovenian club NK Maribor. They also lost at the first stage of competition in the Scottish League Cup, losing 3–1 at Kilmarnock. Those cup defeats and a poor start to the league season led to manager John Hughes leaving by mutual consent in early October. Colin Calderwood was appointed as the new manager, but struggled to make any sort of impression, as they were knocked out of the Scottish Cup by Ayr United and fell into a relegation battle. A winning streak after the January transfer window meant any danger was quickly averted, but the team still finished in the bottom six.
The 2005–06 season was the 109th season of competitive football by Heart of Midlothian, and their 23rd consecutive season in the top level of Scottish football, competing in the Scottish Premier League. Hearts also competed in the Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup.
Season 2011–12 for Hibernian was their 13th consecutive season of play in the Scottish Premier League (SPL). The season began on 24 July with a 2–0 home defeat by Celtic, who eliminated Hibs from the Scottish League Cup. With the club near the bottom of the league, manager Colin Calderwood was sacked and replaced with Pat Fenlon in November. Fenlon made several signings during January that helped the club to avoid relegation from the SPL. Hibs also reached the 2012 Scottish Cup Final, but this was lost 5–1 to local rivals Hearts.
The 2013–14 season was Hibernian's fifteenth consecutive season in the top flight of the Scottish football league system, having been promoted from the Scottish First Division at the end of the 1998–99 season. Having lost the 2013 Scottish Cup Final to league champions Celtic, Hibs entered the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League, but suffered a Scottish record aggregate defeat against Swedish club Malmö in the second qualifying round. Hibs also competed in the 2013–14 Scottish League Cup but lost to Heart of Midlothian in the quarter-final at Easter Road. Days after that defeat, manager Pat Fenlon resigned and was replaced with Terry Butcher. Hibs were knocked out of the 2013–14 Scottish Cup in the fifth round by Raith Rovers. A long winless run to finish the 2013–14 Scottish Premiership season meant that Hibs finished in 11th place, and they were relegated after a playoff against Hamilton Academical.
The 2016–17 season was Hibernian's (Hibs) third season of play in the second tier of Scottish football the Scottish Championship, since they were relegated from the Scottish Premiership at the end of the 2013–14 season. Hibs also competed in the Europa League, Challenge Cup, League Cup and they defended the Scottish Cup after winning the 2016 final.
In addition to their first team competing in the Scottish Premiership, Hibernian F.C. also maintain further teams for younger age groups playing in competitions such as the Scottish Challenge Cup and the Scottish Youth Cup within the club's academy.