I was not expecting much to come out of the Honest Mistake Symposium in Perth.
You may, dear reader, be surprised at my cynicism.
However, the organisation that was once run by the late Jim Farry and employed Hugh Dallas probably has still some convincing to do on matters of fitba fairness.
For the avoidance of doubt, I do not believe that there was any labyrinthine conspiracy over the Jorge Cadette affair.
Rather, Mr Farry simply was operating within the mores of his culture.
It was a central part of his world view to see Celtic as other.
It probably never occurred to him that what he was doing was morally wrong.
When Fergus McCann got lawyered up Farry had no answer and he had to go.
Now, Dallas snr is no longer clocking in at Hampden because of journalistic scrutiny.
You can read about it here.
It is not a coincidence that it took a journalist in Ireland to hold power to account on that one.
Of course, one simple move to enhance confidence in the officials would be to get them to openly declare their club allegiance.
I noticed that this suggestion was recently shot down in a tone of high dudgeon during an encounter on Radio Scotland.
Now match officials could just diplomatically declare for Alloa and Stirling Albion despite the fact that they had held season tickets at Ibrox for decades.
That is where journalistic scrutiny provides the vital checks and balances in the system.
Now, dear reader, there’s your problem right there!
Here is what a professor of journalism thought of the Fitba Fourth Estate back in 2013.
The default answer of any of the Stenography Corps to the latest batch of Honest Mistakes is to say that the official in question had a bad day at the office.
Therefore, what we have is the incompetence narrative and that is why the meeting at Perth was required.
As ever, the Celtic manager was supremely diplomatic.
The Irishman stated that the officials needed to be helped.
Regular readers will know that I have a Jeffersonian approach to those in power.
That is why the Fourth Estate is so vital.
In the land of succulent lamb, we should not be surprised that when power is not held to account it tends to do what it wants.
Consequently, no “high-level summit” will solve anything of importance when the press pack dutifully obeys high-Level instructions.
As you were…
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If I remember correctly a ref’s car broke down at Ibrox some years ago, The nice people at Rangers ( as they were then ) gave him the loan of a company car without time limit.
Now can anyone serious think that in the next Rangers game he officiated this small generosity would be forgotten and would not influence his decisions?
Just a small example of how easy corruption can rear it’s ugly head, it’s not always brown paper envelopes.
Referees can be trusted without disclosing which team they support – according to Kenny Clark ( ex-referee and member of the SFA referees committee )- and didn’t spend 10-15 years getting to the top to compromise their position , he says .
Judges in our courts ( including the Supreme Court) have to declare an interest in any case they are overseeing , and recuse themselves if there is the slightest possibility of their judgement being tainted by bias . Not so our referees ! They obviously have a higher level of integrity than the judges in our courts so can be trusted to be completely neutral in all of their deliberations and judgements .
We do not put judges in a position where their impartiality may be tested yet the SFA , the BBC , the SMSM and the referees themselves see nothing wrong in the MIB being trusted to be completely impartial when faced with giving a penalty against his childhood heroes in the last minute of a deadlocked Cup Final ?
What paragons of integrity are our Scottish referees ! If only their competence met the same standard ! lol
I am honest enough to admit that I could not referee a Celtic v Rangers game without showing bias – I openly admit that if I had the opportunity on a 50/50 decision I would give Celtic the advantage – I admit it. However, what I probably could not do was be as blatant as Beaton was, if Celtic had a player, and I hope that we never do, as thuggish as Morelos, I honestly do not think that I could just ignore similar attacks or claim that I saw them but thought there was nothing wrong with any of them – on all front it’s so wrong. And, as everybody has said, there 2 only 2 reasons for Beatons behaviour, he is either completely incompetent and no to be removed until retrained, and/or he is blatantly bias – so over to the SFA, what is it and what are you going to do about it? More importantly, what is Celtic going to do about it, insist on some sort of action against Beaton, I hope so and the soone th better..
Hi Phil…I’m glad you brought this up.
I’ll get straight to the point….
We don’t need full-time Officials ….we need Officials who aren’t a disgrace to their ” profession.”
Fleming is the Great Architect behind these decisions regarding who referees where….and he is ripping the piss out of us any chance he gets.
I cannot believe ( well I can actually) that BR goes along to this cosy wee get together….and concludes that full-time Officials and VAR will solve the problem.
Any decent football fan knows what the problem is…and its an absolute disgrace that Celtic Football Club sits back and accepts this….without a murmur.
Its time the Club grew a pair and represented the Support’s views on this matter.
Or does someone at Hampden…REALLY have the negatives….?
Something stinks here.
Over to you Celtic FC.
Aye. Both this AND Resolution 12.
Totally agree.
If match officials support Rangers, or Celtic etc, but would claim they support Alloa, or Stirling Albion etc, then surely that shows they’re dishonest, and don’t have the integrity to officiate at top level games in Scotland?
There really can be NO moral, legal or rational reason for NOT endorsing a ‘supported club’ declaration from any referee appointed to ANY football match played in Scotland under the ‘governance’ (yes I know!) of the SFA.
This would be even more relevant if the proposals to fast track ex professional players to the ‘black arts’ as they are certain to have strong club allegiances as well as connections to players.
I’ve said ‘NO moral, legal or rational reaaon’….
This leaves out ‘logistical’ which could be a problem whichever way (the current crop anyway) the referees declared their allegiance.
If well researched figures regarding the current top group of SFA referees are to be believed (and I see no reason not to) ….
…. 27 out of the 32 top men available to the SFA and SPFL are of the sash-wearing, knuckle-tickling variety with a lean towards any club playing out of a football ground resembling an oversized derelict Victorian brick municipal khazi in Govan.
The issue of ‘bias’ as we know finds two ways in all this…. if those 27 men honestly declared their ‘team then I wouldn’t want them officiating at ANY Sevco match , for risk of pro-sevco decisions. I also wouldn’t want them any where near ANY Celtic match either due to the risk of ‘honest mistakes’ to that clubs detriment.
That would pose a bit of a problem for the ‘organisers’ at the SFA. Only a handful of experienced referees would find themselves constantly refereeing top flight games and cup matches. An argument for full-time refs in itself as those guys would pretty much HAVE to be.
The Sevco supporting referees would be restricted to the likes of Hamilton v Livingston and championship games if things were fair… but of course we’re talking about Scotland , Scottish football and the SFA.
Presumably more neutral referees would have to be brought up the ranks but the logistical and organisational nightmare that would arise would only highlight the issue and the underlying bias which has existed for decades.
Maybe this is why the usual BBC sorts are so against ‘transparency’ in this case. The true situation would be exposed for all to see.
This is all of course going on the assumption that referees are honest in the first place about which club they support. There’s nothing much to stop them going ‘ full Chic Young’ and claiming to be lifelong St Mirren fans. Now that in itself would provide just another logistical problem especially for the Paisley side.
Perhaps they could ask them some facts about their declared club. Presumably they could already find the football ground unlike oor Chic.
A kind of ‘Bladerunneresque’ test could be applied on appointment … referees sat in a chair and asked questions about various teams and Scottish football etc , different scenarios regarding religion and politics presented while their reactions are monitored to determine their ‘honesty’.
The referee issue is just one aspect and symptom of a historically bigoted and biased institution. To flush it clean requires more than meetings and focus groups.
I’ve said for years that the clubs have the power to fix everything. The SFA only exists because of the member clubs. If there was a wholesale resignation by those clubs then the SfA would cease to exist overnight. The individuals who corrupt the game from their Hampden offices would effectively be unemployed and unemployable. Their assets (a trophy and a commitment to buy a stadium) would be worthless. The clubs could form a new governing body free from tainted history (preferably without Sevco) and able to start afresh with regard to referees etc.
As we’ve seen time and again with Celtic though… when the most powerful and influential club in the country just sits and takes it over and over ….. there’s little hope that other clubs would take a stand never mind see any sort of cohesive group action.
Incidentally…. the BBC themselves display just the same proportion of bias in their own cohort. Known Rainjuurz supporters choreographing interviews, Hun apologists towing the line and a constant influx of fledgling pundits like Kenny Miller who the BBC seem to be lining up for a permanent role like they owe him something.
VAR will never be allowed in Scottish football because the Scottish football authorites all know which club will benefit most from it.
It has nothing to do with money. It’s not rocket science.
As always Phil great piece, might i suggest they ask what school they went to. Worked well when I was either job hunting, or being asked by the polis, for some reason they liked me, cause they always let my friend who went to a different school shoot off. Hail Hail