EXCLUSIVE.
The Scottish Football Association has not yet informed UEFA that they have dismissed Hugh Dallas as Head of Referee development. Instead the understanding of UEFA was that Mr.Dallas had resigned his post. Of course the truth is that he was dismissed and is currently appealing that decision. It is, indeed, impossible to appeal a resignation!
This came to light today after this journalist had contacted UEFA to ask them about Mr.Dallas’ involvement at the UEFA Europa League Group G match with HNK Hajduk Split on Thursday 16th December as a referee’s observer.
I contacted UEFA about Mr.Dallas’ continued involvement with the association following his sacking in Scotland.
“We would like to inform you that Mr. Hugh Dallas is a member of the UEFA Referee Committee and acts as referee observer at UEFA matches.
As Mr. Dallas seems to only have resigned from his function within the Scottish FA but did not resign from his position as member of the UEFA Referees Committee and as UEFA hasn’t received so far a letter from the Scottish FA asking for Mr Dallas to be removed from this position (because he can no longer be considered as his representative by the Scottish FA), Mr Dallas has to be considered as still being a member of the UEFA Referees Committee for the time being.”
An Anti racist campaigner and ex-Republic of Ireland international Kieron Brady expressed surprise at the revelation that disgraced former head of Referee development in Scotland Mr. Hugh Dallas had been employed by UEFA as a referees observer just three weeks after his dismissal from the Scottish FA for forwarding on an email that implied that His Holiness the Pope was himself a danger to children.
Brady said:
“This is hard to fathom considering UEFA’s opposition to discrimination and crucially that Mr.Dallas to date not showed any contrition or remorse for the offence caused.”
Dallas’ continued involvement with UEFA has certainly raised eyebrows in the organisations in Europe tasked with eradicating discriminatory chanting and the like from the game in Europe.
One such source, a senior figure in the FARE network conjectured of UEFA’s motives:
“They may feel his dismissal from the SFA was enough and he doesn’t have space to peddle sectarianism at Anderlecht v Hadjuk.”
It remains to be seen if those in charge at the SFA will set the record straight and tell UEFA exactly how and why Mr.Dallas left his employment as Head of Referee Development in Scotland.
