Stuart Dougal has hastened his retirement after the controversies of his last two games soured the final weeks of his Grade One career.

Stuart Dougal has hastened his retirement after the controversies of his last two games soured the final weeks of his Grade One career.

Dougal was due to finish his final season of top-flight officiating next week for the last round of fixtures in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League but will inform the Scottish FA this morning that he has no desire to continue.

The Herald understands his last act will be to recommend Charlie Mulgrew's red card be rescinded. Aberdeen will appeal the dismissal after Kyle Lafferty feigned a head-butt during Rangers' 2-1 win at Ibrox on Saturday. Dougal told The Herald last night he had been conned by the Northern Irishman.

"Following the game and upon returning home I have reviewed the Mulgrew and Lafferty incidents and my views on these have been emailed to the SFA prior to asking for them," said Dougal.

"While the contents must remain private and the SFA must be given time to consider, it is fair to say I - like most people at the game - was convinced Kyle Lafferty had been the victim of violent conduct but I now see this is not the case."

There are no such guarantees for Madjid Bougherra. The Algerian was also sent off for what the assistant referee, Graham Chambers, considered a reckless challenge on the Aberdeen goalkeeper, Jamie Langfield. Rangers will request that decision is also overturned but it is less certain Bougherra will be available for Rangers' potential title clincher against Dundee United at Tannadice on Sunday.

While Dougal has accepted responsibility for being duped by Lafferty - who will be fined by Rangers for his antics - it was Chambers who made the call on Bougherra's challenge and, thus, he will have the final say on whether the incident merited a softer punishment. "With respect for the assistant referee, he will review his own decision should it be required of him," said Dougal.

Walter Smith, the Rangers manager, was furious with the decision but Rangers' hopes of having the centre-back available are complicated by the similarities with James McArthur's sending off last week for a foul on Filipe Morais. The Hamilton midfielder's appeal was rejected by the match referee, Charlie Richmond, and he was suspended for Hamilton's defeat to Motherwell on Saturday.

"It was an incredible ordering off," said Smith. "The linesman has stated to me that the player deliberately kicked the goalkeeper on the head, which I found absolutely incredible when I saw it on TV.

"For him to make that kind of assumption was incredible. We've lost a player for the majority of the game for a circumstance which obviously wasn't the case."