Maxwell's appointment and the way he handled the abuse inquiry still sit uneasy with a lot of us. To be fair, he said the problem stretched across Scottish football and apologised generally, but you can see why supporters suspect he did more to protect his paymasters at Liewell than to settle the issue once and for all.

Timing and who he represents

There’s nothing clever about saying he felt like a Liewell placeman. He arrived into a senior role right as the horrible business of abuse was being investigated across the game. Even if you accept his findings at face value, the timing makes people question independence. When someone takes a six-figure salary — and I’m repeating what was in the original post, that Maxwell is thought to be on circa 160k a year — supporters are entitled to ask who they really answer to.

An apology, but not the same as accountability

He did say it wasn’t confined to one club and apologised across the board. That’s got merits and it’s important not to score cheap points on a vile subject. Truth is, an apology and a report aren’t the same as proper accountability or restorative action for victims. Fans want to see processes that prevent repeats, and they want transparency about how conclusions were reached. Saying it happened everywhere sounds thorough — until you remember that perception of bias can undermine the message.

Perception matters — and the Cerny episode didn’t help

People remember the small things. His joking, flippant comments about the Cerny non-penalty in the League Cup Final fed a narrative that he’d always protect the club that helped his career — that line about him protecting the club that helped him earn 160K a year reflects that feeling. Whether fair or not, perception influences trust. And once trust is gone, it’s hard to win back.

I don’t want to be conspiratorial. I just want clearer lines between officials and those who appoint them, plus proper scrutiny when sensitive issues are investigated. Fans are tired of ambiguity. If the aim is to stop these things happening again, the authorities need to build confidence, not fuel suspicion.

Written by Once a Ranger always a Ranger: 11 June 2026

Tags: injury