WITH Hearts preparing to climb upon UEFA's most grandiose platform for a Champions League initiation next month, their gratitude at having a seasoned veteran of the competition to guide them cannot be overstated.

Campbell Ogilvie has seen it, done it and bought the T-shirt whilst frequenting the prestigious corridors of Europe's governing body over the last 20 years. He's probably written the book as well. This is the man whose individual foresight led to the European Cup's overhaul from knockout to group format after UEFA accepted his personal recommendations in 1990.

Twenty seven years with Rangers saw Ogilvie engrave himself a reputation as an astute and respected sporting administrator, one who now commands continent-wide recognition. He also attained a vice-president's chair within the SFA. These days, his day-to-day expertise is being utilised solely for the benefit of Hearts, who will enter the Champions League at the second qualifying round next month against either Belarussian champions Shakhtyor Soligorsk or Siroki Brijeg of Bosnia.

Since taking up the post of general secretary and operations director at Tynecastle last December, merely two months after severing all ties with Ibrox, Ogilvie has remained firmly in the background at his own behest. He may effectively run the club on a day-to-day basis having taken over the chief executive duties previously performed by Phil Anderton, but he has no desire for the accompanying flashy title.

A thoroughly reclusive character as far as public exposure goes, Ogilvie would always wish to retain as much anonymity as possible. But Hearts' success under Vladimir Romanov has ordained that he will once again be mingling with the leading office-bearers of European football in an environment he knows only too well.

"Hearts have been part of the UEFA clubs' forum, the G10 group, for the last two years so they aren't exactly new to the table," Ogilvie points out. "One issue I will have to address at UEFA is the fact that we are trying to promote ourselves as Heart of Midlothian but, when the Champions League draw was made last week, we were named as Hearts because there wasn't enough room on the computer for all the letters.

"That's one impact Hearts have had at UEFA already - they've promised to look at their computer system so we can get the name Heart of Midlothian up there. I know how close that issue is to so many people."

Awareness of critical internal and external issues can define those entrusted with the daily task of overseeing football club operations. It is in this area Ogilvie comes into his own. He goes on: "I'm not a marketing or commercial person, I'm more the legislative side so, in turn, I'm happy to let the other branches of our management structure get on with their business. Where I come in is trying to pull things together. I prefer to be in the background and I've always tried to operate that way.

"I communicate through Roman Romanov because Vladimir doesn't speak too much English. But we all get together in here [chief executive's office] for a chat before the home games. They tend to let you get on with it when they aren't here, which is what I enjoy.

"I'll take people as I find them. Both Vladimir and David Murray [pictured right] are self-made businessmen, and in that environment you are used to making your own decisions. But when you come into football there are rules which you obviously have to go along with. It's a case of playing within the system.

"The Romanovs are coming from a different culture. Whilst they are learning about our culture and the way things are done here, we are learning about their approach."

Hearts have agreed a financial package with the Scottish Rugby Union for the rent of Murrayfield to host their home European matches, with the prospect of upwards of 30,000 Jambos creating a hostile and intimidating atmosphere for foreign visitors. Ogilvie had been poised with pen in hand ready to apply for special dispensation from UEFA that would have allowed at least the Champions League qualifiers to be played out at Tynecastle.

The club's intention would then have been to transfer to Murrayfield depending on progress to the group phase or a subsequent run in the UEFA Cup, however, the accruing number of Hearts supporters bombarding the club's ticket office craving European briefs moved Ogilvie and the board to rethink.

They are also nearing the completion of a separate agreement to take the pre-season friendly with Spanish club Osasuna, scheduled for Wednesday, July 19, to the home of Scottish Rugby. The benefits of utilising that hulking sporting venue on the other side of the West Approach Road from Tynecastle are, apparently, considerable.

"We had the stadium inspectors from UEFA at Murrayfield on Tuesday checking out the facilities," revealed Ogilvie. "We are awaiting formal notification to say it has passed but given that Hearts have played there before in European competition and the stadium was passed as a venue for the European Championships were they to come here I don't forsee any problems. Murrayfield is a first-class venue."

He should know. He's been in enough of them. From industrial Vladikavkaz in deepest Russia to the Faroe Islands outpost of Nordragota, Ogilvie could compile his own encyclopedia of European football venues after trawling the continent with Rangers during many Champions League campaigns.

But the opportunity to earn millions in revenue from playing in the tournament's lucrative group stages might never have been granted Rangers, Hearts, or any other European side were it not for Ogilvie's intervention years ago.

"It was myself and Roger Vanden Stock [Anderlecht chairman] who first developed the idea that has evolved into the Champions League. We wanted to maximise our clubs' involvement in Europe because the European Cup was a straight knockout competition back then. The thought was to bring in some kind of group phase and between us we had a few ideas on it.

"I drafted them up into a document and submitted it to UEFA, but it got nowhere and was rebuffed. I knew one of the lads at UEFA quite well and basically learned to play the system. I got it translated into four different languages and instead of putting it in formally as an agenda item I asked for it to be put in at the end of a committee meeting under further business.

"Because it was translated into their own languages the committee all took it away and it started to move from there.

"Now Hearts are in it for the first time. We have a chance on the field. Off it, the club has grown tremendously but, if we're honest, there are aspects of the organisational side that we want to step up a gear. We aren't saying everything is great here, we know we need to improve.

"The obvious example is the main stand needing replaced, but other things such as the size of the ticket office and the volume of mail we receive need addressed. I've got letters that I just haven't had the chance to reply to. That's not right."

Perhaps his schedule has become overloaded with SFA and Hearts business.

Both organisations have, after all, butted heads so often during the last 18 months that the lumps on Hampden foreheads are almost visible from Tynecastle. And vice versa. "Sensitive issues" create an extra workload for Ogilvie. He is asked why Hearts and the SFA continue to fall out, and the reply is laced with sarcasm. "Have they? I hadn't noticed. Today." Clearly, he knows that having a foot in both camps brings positives and negatives.

"I don't look upon it as awkward, it's just a challenge. It comes with the territory. I have my Hearts hat, and that's my priority but because I also have an SFA hat I do get involved in some issues.

"Vladimir Romanov will speak his mind as he sees it. In football, it does no harm to have characters, and I go back to the passion that he has brought to Hearts.

"For example, I've been involved in plenty cup finals with Rangers but never seen an open-top bus before. You don't get them in Glasgow. I was aware of the potential before I came here but actually to see it first hand just brings it home. It's our view that this is the third biggest club in Scotland."

Success in football has followed him east along the M8, but Ogilvie is no stuffy bureaucrat. There is even the call for the odd joke at his own expense. "Personally, I've been delighted. The Hearts supporters have been very good considering my background. It's an exciting club to be at. As a weegie, bluenose, SFA blazer, I thought I'd have found it a bit harder to be accepted."

Campbell Ogilvie may commute from Glasgow every morning but day by day he is striving to effect a rise to prominence in Edinburgh. He's doing not a bad job.

Taken from the Scotsman