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As The Latest Celtic Decision Is Condemned, Bad Officiating Is Embarrassing Our Game.

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Another weekend of lamentable refereeing in Scotland has just come to a close.

Once again, it’s pro-Ibrox and anti-Celtic decisions under the microscope.

Even those who cannot join the dots – and they are obvious to anyone looking – can see that our game cannot stand much more of this. VAR has been an unmitigated disaster for the SFA.

All of Europe is watching us with incredulity. Down south they must snigger every single time the Scottish highlights come up for review. We knew that VAR would highlight what goes on up here; what we didn’t suspect is that it would not stop refs from thinking they could continue with business as usual. It has become an utter embarrassment to our game.

How much longer must we endure this? Even if you don’t accept that refs are biased the sheer number of these decisions which are now under the microscope outside of this country are making us into a laughing stock. Celtic highlighted this possibility some months ago, and surely now we’ve arrived at a place where enough is enough?

Sky’s resident ex-official described the weekend’s calls up here as “farcical.” That’s one way to put it. It is a flat-out disgrace that these people can make these kinds of calls week after week after week without consequence. No other league would tolerate these sub-par standards and the longer it goes on the more questions will be asked outside Scotland.

The era of SFA run refereeing has to be coming to an end.

A national referee’s service entirely separate from the governing body is an idea whose time has come. Grade them, promote the best and demote the worst. Make all declare their allegiances in order to even be registered. Pay the going rate for officials; clubs have shown they want higher standards. I am sure they could pick up the slack for that.

But we’re relying on a system right now that is simply not fit for purpose and whether that’s because of bias or incompetence frankly becomes an inconsequential side-issue next to the obvious need to admit that a serious problem exists and needs to be dealt with.

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  • Tam says:

    We have a problem with referees and referees using the VAR TECHNOLOGY.. when the likes of Hugh Dallas thinks nothing is wrong and Crawford Allan says NOTHING. Hugh Dallas even says in five years yes that’s 5 years time we should have professional VAR people to get consistency..so we have to put up with this blatant cheating for another five years… well the only good thing has now been confirmed that your hand is in a natural position to protect your face.mmmm maybe not for any other team except “the rangers”

  • Johnny Green says:

    “All of Europe is watching us with incredulity. Down south they must snigger every single time the Scottish highlights come up for review.”

    James, Europe and England do not give a monkees about our football and I would not imagine anyone except Scottish exiles would watch our highlights, are the highlights even shown down South?

    Our refereeing problems are our problems, nobody is going to ride to the rescue anytime soon.

  • Johnny Green says:

    We need an articulate, intelligent, deep thinker like our very own Scud to lead the revolution against the SFA and their refereeing cronies. C’mon Scud, step up to the plate and set the wheels in motion buddy. I’m sure you will be capable of weeding out all the corrupt Bennys in high places and stopping the corruption at it’s core. A bit of crowdfunding would also not go amiss and I’m sure I’ve got a ten bob note tucked away somewhere for just this sort of crusade. Just give me the nod Bud, and I’ll phone your nurse to get her approval.

    • Voice of Reason says:

      His Nurse has Fuked aff m8.. Nae hope fur this Walliper I’m afraid lol!

  • Scud Missile says:

    Lol there it is the Christmas greeting card calling out the officials I do hope the Chuckle brothers come here and redeem themselves with an apology to me.
    I highlighted this weeks ago and Dumb&Dumber aka Voice of an Arsehole and Johnnybag Green shot me down in flames.
    Let’s see if they call the writer of the article.

    • Voice of Reason says:

      The officials are called out EVERY wk by fans of all teams EXCEPT the FILTH coz they’re getting MOST of them! Won’t make a BLIND bit of difference in this Sad, Bigoted wee Country! I do however concur with my Learned friend Johnny & 2nd his motion tae get FUDBOOK to mount a petition to the appropriate bodies & end this CORRUPTION wance & fur all! So theres ur Platform BENNY, go contact Miss Diane fur her approval & get tae work ya Fukin NUMPTY LOL!!

  • SSMPM says:

    The ‘it’s only incompetence’ argument was show for the lie it was and still is years ago. That went for a Burton way before the ten bob note did but sadly I remember using them too J.G. (good reference that perhaps only us slightly more mature individuals will remember).
    Independence from the SFA is definitely the way forward with regards to refs and VAR refs/officials but I struggle to see how we’ll find them in this country, at least not in the short term. This might sound a contradiction in current political times but if we want independence we’re gonna have to look outside this country. The hiring of foreign officials initially though, in itself, would be one small step for mankind (another ten bob era quote).

  • Peter Cassidy says:

    How many times do we go about the refs on here refs/var officials sfa spl full of cheats #uck them nothing will change .

  • John S says:

    “The era of SFA run refereeing has to be coming to an end.” It should be but they’ll only relinquish screaming. The one success of VAR is exposing the incompetence and corruption.

  • Johnno says:

    We are talking now about how damaged the whole creditabity of Scottish football has become, when cheating ref’s and VAR is destroying the game overall.
    Even worse that such nonsense as individuals are still allowed to take centre stage over the talents of hatate, jota, kyogo etc etc is the shame of what Scottish football has allowed itself to become.
    Personally believe that to the shame of the SFA, would rather keep the Scottish game in its current state, than actually promoting the game in the manner that it should with the talents Ange and the players he has bought into the Scottish game.
    We all know why that is?
    Due to hun scum able to offer nothing to the Scottish game, yet still a desire to protect such a shower of shit, is it any wonder how fucked up Scottish football remains.
    Celtic will remain all alone still in trying to get any form of creditabity back into Scottish football regardless of the Uphill struggle in trying to gain it, against an administration body of the SFA who want to keep the game in the dark ages still.
    Scotlands shame is spoilt for choice still

  • Amcq14 says:

    Why is our club doing nothing about this? Sorry, heard it all goes on behind the scenes. Really, the other mob would be going ballistic. Maybe it’s time we did the same and decided not letting them in to a press conference because basically I think ange can’t be bothered with them and quite frankly neither can I.

  • 18871888 says:

    “…..incompetence or bias,,,.” The other possibility is intimidation.

  • BJM says:

    Very difficult to get the refereeing reforms required ,sfa and referees are quite happy with the status quo as it benefits the team the vast majority of them support.
    One possible way may be a semi final at Hampden in one of the cups against any team other than sevco do not take our ticket allocation this could make the attendance around 10,000 or less the sponsors wouldn’t be happy the sfa would loose a serious few quid ,do this until some sort of refereeing reforms are agreed upon . I know this would be huge burden on our supporters sometimes short term pain for long term gain.
    There are other options these are probably even more difficult to implement than above . We live in hope.

  • Joseph Mcaleer says:

    This is a message that needs to be put out more and more, a untenable situation that’s needs to be fixed, and taken away from the SFA,and The LANARKSHIRE refereeing association.

  • Pan says:

    Pay for and get the lawyers involved. There is enough evidence to expose the cheating.
    Those who are not cheating have nothing to fear.
    Fergus exposed the cheating with Farry et al. It needs to be done again.

  • Stephen says:

    The only people who matter is the people who don’t complain other the Sevco board and that’s the Celtic board.
    Five way agreement conflicted board the blue pound lovers.

  • Davie says:

    Has VAR Lodge given permission for this to be written, C’mon you know the governing body must authorise all posts to be factual and fair, VAR is the way to go, stops celtics ball boys/girls from keeping play moving fast, prevents the unfair advantage of blessing yourself as you approach the pitch, cuts out the loud shirts worn by celtic fans, prevents celtic celebrating a goal, you get the idea, VAR stops all this unfair advantage as the honest decent VAR Lodge dictate sporting integrity remains fair.

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