Dougie McDonald has admitted that the pressure on referees is growing ever more intense with increasing levels of media scrutiny. McDonald will take charge of his third Old Firm game on Sunday .

Dougie McDonald has admitted that the pressure on referees is growing ever more intense with increasing levels of media scrutiny. McDonald will take charge of his third Old Firm game on Sunday and called on both sets of players and managers to work together to ensure the game passes without incident.

With the season only three games old, there have already been several controversial moments - the latest occurred in the Aberdeen-Rangers game on Saturday when the Ibrox side had a legitimate last minute goal' ruled offside by Billy Baxter, the assistant referee.

"Every little incident is looked at now," McDonald told The Herald. "It used to be just big games like the Old Firm, but now it is every match. The TV coverage is far greater now and the cameras don't lie, but the referee's job is to try and get in optimal position to see as much as the cameras do.

"I never approach these games any different to others. Old Firm games are usually a lot more frantic than others, but my last two a 3-0 win for Celtic in November 2005 and a 2-0 win for the Parkhead side in September 06 have passed without incident. I don't think they Old Firm games are harder to referee than any others.

"The key is working with the players. Between the players and myself, and with two experienced managers on the sidelines, you hope to ensure that the game passes without incident. There will be debutants, but that rarely makes any difference to how the game will go from a refereeing point of view."

Already this season, Craig Levein, the Dundee United manager, has been fined £5000 and St Mirren's Gus MacPherson spoke out over Eddie Smith's red card for Will Haining on the first weekend of the season.

The incidents have re-ignited the debate over the use of instant replay technology, but McDonald warned of the potential pitfalls. "I'm a fan of using technology when appropriate but if the game is being stopped every couple of minutes for replays then I think that would switch people off."

Referees and representatives from clubs had an informal get-together at Hampden last week to try and foster better relations. McDonald claims that the meeting was a success and hopes it is repeated in the future. "We are not always going to see eye to eye on everything but it helped us both understand the different pressures we are under."