“The Referee’s A (Lying, Dishonest) Wanker”

It’s not often I write blogs about football which is quite sad (since it is one of my passions outside music), but recent developments in the Scottish Premier League really make me feel like I should have my say in the story. I’m an avid Celtic fan and you may have read my team has recently been the centre of a scandal involving the referees in the country.

The reason I post is because some people, usually people who support the other side of the old firm, think Celtic are kicking up a fuss over nothing. Well, this theory is quite simply bullshit. Let me ask one simple question. If you, in your profession, had made a mistake in your line of duty and then gone on to lie about it to your employer, union and clients, would you still be in a job? 99% of the time the answer would be no. You would be relieved of your duties. Sacked. Fired. However you want to put it. So, why on God’s green earth does this same rule not apply to referees in our country? Don’t bother using the excuse “referees make mistakes” because yes, this is true and I agree with you. That isn’t the issue. Dougie McDonald, the offending referee, hasn’t made an honest mistake. He’s willingly made the choice to go out there and lie through his teeth to everyone involved in the game and that is why John Reid’s comments about his position being untenable are 100% accurate. To only get a slap on the wrist after such an embarrassing fuck up is beyond a joke and is yet another reminder of how very wrong our Football Association are when it comes to important decision making.

Now that’s cleared up, lets talk about the loose ends, in particular, Neil Lennon’s complaints about the wrong decisions (yes, Rangers fans, put on your neutral glasses and you will see these were very wrong) made in games against Rangers and Hearts. The penalty decision given against Daniel Majstorovic is for one reason, a very, very bad decision. At the “point of contact”, or even at the point Lee McCulloch hits the ground, the referee has his back to the incident. So, when you look at the simple laws in football refereeing, why on earth was this decision given when the referee didn’t actually see what had happened? Poor decision. Secondly, the handball against Hearts. The referee had an amazingly clear view of this incident and how on earth such an obvious handball could have been missed is beyond me and the majority of people who have viewed the incident. Another poor decision. Not only are these poor decisions, but the fans and team who were potentially cheated out of points are YET to hear a justification for the poor decisions that were made. Paranoid, is one thing I am not.

I completely understand that the two decisions above are part and parcel of the game and accept that mistakes were made here. I don’t question the fact these decisions were honest ones, but you can’t ignore them. The refereeing standards in this country are poor, and now this is being flagged up more than ever the referees are now throwing the toys out of the pram. This so called witch hunt would have never happened if Mr McDonald had been sacked. It’s the poor decision making of the SFA that have caused this furore, NOT Celtic Football Club, and anyone who disagrees, well, take your blue tinted glasses off and look at the facts that lie so vividly in front of you.

Strike all you want, but maybe most of those who do strike should instead be spending their time reading up on the laws of the game rather than throwing a hissy fit.