David Ferguson of The Scotsman looks at the reasons behind Gordon McKie's decision to step down as chief executive of the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU).
"Like a coach who has stayed at the helm of a team for too long, Gordon McKie yesterday quit as chief executive of the Scottish Rugby Union after accepting that his presence was no longer required at Murrayfield.
"The sound of his voice no longer had the desired response and those moving against him in the dressing room and the boardroom were now heading into the majority.
"After The Scotsman lifted the lid last Thursday on the simmering tensions within Murrayfield, which had led to a request from a board member for the suspension of McKie, the SRU board chairman Allan Munro attempted to play it down by insisting that there were no issues and the extra meeting 'simply demonstrates that the governance model of our game in Scotland is absolutely sound and is rightly held in high regard by other governing bodies'.
"It was a strange statement, one that strived to underline backing for the executives and pour oil on 'unhelpful media speculation', but only led to further questioning of why the meeting had been called if all was well."
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