A spokesman for Kilmarnock Football Club has confirmed that General
Manager David Mackinnon, at the club for two and a half years in his
current capacity, has tendered his resignation. Mackinnon will leave
after serving his notice and put the shock decision down to the "new
direction" his job was taking since Michael Johnson took over as
chairman.
Mackinnon told Jim Spence on BBC's 90 minutes: "Michael has
come in and he is more hands on than the previous chairman Jamie Moffat.
He sees the General Manager job as taking a new direction. I fully
appreciate and respect that but I don't feel that it is best for me and
I think that I would be best served moving at this time."
Michael Johnson said: "Everything is perfectly amicable, as
David has said, its just a slight change of direction that I felt was
appropriate and David feels that his long-term ambitions in football
would be better served if he handed in his notice and sought a new
position. He is going to work his period of notice and we will continue
to work together as a team. There is no big fall out or argument and we
will work this through to the conclusion".
Mackinnon explained: "It's a change of direction in the General
Manager role. When I came here I was appointed because I had football
experience, business experience and media experience and it was felt at
that time that was the kind of General Manger they wanted appointed.
Jamie Moffat didn't want to get involved in the day-to-day running of
the club. He was quite keen to set a business plan and ask me to deliver
it, which I think I have done here. Michael is now in and is more hands
on and thinks that the General Manager role should take a new
direction."
Chairman Johnson denied that he was going to take on Davie's duties,
he stated: "I'm not necessarily going to take on David's role in
its entirety. David has been a long and loyal servant to Kilmarnock both
as a player and as general manager and I don't undervalue for a moment
what he has brought to the club; but we are in a situation at Kilmarnock
at the moment where there are a lot of financial angles we have to look
at, whereas David's experience on the playing side, the footballing side
and with the media is great and is appreciated but we need now to focus
more on other areas; and that really is where the change of emphasis
will be."
Mackinnon added: "I think that the difficult period has been
over the last two to three years, having to reduce run-a-way wages, and
that has been difficult. Taking a million pounds out of the player
budget and still competing...and we've been able to achieve that. It's
been a difficult time and I think the club are in really good shape to
take things forward. (WTF?) I think Kilmarnock Football Club is
in a healthy state and it will continue to get my support as a supporter
now because that's what I've become. But I think for me, I still believe
that with my breadth of experience in these three areas that I still
have something to offer to the game. I've enjoyed my time here and what
I have achieved at the club and I'm delighted that I maybe get another
opportunity. I really want to remain in the game and I think that's
something I'll be striving to do."
We'd like to extend our thanks to Davie for his time at the cub
as both a player and a General Manager and wish him all the best in his
future endeavours.
