A FOOTBALL man at the head of Scottish football. What heady times we live in.

Ian Maxwell, a former player, coach and still at this moment the managing director of Partick Thistle, should be unveiled by the SFA as their next chief executive next week. It won’t come as surprise, given that he’s really the only candidate, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t get excited about the 42-year-old’s promotion.

And that’s coming from Thistle manager Alan Archibald who has more to lose than anyone when his close colleague swaps Firhill for Hampden.

Archibald, with a mix of reluctance and pride, said: “Ian is the ideal candidate. It would be a blow for the club if he was to go but that is a decision for Ian. He is an ambitious guy like the rest of us and someone who has done a fantastic job for us.

“You only have to look at what where this club has come from. Ian played a massive part of that.

“During the transfer windows, I’d probably speak to him more than I do my wife. That’s the relationship I have had with him over the last five years and he will tell you that himself. It’s been a good relationship as well. We don’t always eye-to-eye but we get the job done.

“I have spoken to him about the job but that will stay private. Look, he’s the ideal candidate. He ticks every box. He has played, coached as well as being in the boardroom, so he sees it from every perspective. If he takes that role that will be a massive help to him.

“Ian is popular but he’s not scared to ask questions. He won’t sit in a room and not say anything if something comes up that he doesn’t understand. If there is someone who is willing to ask the question, who is willing to communicate, I think that makes massive difference, especially the higher up you go.

“Ian having done all those jobs in football makes a huge difference. It’s not a be-all and end-all, like a coach who never played, but when you see things from every perspective, and when you have to make decisions at a top level position, you look at that decision from every aspect, and he will see it from every angle.

“And it’s hard to come by football people running football.”

Isn’t that last line the most important thing. Maxwell might have been, with every respect, a journeyman footballer, but at least he pulled on a pair of boots and a coaching bib. There are not many in the interesting and never smooth history of the Scottish Football Association who have could say that.

Anyway.

Back to Thistle now and what has happened, or not, on the pitch. Archibald’s team go to Tynecastle on Saturday needing, as every side in the bottom four does, a point at least as the relegation race becomes a sprint.

The Firhill side are second bottom of the league and while the manager always felt a repeat of their top six finish unlikely, he didn’t envisage being so close to 12th spot.

“We hoped to be better,” Archibald admitted. “We were well aware, and this goes for all the managers outside the big five clubs, how hard it was going to be this season. What we didn’t see was that we would go on such a bad run of result and where we have ended up.

“Look, it is what it is. We need to get on with it. The good thing with our players is they know what to expect. It’s not a bolt from the blue. We were never a top six side. We were only that for one season.

“It is always with you. You can’t shake it off. There’s no doubt about that. You are always thinking about the next game and what you are going to do. I have to learn to control it better, hide it a little bit, but it never goes away.”

Thistle has lost their previous four games prior to last Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Aberdeen. Not as great game but a terrific point.

“We kept a clean sheet, against a very good Aberdeen side, which we can take into the Hearts game,” said Archibald. “We can now build on that and give us confidence going into Tynecastle where we are trying to get three points.

“The biggest thing about last week was character. The pitch and weather didn’t make for good football but we played some good stuff against Dundee previously at home and took nothing from the game.

“We saw out the Aberdeen game which was great to see. The players showed a real will to keep the ball out of the net and see it through. I hope it will be a valuable point.

“This time of the season is just about points, and I stress that to the players all the time. We have had a mixed season in terms of performances but the only thing that matters is taking points.”

Hearts have lost three and drawn one of their last four matches and while their new-look Gorgie home remains a strong point, this is a match which either side has a chance of winning,

“Hearts are on a tricky run but I don’t think they’ve lost at Tynecastle since going back there,” said Archibald. “It’s been a fantastic run at Tynecastle, which is a hard place to go again and it’s something I always remember about it, and there was a wee spell there when folk thought they could take three points from there, but Craig Levein has made it a fortress.”