Rugby club London Scottish "is set for radical change" with former city financier Malcolm Offord taking over as chair from David Reid and "implementing a plan for a semi-professional future," according to Iain Morrison of the SCOTSMAN. It seems "almost certain that the raft of new proposals will be adopted at a board meeting next Wednesday." The new regime is determined to live within its means and sees the future as a "semi-pro set-up with a mix of full-time, part-time and dual-registered players as well as young hopefuls farmed out from Murrayfield." The "changing of the guard" will see the long-serving Rod Lynch step down from his dual role as president and CEO, the latter a role "he only took up two years ago after Kenny Baillie joined British Rowing." The club is talking to coaches about next season, so it "seems likely the current coaching team of Sean Lineen and John Dalziel, on secondment from the SRU," will return to Scotland on a full-time basis this summer. The RFU pumped £560,000 into London Scottish last season -- it will be closer to £600,000 ($748,200) next season -- and, in order to "qualify for this largesse," the club needs to average 16 English qualified players in its matchday 22-man squad each month (SCOTSMAN, 4/6).
