Referees' Strike - for those interested!

[shaunbhoy]

If they are getting English refereers instead of strikers then I'll watch the matches

I think the second part of your message got lost. The bit where it made some sense.

HTH

[Incognito]

FTFY


George Peat – Comedy Genius:

“The innuendo must stop…”

Reporter:

“Who are you talking about in particular George?”

GPCG:

“I’m not mentioning any names…”

Superb!

They're having a field day with this ain't they

Reporter - Are all clubs responsible or do you think it's Celtic who have gone over the top

Stephen Thompson - Well, one club has been more outspoken than any other

Just answer the bloody question Thompson, everyone knows who it is, just name them.



BBC Sport - Stephen Thompson says no to foreign refs in Scotland

[shaunbhoy]

I have mulled this over, and still there remain some glaring discrepancies.

1) The media have gone to great lengths to expose the fact that Referees are fearful of threats to themselves and their families.

2) Let's not beat about the bush, the inference is that they mean threats from within elements of the Celtic fanbase.

3) Bearing that in mind, look again at this incident and decide for yourself, if you were a referee (presumably aware of these supposed threats), is there any way you could justify awarding a penalty to Celtic for the incidents shown at the start of this clip, thus keeping you and your family free from harm?
BBC Sport - Referee incidents anger Celtic

4) I would suggest that most people would answer "Yes" to the question above. Now that being the case, what might compel you to do what very few refs worldwide, refs not in fear for their lives remember, ever seem to do even over very minor decisions? Might it just be that in fact you are not actually all that concerned by the risk of death threats, because they are not as prevalent as some might wish us to believe? Could it be that what you ARE worried about far more is a roasting from your Gaffer? It is certainly a fact that Dougie McDonald, once he finally came clean about lying over this incident, did state that he felt compelled to do so as he feared being marked down on his performance. Just what kind of system of governance do we have in place for our Referees that they might feel pressured into lying, coercing others into lying, then attempting to bury that lie? That seems to me to be at the root of this issue.

5) For that to be the case, your Gaffer would perhaps need to be quite a tyrannical figure. Do we have any evidence that it might be the case? Well yes we clearly do. The linesman involved in this issue, Steven Craven, resigned it appears after being cajoled into trying to perpetuate this lie. He cited bullying from within the Refereeing fraternity as the root cause for his resignation and NOT, crucially, fear of any external threats. Apparently the President of the SFA does not speak to Hugh Dallas either. Read into that what you will.

6) As recently as February of this year, Mr Dallas, the Head of Refereeing Development went on record as saying that his Referees were not up to scratch.
BBC Sport - Football - Disappointing season for SPL referees, says Hugh Dallas

Over last weekend, reports surfaced stating that 80% of our top flight referees had failed a competency test on the rules of the game. Last night the whole of Europe witnessed the performance of one of our "leading lights", Craig Thomson, as he refereed the Ajax v Real Madrid match. A performance that prompted one match commentator to suggest he should go on immediate strike as he was having "a shocker". All of this does not paint our Head of Refereeing in a very favourable light, and will do nothing to enhance any career plans he might have.
Now rumours abound that Mr Dallas has been allegedly "sexing-up" Match Reports. I am not for a moment claiming that there is any truth in these rumours, but what I am suggesting is that if it were in fact proved to be true, it might explain a few of the anomalous issues that seem to surround the current situation. Leaving aside the notion that these changes might have been made to mask any favouritism towards any particular team, it would certainly not have harmed the reputation and standing of Hugh Dallas were a squeaky clean set of Match Reports to consistently be landing on the desk of his superiors.

On top of that there are strong internet rumours suggesting that Celtic FC have got their hands on some of these Reports. Celtic have also asked for clarification of a penalty awarded against them in a recent Old Firm Match. TV evidence clearly seems to show that at the point of contact (such as it was), the referee was in fact not even looking at the incident. The rules clearly state that if you do not see an offence then you cannot give it.
It might just be possible that the Report of THAT match is one that is in Celtic's possession. It might well be that they have requested clarification to see if the explanation they are now given tallys with that put down in the Report. Who knows? Certainly not me............although I would clearly love to.
As far as that request has gone, Mr Dallas and his cohorts remain tight-lipped. As they do about this supposed strike. Does that seem like normal behaviour? Can anyone picture Bob Crowe calling a strike without broadcasting from the rooftops his rationale? Or can anyone imagine Mr Crowe calling a strike without balloting all his members, then having to call another ballot a few days later to garner their opinions on its validity, however late? It strikes me as an arrogant assumption to make, that the rank and file would simply roll over and submit to your whim whilst running the risk of losing their livelihood. What manner of regime might you have to be running to draw such conclusions I wonder?

Just my 2p worth.

[AlfredJPruffock]

Way back in Time ...

Sometime back around 1975ish my pals in Glasgow supported Partick Thistle - I used to go to some Thistle games - I recall the time when Rangers played Thistle at Ibrox - Rangers had to win to challenge the League Leaders - Celtic .

Much to their charagin Thistle were up one nil with about 20 minutes to go.

After 90 minutes ,we were waiting the final whistle to celebrate Thistles victory.

The game went on then after 4 minutes of injury time - Ranger were awarded a dubious penalty - then they socred waht appeared to be an offside goal after Seven minutes of injury time - after the winning goal the referee blowed the final whistle .

When it was pointed out that there was in fact a maximum of 2 minutes injury time the refereee explained that It went on for another five minutes - because he had lost his watch - and it didnt cross his mind to consult the linesmen.


Just Fancy That !

[TestMangler]

Way back in Time ...

Sometime back around 1975ish my pals in Glasgow supported Partick Thistle - I used to go to some Thistle games - I recall the time when Rangers played Thistle at Ibrox - Rangers had to win to challenge the League Leaders - Celtic .

Much to their charagin Thistle were up one nil with about 20 minutes to go.

After 90 minutes ,we were waiting the final whistle to celebrate Thistles victory.

The game went on then after 4 minutes of injury time - Ranger were awarded a dubious penalty - then they socred waht appeared to be an offside goal after Seven minutes of injury time - after the winning goal the referee blowed the final whistle .

When it was pointed out that there was in fact a maximum of 2 minutes injurty time the refereee explained that It went on for another five minutes - because he had lost his watch - and it didnt coress his mind to consult the linesmen.


Just Fancy That !

LOL.....I think every fan of a non old firm team has experienced something similar.

Back in '76, in a Scottish Cup Semi at Hampden, Motherwell had ripped Rangers a new one and were cruising at 2-0. Midway into the second half, Rangers made a rare attack, and Derek Johnstone, on the edge of the 'D', literally stood on the ball and landed on his arse around the six yard box ! Result ? The usual result when a hun lands anywhere near the box. A Penalty. Of course, they went on to win 3-2. The ref from that game was later struck off the FIFA list for accepting 'gifts' from some Italian team.

As my old man used to say, if you're playing the huns, you have to win 3-0 to get a draw.

[Incognito]

Ahem.

Rangers’ league position since the start of the SPL:

1998/99 - 1st
1999/00 - 1st
2000/01 - 2nd
2001/02 - 2nd
2002/03 - 1st
2003/04 - 2nd
2004/05 - 1st
2005/06 - 3rd
2006/07 - 2nd
2007/08 - 2nd
2008/09 - 1st
2009/10 - 1st

Well I make that only a 50% success rate. I hope the Establishment give those refs back their Lodge dues.



Furthermore, to the period in the 60's/70's/80's when some posters seem to think it was so rife. From 1964 to 1987 (that's 23 years for you) Rangers won the league a grand total of three times. Yup, three times.

And to that Old Firm penalty incident that Shanuybhoy is getting at where Celtic are seeking clarification.



Looks like he's got a damn good view of that to me. It may have been a soft penalty, but to claim it was some sort of agenda is ludicrous. Whilst it makes no difference, the referee is a Catholic RE teacher. Hardly fits with the tinfoil hat brigade though, does it.

[shaunbhoy]

And to that Old Firm penalty incident that Shanuybhoy is getting at where Celtic are seeking clarification.



Looks like he's got a damn good view of that to me. It may have been a soft penalty, but to claim it was some sort of agenda is ludicrous. Whilst it makes no difference, the referee is a Catholic RE teacher. Hardly fits with the tinfoil hat brigade though, does it.

If he had got a damn good view of it then he would have booked Broadfoot for diving!!

Anyway, in response to this letter from the SFA requesting all Clubs to respond to confirm they are happy with our Referees' Integrity, here is a post which I lifted from another forum. Made me laugh anyway!!

Dear Mr Peat

Thank you for your letter concerning the alleged questioning of referee’s integrity. Unfortunately due to recent circumstances, which are verified facts, we are unable to reply at this time.

It would be foolish of any football club not to question the integrity of a referee who has publicly admitted to lying to their team manager. More so, we would certainly be completely failing in our duties as custodians of this club if we did not question the honour of the Head of Referee Development, who despite being in possession of the facts, tried to cover up the lies of his team on live national radio. Furthermore we cannot possibly back someone who is currently subject to an internal SFA investigation regarding the alleged forwarding of an inflammatory, bigoted sectarian email.

Football in the West of Scotland is already played out in a poisonous, overtly sectarian playing field. Should the SFA be proven to be a harbour of bigots then it would be impossible for us to continue our membership of the association without a full public investigation into the events surrounding the aforementioned incidents.

To conclude, unless you get rid of Dallas, McDonald and all other presbyterian, orange, masonic, goat sacrificing, trouser leg rolling up fannys inside Hampden you can stick the letter up yer ar$e!

Yours sincerely

Celtic

[SupremeSpod]

If he had got a damn good view of it then he would have booked Broadfoot for diving!!

Anyway, in response to this letter from the SFA requesting all Clubs to respond to confirm they are happy with our Referees' Integrity, here is a post which I lifted from another forum. Made me laugh anyway!!

Dear Mr Peat

Thank you for your letter concerning the alleged questioning of referee’s integrity. Unfortunately due to recent circumstances, which are verified facts, we are unable to reply at this time.

It would be foolish of any football club not to question the integrity of a referee who has publicly admitted to lying to their team manager. More so, we would certainly be completely failing in our duties as custodians of this club if we did not question the honour of the Head of Referee Development, who despite being in possession of the facts, tried to cover up the lies of his team on live national radio. Furthermore we cannot possibly back someone who is currently subject to an internal SFA investigation regarding the alleged forwarding of an inflammatory, bigoted sectarian email.

Football in the West of Scotland is already played out in a poisonous, overtly sectarian playing field. Should the SFA be proven to be a harbour of bigots then it would be impossible for us to continue our membership of the association without a full public investigation into the events surrounding the aforementioned incidents.

To conclude, unless you get rid of Dallas, McDonald and all other presbyterian, orange, masonic, goat sacrificing, trouser leg rolling up fannys inside Hampden you can stick the letter up yer ar$e!

Yours sincerely

Celtic

One you'll never see.

If we'd known that Jock Stein was a "masonic, goat sacrificing, trouser leg rolling up fanny" we'd never have employed him as manager.

[shaunbhoy]

One you'll never see.

Where???????

[SupremeSpod]

Where???????

Exactly, why let facts get in the way of a good old bigoted rant, eh?