Should This Be Allowed?

[Susie-Jambo-66]

Should referees who are known supporters of a certain SPL team be allowed to referee matches involving that team?

[Drylaw Hearts]

Should referees who are known supporters of a certain SPL team be allowed to referee matches involving that team?

 

No.

[Dazo]

Should referees who are known supporters of a certain SPL team be allowed to referee matches involving that team?

 

 

And as far as i am aware that's why in England referee's must disclose any connections/leanings to teams down there.

 

Not a chance in hell the SFA would do the same.

[Nucky Thompson]

No and they shouldn't be allowed to referee said teams closest rivals:rolleyes:

[Mr Loverman]

And as far as i am aware that's why in England referee's must disclose any connections/leanings to teams down there.

 

Not a chance in hell the SFA would do the same.

 

This is correct Dazo. The FA are miles ahead in how they deal with referees compared to the SFA.

 

The SFA as in the dark ages.

[upthehill]

Get a grip. The only people interested in being referees are people who like football. People who like football are fans of 1 team or other. So naturally refs have a favourite team. But suggesting that they could not referee in the top league if they support a top league team is nonsense, what you are suggesting is that we have no football or resort to the 1800s when the 2 captains agreed on contensious decisions and settled the matter between themselves.

 

Only way round it is to have foreign refs, and that's gonna put money on the price of a ticket, and we'd need the support of associations around the world to do this.

[JamboGuy]

And as far as i am aware that's why in England referee's must disclose any connections/leanings to teams down there.

 

Not a chance in hell the SFA would do the same.

 

See my sig - I have been saying this for years!

[ToadKiller Dog]

I would say no but would we not likely end up with a chick young senario you wouldnt be able to get a ref for a St Midden game ,The first step would be to put in place demotion for

Refs who continue to make errors as in england,We cant be exactly like england due to population size and the the strength of the grusomes.

proper demotion for bad performances and reward for good performances is the best way.

[Mr Loverman]

Get a grip. The only people interested in being referees are people who like football. People who like football are fans of 1 team or other. So naturally refs have a favourite team. But suggesting that they could not referee in the top league if they support a top league team is nonsense, what you are suggesting is that we have no football or resort to the 1800s when the 2 captains agreed on contensious decisions and settled the matter between themselves.

 

Only way round it is to have foreign refs, and that's gonna put money on the price of a ticket, and we'd need the support of associations around the world to do this.

 

I think you are taking this out of context a little. I think what's being suggested that refs that support a club should not be involved in refereeing that clubs game not referee at all in the top league.

 

This happens in England as Dazo says. Whilst it may not be possible for this to happen all the time, the SPL should strive to do this where possible. Or at the VERY least ask the refs to declare what teams they have a 'soft spot' for at the start of each season.

[Mr Loverman]

I would say no but would we not likely end up with a chick young senario you wouldnt be able to get a ref for a St Midden game ,The first step would be to put in place demotion for

Refs who continue to make errors as in england,We cant be exactly like england due to population size and the the strength of the grusomes.

proper demotion for bad performances and reward for good performances is the best way.

 

I agree, this is exactly the way to go. All that happens just now in Scotland is that the SFA shut up shop and defend the refs - this does nothing for the game, in fact it actually harms it. The SFA say the refs are only human - well humans make mistakes and it's ok to admit to them and deal with the consequences as it should make you better in the long run. If this is not the case then I would say that they are not cut out to be a referee.

[redm]

Get a grip. The only people interested in being referees are people who like football. People who like football are fans of 1 team or other. So naturally refs have a favourite team. But suggesting that they could not referee in the top league if they support a top league team is nonsense, what you are suggesting is that we have no football or resort to the 1800s when the 2 captains agreed on contensious decisions and settled the matter between themselves.

 

Only way round it is to have foreign refs, and that's gonna put money on the price of a ticket, and we'd need the support of associations around the world to do this.

 

It would be nonsense if they were individuals who have enough integrity to separate their own personal interests from those presented to them in any SPL match, but evidence suggests that just isn't a possibility.

 

Your comments reflect the notion of a football/refereeing utopia which just doesn't exist. If the FA can acknowledge it as a potential source of conflict, it's astounding that the SFA won't do the same given the much higher likelihood of issues arising.

[Commander Harris]

it would be completely unworkable in Scotland given the vast majority of officials will support Rangers or Celtic.

[captain]

We've done ok from a Hearts supporting linesman in recent years....

[Mr Loverman]

it would be completely unworkable in Scotland given the vast majority of officials will support Rangers or Celtic.

 

Not always, but I agree that it would cause issues. Getting the refs to declare what teams they have leanings towards would be a start.

[Do you know where hell is]

Get a grip. The only people interested in being referees are people who like football. People who like football are fans of 1 team or other. So naturally refs have a favourite team. But suggesting that they could not referee in the top league if they support a top league team is nonsense, what you are suggesting is that we have no football or resort to the 1800s when the 2 captains agreed on contensious decisions and settled the matter between themselves.

 

Only way round it is to have foreign refs, and that's gonna put money on the price of a ticket, and we'd need the support of associations around the world to do this.

 

Sorry m8 but your post is nonsense and simplistic to the extreme. To suggest that either you or i could fairly officiate a hearts game is quite frankly p*sh no matter how much you try and convince yourself otherwise. Are the english (arguably the best league in the world by the way) to get a grip?

 

Two people will watch a game and see two different games, ask a well fan about sat and they will say unlucky, a jambo will say we deserved the win the reason being is our allegiance is to hearts no matter what our heads say. To suggets it is stupid to ask for a persons team before taking charge of a game is truly baffling. Are you another one who believes we are all ( everyone outside the old firm) the victim of honest mistakes?

[Eckauskas]

I'm sure I heard somewhere that all but 1 SPL referee are from the West coast.

 

Now, you can't honestly say that they all support Partick Thistle, Clyde and Airdrie.

[chester copperpot]

it would be completely unworkable in Scotland given the vast majority of officials will support Rangers or Celtic.

 

 

 

It doesn't matter. If you support either of the OF (As Andy Davis had a ST for IBrox, and he did), we'd still see the benefits of seeing which Ref supported who.

 

Its a corrupt game, and in the goldfish bowl of the SPL, its inevitable that either Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen, Dundee Utd will come up against the ugly sisters at some point in a cup final (I know there's more teams sorry). I'd feel much happier seeing someone who didn't give a shiote about who won the game officiating the match instead of some inbred weegie taking revenge for some tackle, comment etc etc that had been made.

 

I dont see the problem in this. If the ref's are mostly OF fans, burn them and start with Ref's from the East Coast. Simple as that.

 

Our league is more rigged than the Italian one, but far more undertones go on here due to the fact that there's not enough 'Big' clubs in Scotland.

[Commander Harris]

Not always, but I agree that it would cause issues. Getting the refs to declare what teams they have leanings towards would be a start.

I'm all for more openness, I just think it would be hard to find regular non-old firm leaning referees for rangers and celtic games.

[Mr Loverman]

I'm all for more openness, I just think it would be hard to find regular non-old firm leaning referees for rangers and celtic games.

 

I agree CH, however I'm sure the SFA could do it sometimes - surely sometimes is better than nothing?

[1874robbo]

It doesn't matter. If you support either of the OF (As Andy Davis had a ST for IBrox, and he did), we'd still see the benefits of seeing which Ref supported who.

 

Its a corrupt game, and in the goldfish bowl of the SPL, its inevitable that either Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen, Dundee Utd will come up against the ugly sisters at some point in a cup final (I know there's more teams sorry). I'd feel much happier seeing someone who didn't give a shiote about who won the game officiating the match instead of some inbred weegie taking revenge for some tackle, comment etc etc that had been made.

 

I dont see the problem in this. If the ref's are mostly OF fans, burn them and start with Ref's from the East Coast. Simple as that.

 

Our league is more rigged than the Italian one, but far more undertones go on here due to the fact that there's not enough 'Big' clubs in Scotland.

 

Hibs done alright getting Dougie Mcdonald in their cup final v Killie.

[frankblack]

Hibs done alright getting Dougie Mcdonald in their cup final v Killie.

 

Yes - and he gets enough Hearts games a season to cost us significant points damage.

 

I would go further than what the OP is suggesting, and ban Hibs supporting referees from both Hibs and Hearts games, just as you would a Hun from Rangers and Celtic games etc.

 

Just look at MacDonald's record in charge of games involving Hearts. The amount of points we have picked up is ridiculously low and against the law of averages compared to any other ref in the league.

[Do you know where hell is]

McDonald said on talk 107 " i was a hibs season ticket holder, but once i crossed that line it was forgotten" The biggest pile of **** i have ever heard.

[Paws (FTH)]

In answer to the OP's question, no and neither should linesmen. Like CC already said Andy Davies was a ST holder at Ibrox and furthermore has a RFC tatoo on his arm!!! For him to officiate in any capacity in either a Rangers or Celtic game is a joke. It would never be the case in International football that an Italian ref would referee an Italy V France fixture. However the problem is that referees being banned from officiating in OF matches due to some "tie" to one club or the other (as some are suggesting) is unworkable in the SPL because they can still exert influence through biased decisions in other games. For example, if Hearts were challenging for second spot against Rangers and it came down to the last game of the season where we needed to win to guarantee 2nd spot. Hearts could be playing a non OF team eg. Motherwell (who weren't competing for a European spot and to whom the result was essentially meaningless) however if a refereee with "an affiliation for Rangers" was appointed their judgement could be swayed in the knowledge that a loss/draw for hearts would result in Rangers securing the 2nd spot. I really can't think of a good solution for this one.

[Randle P McMurphy]

This is a league we are talking about here. You would have to disqualify them from any game that could impact on their team's season i.e. the majority.

[davemclaren]

This is a league we are talking about here. You would have to disqualify them from any game that could impact on their team's season i.e. the majority.

 

Indeed, it's just not practical. Especially in a country of 5 million people where 75% of the population apparently support one of 2 teams.

[Frankenstein Jambo.]

I am a referee. I referee under 15 and sometimes do amature games. I know exactly what its like to have people throwing abuse at you because i have parents abusing me for giving a foul against there son or daughter.

 

Last season one of my first games as a ref was tyncastle hearts v edina hibs in a friendly. Now i tried my best not to be biased but if there was a 50-50 challange who am I going to favour? I think refs shouldn't be able to ref a game where they support on of the teams playing.

[N User]

In Scotland we have to allow it because we have so few refs and half the country support two teams.

 

What we need is an unbiased and uncorrupt body controlling the refs who can sanction them when they get it wrong.

Whilst the English may not have the best refs around their system is good. If a ref messes up badly, you can bet he'll be pulled up for it.

The SFA on the other hand help their referee to make excuses.

[upthehill]

I'm sure I heard somewhere that all but 1 SPL referee are from the West coast.

 

Now, you can't honestly say that they all support Partick Thistle, Clyde and Airdrie.

 

you may have heard it, but it's not true! Dougie MacDonald, Callum Murray, Brian Colvin for instance are all Edinburgh, there are refs from all over the country. More people live in the west coast than the east though, so naturally there are more from that part of the world.

[upthehill]

Are you another one who believes we are all ( everyone outside the old firm) the victim of honest mistakes?

 

Refs get it wrong, some more than others, and they should be demoted quickly if the keep getting it wrong like McCurry for instance as they are showing themselves to not be good enough. But in a small league in a small country we cannot rule out all refs who have supported an SPL team!

[joe.gausden]

Calum Murray is actually a Jambo although you wouldn't notice when he refs us. He used to travel on McKenzies Hearts bus with his brothers who still go to the games.

[N User]

Calum Murray is actually a Jambo although you wouldn't notice when he refs us. He used to travel on McKenzies Hearts bus with his brothers who still go to the games.

 

I remember him sending off Pressley (quite rightly too) and for a new ref at the time it was quite ballsy to do.

 

The way I see it, if the ref is honest about it he should be able to ref the game honestly even if he supports one of the teams.

We have a problem in this country that many of the refs/linos don't seem to be. We end up with the Andy Davis' and Mike McCurrys making a farce of it all.

[Paolo]

I think you are taking this out of context a little. I think what's being suggested that refs that support a club should not be involved in refereeing that clubs game not referee at all in the top league.

 

This happens in England as Dazo says. Whilst it may not be possible for this to happen all the time, the SPL should strive to do this where possible. Or at the VERY least ask the refs to declare what teams they have a 'soft spot' for at the start of each season.

 

At the same time though, using this rule woul also have to mean they can not referee a game in which the reuslt would have a positive or negative impact on the team they support.

 

Anyway, anyone can lie about who they support.

 

The simple fact is we will never get rid of incompetence or biasness as long as refs are rewarded for it - as they ahve been/will be this season.

[vilenin]

McDonald said on talk 107 " i was a hibs season ticket holder, but once i crossed that line it was forgotten" The biggest pile of **** i have ever heard.

 

Well there's at least one dyed in the wool Jambo ref in Scotland and I know for a fact he's not biased in favour of us when he refs our games.

 

So why should anyone assume that other refs aren't the exact same?