As I have already stated here recently, match officials in England must state their club allegiance.
If you read the reasoning within this BBC piece then it seems hard to argue against.
Of course, in Fair Caledonia, we’re told that this isn’t necessary.
Apparently, Scottish officials are a uniquely ethical bunch.
They’re also massively pish at doing their rather well-paid part-time gig.
Well, they must be shite, because incompetence is the only officially sanctioned explanation for their calamitous errors.
Not only must justice be done, but it must be seen to be done.
That is why the English system is in place.
I once recused myself from compiling a Social Enquiry Report on a chap because I knew his extended family.
If I recall correctly I don’t think I had ever met the person who was the subject of the report.
However, it seemed the entirely ethical and professional thing to do.
My line manager agreed with me and another colleague wrote the court-ordered report.
I have no information on whether or not a match official in Scotland ever recused himself from a match because “his” team was playing.
In England the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) keep a close eye on this matter.
In Scotland, I’m afraid, it appears to be a lot more “convivial”.
Of course, the audit process could be subverted by the official giving incorrect information.
That’s where journalism provides a necessary check and balance in the system.
Once more, we would have a problem in Scotland.
When the Hugh Dallas email story was still live several callers into the Clyde 1 Super Scoreboard wanted to raise the issue.
I have a clear recollection of one of the pundits stating that Mr Dallas was “a friend of the show”.
In the months after he was sacked from the SFA I put the following scenario to a leading Scottish sports journalist:
“Imagine it was you that had that email about the Pope and paedophilia. What would you have done with it? Would you have broken the story?”
He simply shook his head.
I pressed for an answer and then he said:
“No. No, I wouldn’t.”
Despite several attempts, he would not expand on his stance.
From my work on that story through to the financial problems of Rangers I have seen the Scottish sports hacks up close on several occasions.
There appears to be an emotional contract that binds them together.
It is important that you don’t rock the boat.
Everyone has a quiet life.
Softball questions only in pressers.
Obedient regurgitation of press releases.
Now, none of that looks to me like journalism.
It is the opposite of holding power to account.
Here, Roy Greenslade, a professor of journalism, calls out the chaps on the Daily Radar.
“The reporting of the Rangers’ saga over the past five years has been a classic example of reporters being no more than stenographers for PRs offering them stories they didn’t care to verify.”
Quite so.
For the avoidance of doubt, I have seen this powder puff behaviour in Celtic pressers on more than one occasion.
Sycophantic questions arched gracefully through the air for Peter Lawwell to hit it gratefully out of Celtic Park.
The deal seemed to be if clubs were given an easy time then everyone could have it cushy.
Consequently, even if the SFA adopted the English model of background checks on officials there would still be a missing piece.
In Scotland, the Fourth Estate is posted missing when it comes to keeping an eye on the powerful.
However, that is no reason for the governing bodies to ignore the efficacy of the English system.
When Stewart Regan took over at the SFA he gave a presentation on a document called “Scotland United a 2020 vision”.
The late great Turnbull Hutton was present for that tour d’horizon.
He told me that he felt that he was at a corporate presentation with little relevance to the game he loved.
Moreover, he said that to me that it was 20 minutes before football had any centrality to what was being said.
He also related to me in his unmistakable Fife brogue that he thought the ex-cricket administrator was going to wear out the word “transparency”.
He then told me that he left before Regan’s talk was over.
I asked him why.
“Och, ah hud tae go oot furra pish”.
The Raith Rovers man had class.
I’m afraid that’s a commodity that seems to be short supply on the 6th floor at Hampden these days…
Phil
I remember listening to Clyde superscoreboard back when the debate about the fourth official holding up s board to let everyone in the stadium know how much extra time was to be played
Every one of the panel was in agreement as it being a good idea and good for the game
All EXCEPT one BFDJ was the only one who thought it was a BAD idea
and it should be up to the REF to keep the game going until HE decided time was up
ENOUGH SAID
I think Dallas was guilty of plenty more serious and sackable offences than the nasty wee schoolboy stunt they got rid of him for. But that gave them the out they needed and prevented the possibility of the full truth coming out as a result of a proper investigation into the allegations against him. Remember the first casualty of “Dougie gate” was the linesman who refused to be bullied by Dallas into backing up the revised pack of lies dreamt up by the ref at Dundee.
I agree the SMSM cannot be trusted to exercise proper scrutiny of declared allegiances. I believe the answer lies in publishing openly the responses given by the officials. Anyone who may be tempted to give a false response would be deterred by thought of having their lie exposed. The probable official attitude to this will undoubtedly be total hostility. This issue needs to be challenged head on though. The provision needs to be taken over by the SPFL and removed from the SFA amateurs. The workings of the PGMOL can be found here. http://www.premierleague.com/referees
No reason to my mind why something similar cannot be set up here. Match fees for “elite” officials are substantial and could be increased. Open applications up irrespective of nationality as a larger selection pool could provide a much needed improvement in quality.
Transparency and the SFA are unlikely bedfellows.
Probably envoking the ref’s to declare their past/present club allegiance would be tantamount to questioning their integrity……stand by for another strike!
We already have a prima facie example of the SFA’S position on conflict of interest…….the blatant subversion of the LNS enquiry by their former President, the recipient of £96k from the EBT scheme.
Could there be any clearer a message from the SFA that nothing which reflects badly on the Govan club will ever see the light of day. Their President gave evidence to LNS which has subsequently been proven to be bare faced lies!
I still have hope that during the forthcoming trials the SFA may be in the firing line, if not then there is the distinct possibility that a major player in the farce, with a penchant for tape recordings, and oodles of email and other correspondence, will tell all in a certain future book publication.
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Keep digging Phil, this corruption can’t go on. The other night on @ssb a guy called Sean called the panel out on referee’s, claiming he had evidence of a refs report showing anti-Celtic bias. The guy must get this in the public domain(if true). Ex-refs are queuing up to do the after dinner circuit of Sevco supporters clubs, Orange halls, Masonic temples, bowling and golf clubs. When you question this you’re told all the stories they tell are just a wee laugh not to be taken seriously. If there was no corruption, then they would surely be doing a circuit of Celtic clubs, Hibs halls and KOSC clubs too. Hard evidence is needed here. Maybe a wee appeal to any fan who likes his football honest and is maybe serving staff on one of the LRA/SFA jollies, to leave their camera/video running on their mobile phone. I know I would.
Interesting in International Football that you cannot referee a game that could impact on your own country. Football supporters are normally more passionate about their clubs than country, however, in Scotland you can referee your “boyhood” team. I have to be honest and say that the ridiculous decision at the weekend to me was exactly that. I do not see what could be gained unless the Ref was a Ross County fan. I think referees try to show how capable they are at times by giving “big” decisions against big teams to prove they have got what is required. I tend to agree with the more moderate on here and believe that all clubs suffer from poor decisions. There are frankly too many poor referees fast tracked beyond their true level. The Conspiracy theories historically are not difficult to identify with. However the Refs currently are not good enough.Phil if you actually believe that current referees go out with an anti Irish agenda, I would have to say I find that even more ridiculous than some of the decisions themselves.
Great article, the facts are that Timothy and his conspiracy theories are usually proven correct after years of denial, Hugh Dallas point in fact. What is needed is a polygraph upon application.
The lodge must fall.
Seconds before the Brown “incident” a Celtic player, Roberts I think, is clearly dunted just outside the box he carries on into the box and a second opposition player bangs him to the ground. Roberts is still on the deck when the Brown incident takes place——– not a mention in the press or a comment on television. Brown, immediately after his tackle, is
pushed to the ground by their number three— a two handed shove which was undoubtedly violent conduct ignored by the officials and no mention on television or in the press.
Technology (TV), admittedly retrospectively, has clearly shown both of these incidents but nothing has been or will be done because there is an establishment agenda which is deeply anti Celtic.
Phil, you know I’ve been there – a bigger part of the problem is that the refereeing hierarchy is and always has been dominated by the Glasgow Association- if where you lived was a factor in match appointments then all Matches involving Celtic or Rangers would have to be allocated to the refs from Dundee, Aberdeen or Edinburgh – the Glasgow referees would simply not accept this situation
Lanarkshirebhoy – what’s your view??
It’s not just our match officials; even our pundits and so-called journalists claim no to favour a team, despite some of them being involved in the game for 40+ years (Hugh Keevins). Others pretend to support smaller provincial teams. We all know it, but we all accept it. By our silence, we are complicit.
Sorry Sam,
I’m not having that,I for one,have been anything but silent over these non-stop ‘honest mistakes’
When the original huns went bang,I was emailing UEFA & FIFA for them to get to grips with the blatant bias of sfa.Unbeknown to me that these organisations were about to implode themselves.They are probably just as corrupt today as they were before they went bang,but,who then can we ask to intercede against these bias rats at hampden park???
Silent,I most certainly was not.
Phil, you know I’ve been there – part of the problem is not just the SFA, but the refereeing hierarchy in Scotland which is and always has been dominated by the Glasgow Association- no one would ever question Mowat and Wharton!!
I know it’s not limited to the Old Firm games, but the top west of Scotland referees would never allow these games to be officiated just by their colleagues from Dundee or Edinburgh
Lanarkshirebhoy – what’s your view?
The late Turnbull Hutton knew exactly what the Hampden pisheratti were all about. Nothing more than blazer wearing, ladder climbers, charlatans and liars who just love indulging in a fair whack of cronyism. As for the Fourth Estate, i’ll leave that blank.
Nail on the head there Noel, as Burns would say they really are a “parcel of rogues”