Refs Strike: Scottish Football Cancelled!

[Macmoish]

BBC

Referee strike wipes out Scottish Football League card

The Scottish Football League has been forced to cancel the only match that looked to have survived this weekend's referees' strike.

Polish officials withdrew their offer of cover on Friday morning and the SFL cancelled the Morton v Falkirk First Division match soon after.

The game at Cappielow had been given the go-ahead after the drawing of lots to decide which clubs would not be hit.

The ALBA Cup final between Queen of the South v Ross County goes ahead.

On Thursday, category one referees confirmed they would be standing by their decision to withdraw their labour on Saturday and Sunday.

However, it appears foreign officials have been found to look after 10 of the 20 senior matches in Scotland.

All six Scottish Premier League matches are due to be played as scheduled, as well as three Scottish Cup replays.

Queen of the South meet Ross County at McDiarmid Park on Sunday and SFL chief executive David Longmuir is glad their showpiece cup final will be played.

"It will be a great day for these two clubs and everyone at the SFL wishes fans of both clubs all the very best," he said.

It's a major financial financial blow all and because of a squabble that has nothing whatsoever to do with the First Division

Donald Findlay
Cowdenbeath chairman
"It is sad, however, that our own Scottish officials will not referee this match.

"The SFL have worked tirelessly with our colleagues in the SFA and SPL over the last few days to reach a satisfactory conclusion for everyone in Scottish football. We were not able to achieve this and, therefore, the weekend of action by our refereeing colleagues will be going ahead.

"We trust that the fans of SFL clubs understand the difficult position we have been placed in this week and hope that we will move on in a constructive way and in the best interests of the game."

Cowdenbeath chairman Donald Findlay is furious that the Fife derby with Dunfermline has fallen victim of the strike.

"This is a sorry mess," he told BBC Radio Scotland. "This is our biggest game of season, we rely on fixtures like this to keep the club going.

"It's a major financial financial blow all and because of a squabble that has nothing whatsoever to do with the First Division.

"I will be investigating the matter of compensation over the weekend."

Stirling Albion also say they will be pursuing potential lack of earnings, now that their First Division clash with Partick Thistle is off.

"We believe reversing the fixture to a midweek game will cost us £6,000 - £7,000," said club spokesman Paul Goodwin

"We'll be interested to talk to the SFA and we'll be looking for compensation.

"That is just the gate receipts. We have already spent money that we will lose. We have printed programmes, we have staff commitments."



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Matches off on Saturday, 27 November:

First Division

Cowdenbeath v Dunfermline
Morton v Falkirk
Raith Rovers v Dundee
Stirling Albion v Partick Thistle

Second Division

Ayr United v East Fife
Dumbarton v Alloa Athletic

Third Division

Albion Rovers v Stranraer
Clyde v Queen's Park
Elgin City v Berwick Rangers
Montrose v East Stirlingshire


news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/scot_div_1/9229449.stm

[harlowranger]

ADD BARROW , LUTON IN CONFERENCE

[Macmoish]

The Guardian/Ewan Murray

Portuguese referees' U-turn throws Scottish football into fresh chaos
• Turn-around at Glasgow airport leaves games in doubt
• Israeli cover may also walk out on Scottish FA

There are fresh doubts over whether the eight remaining games in the Scottish fixture calendar will go ahead this weekend after Portuguese referees performed a dramatic U-turn at Glasgow airport and it emerged tonight that Israeli officials might also head home.

The Scottish Premier League's chief executive, Neil Doncaster, still maintained that all matches would be played after the referees from Portugal – brought in to cover in part a strike by Scotland's referees – headed straight for departures almost as soon as they arrived in Glasgow.

But if the Israelis also decide not to take charge of matches, it is unlikely that all games will be able to go ahead. The Israeli officials are due to take charge of Hamilton's game at home to St Mirren and Kilmarnock's match against Aberdeen.

It appears that the Portuguese and Israeli officials had not been fully briefed on why they were required in Scotland. Earlier in the day Polish referees had backtracked on their plan to take charge of Scottish matches seemingly after becoming aware of the precise reasons for their visit and the strike.

Nobody at the Scottish Football Association was able to clarify what arrangements are now in place since the Portuguese turn-about threw its rescue plans into further chaos. Two of the Portuguese referees, Cosme Machado and João Ferreira, had been scheduled to officiate Hibernian v St Johnstone and Motherwell v Hearts respectively.

Doncaster, though, had been informed after seeking further clarification from the SFA this evening that matches would still go ahead.

Referees from Luxemburg, Malta and Israel remain, at this juncture, to take charge of Scotland's eight remaining fixtures – six of them SPL games – over the weekend.

There is a strong possibility that one of the others, Beith's Scottish Cup replay against Airdrie United, could be postponed in any case after a morning pitch inspection with freezing weather forecast.

Luxemburg's Fifa-listed official Alain Hamer will cover both halves of the Old Firm by overseeing Celtic v Inverness tomorrow and Rangers' visit to Dundee United on Sunday, barring any further changes of heart.

www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/nov/26/scotland-portuguese-referees

[Macmoish]

David Lacey/The Guardian

Football cannot exist without referees – we need to take better care of themScottish referees are on strike this weekend. It is a warning that England should heed


A couple of seasons refereeing on the playing fields of Brighton were enough to leave a lasting conviction that blowing raspberries on the sidelines was much easier than blowing a whistle out in the middle. But at least there were no death threats.

A point has been reached in football when it seems reasonable to ask how much abuse, verbal and sometimes physical, referees can be expected to tolerate. Officials in Scotland have already provided an answer by boycotting this weekend's programme, fearing that because of mounting criticism their safety is at risk.

This season one Scottish referee, Willie Collum, received death-threats after he had been in charge of a Celtic-Rangers game. It is the lot of officials in Scotland that they will inevitably upset one half of Glasgow or the other on a regular basis, but clearly the refs up there feel that things have got out of hand.

Admittedly, one of their number, Dougie McDonald, did not help by telling porkies after he changed his mind about awarding Celtic a penalty against Dundee United last month. But neither did the Celtic chairman, the former cabinet minister John Reid, when he declared, in as many words, that McDonald was not fit for purpose and called for his removal, which did little to improve the deteriorating relations between referees and clubs.

So this week has found the Scottish Football Association sounding out referees across Europe in the hope of persuading some of them to cross the picket lines. It is to be hoped that the efforts of the SFA in ensuring that football stays on television screens will be matched by more support for its disaffected officials, which means taking strong action against their abusers rather than just making sympathetic noises.

At least the manager of Aberdeen, Mark McGhee, has had the good grace to admit that he was wrong to criticise Collum last weekend for sending off Rory McArdle for a foul during the 1-0 defeat by St Johnstone. Originally McGhee called the decision "unbelievable" but said he would admit he was mistaken if replays proved the referee was right. They did and he did.

For decades losing managers have criticised the performances of referees, often as a means of distracting attention from the inadequacies of their teams, but when this is combined with increasing demands for TV playbacks to be brought into the decision-making process then it is clear that the authority of match officials is being steadily undermined. When Jimmy Hill began analysing controversial incidents on Match of the Day, football complained about trial by television. Now it is happy to use TV to put referees in the dock.

The recent suggestion by the manager of Stoke City, Tony Pulis, that clubs should vote at the end of each season to decide which three referees should be relegated to the Championship and which trio promoted brought a spot of light relief (strange, but Pulis has gone quiet on the subject since Stoke won three games) and was never worthy of serious consideration. Clubs used to give refs marks after each match and often up- or downgraded them according to whether they had won or lost.

So far referees in the English Premier League have not talked about going on strike, although there must be times when they are sorely tempted to down whistles. There was a serious threat of industrial action in the 1967-68 season after Norman Burtenshaw, one of those officials whom controversy dogged like a bloodhound, was knocked down and kicked by fans as he left the field at the end of a game between Millwall and Aston Villa. In the event the refs carried on while Millwall were merely fined and ordered to post warning notices.

Now Scottish referees have posted their own warning notices and it is an example England should heed. Without refs football cannot be played, no matter how many camera angles are available, and the more officials are reviled by those within the game who should know better the fewer will want to take up refereeing as a career.

Managers and players can say what they like about referees in private but public criticism needs to be met with more than the occasional fine for misconduct. Otherwise the game will one day search for first-class refs only to be told it can whistle for them.


www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/nov/26/scottish-football-referees-strike

[saphilip]

I think many users know my opinion of the average English ref and I for one do not believe that they should be treated like holy cows - where they are above criticism from chairmen, players & coaches alike.

If refs have had a poor game (unfortunately far too many for football's good) then I see no reason why they should be protected by the various FA's - to the extent that coaches are fined for daring to point out obvious errors (well one coach is exempt, one Sir Alex Ferguson).

Part of the problem between clubs and refs is the lack of any meaningful communication between ref & club - and it is about time the FA for one realised that their 100% protection of refs, no matter how good or poor they have been, is creating more problems that it is resolving.

However you will notice that I use the word criticism - or more to the point constructive criticism - and there is a good reason for that. Never mistake criticism, when used for properly amd under the correct circumstances (i.e. not criticising for the sake of criticising with no clear purpose but to downgrade somebody), for abuse.

What I have read coming out the mouths of various coaches & chairmen from Scotland is nothing short of abuse. Yes ther have been some howlers there but comments from the likes of Lennon and various chairmen (Rangers & Cletic being the main culprits - surprise, surprise) were both disgraceful and unnecessary.

Maybe the refs there are throwing all their toys out the cot but I can understand their frustration. I can also understand the frutration of clubs who have been affected by this, even though they had nothing to do with this mess in the 1st place.

What I do have to ask though is;
Where is the leadership from the SFA? Or are they too busy hating all that is English and bending over backwards to please Rangers & Cletic to worry about a crisis that could sink football there?

[Lonegunmen]

Dont you miss Rob Styles, etc Phil?

[saphilip]

Andy Rob Styles was bad - but he was by no means the worst. Atwell is probably the worst of the Premiership refs at the moment, Trevor Kettle is poor in the FL, while the likes of Mike Riley (who incidently is head of the English refs association, which proves my point) and Steve Bennett ensured that our friend Rob was in good company.

My point is this - by protecting these guys from all manner of criticism, the various FA's have created the situation that now faces Scotland. I'm all for respect and all that - but it must not flow one way. I also want respect for the game from the refs.

If that doesn't happen then it will degenerate into abuse, death threat and strike action.

[Lonegunmen]

Andy D'urso!!