Athletics: Holl is the new Scots boss

A FORMER Scottish international ultra distance runner who is now boss of England netball has been named as the new chief executive of Scottish Athletics.

Nigel Holl, who quit his post with the Scottish Institute of Sport to pursue his career in England, has been charged with one of the toughest jobs in Scottish sport, that of taking athletics forward to the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Holl, 41, went to primary school in Fife and continued to live in Stirling despite moving south to work.

He begins his new job on 1 April and will immediately be involved in the build-up for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, the team for which is due to be announced in August.

He takes over at Scottish Athletics from Geoff Wightman, who has moved over to take up a post in road running but will continue to work at Caledonia House in Edinburgh where Scottish Athletics is based.

The man overseeing the change will be the new chair of Scottish Athletics, Royal High School FP Frank Dick, the former Head Coach of UK Athletics and a former Scottish National coach.

"I'm delighted that Nigel will lead the Scottish Athletics executive team as we raise our rhythm of operations to address necessary change in this period of wonderful opportunity," said Dick.