Highland League appoints Scottish Welfare Football Association chief executive John Campbell as Rod Houston's successor in league secretary position
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
SCOTTISH Welfare FA chief executive John Campbell will succeed Rod Houston as Highland League secretary next season.
The 53-year-old Lossiemouth-based former referee says he is honoured to take over the role, and will shadow Houston over the coming months until he steps down at the end of the current campaign.
“I was brought up watching the Highland League and I just love every aspect of it,” he said. “It brings whole communities together and every team in the league has their own history.
“It means so much to the people in this area, even fans of the bigger teams all have a Highland League team that they will go and watch.”
"George Manson, the league president identified that there's an opportunity for someone to come in and get a grip with what is involved in the role.
"It will help to really understand how it functions and get the support of Rod over the remaining months of the season so when Rod does step down, hopefully I will have a really good idea of what the role is and it will set me up for going forward.
"It’s an exciting time to get involved in the Highland League.
"The fact that they are now part of the pyramid system and we will now see relegation and the opportunity for promotion to the Scottish Leagues means there will be a lot to play for and the league will go from strength to strength.
Campbell retired from refereeing in 2003, was an official at Lossiemouth United juniors and worked on the executive committee of the Moray welfare league before taking on the chief executive position at the Scottish Welfare FA 10 years ago.
“I can say that I have officiated at every Highland League ground. A few were in the juniors in those days and Brechin City were in the Scottish League at the time.
“Staying in Lossiemouth I was quite central and I could get put to Wick one week and Aberdeen the next.
“Everything about it, not just the 90 minutes on the park, everyone was hospitable. It means so much to the people of this area and that makes me even more excited to be part of it.
"I’ve got a large number of years of experience in the administration of football but every day is a learning day and I have no doubt I have a lot to learn.
"Hopefully the next few months working with Rod will help me learn what is required especially around the workings of the Highland League.
"What I have done over the last ten, 15 years will have been good preparation but the next few months and digging that bit deeper into the finer detail of the workings will prepare me better for going alone when the new season starts.
He applauded Houston for his job in supporting Highland League football throughout the pandemic.
“Having been part of some of the working groups within the Scottish FA over the last two years will have given me a bit more preparation to help support a route out of that and through any kind of challenges we are thrown in the next few years,
“It’s huge shoes to fill as Rod Houston and Graham Wilson have done an absolutely brilliant job in guiding the members through what was a really difficult and challenging time.”
"Even the basics such as the finances and loss of income, not to mention the guidance that was changing on a weekly basis made it really, really difficult.
"So succeeding Rod will be a big ask given how well he and Graham have performed."
