AT every club I played for – both big and small – there was always a feeling that referees were out to get us. So it is hard not to have a degree of sympathy for our match officials after they came in for some early-season criticism following a spate of red cards and other controversial incidents last weekend.
Referees tend to get it in the neck from a number of different sources.
They are criticised by the clubs and managers involved who will always think their players have been hard done to.
Of course these views are rarely objective but coloured by particular allegiances.
And then on top of that the actions of the match officials are then further scrutinised by those of us in the media who will pore over an incident using multiple camera angles and with the benefit of slow-mo replays, a zoom lens, and the pause and rewind buttons.
Our referees currently don’t have that option when they are asked to make an instant decision that could affect the outcome of a match.
Some of those calls are obvious to the naked eye, while others – even with all the technology – are still not clear-cut at the sixth or seventh time of viewing.
No wonder referees don’t get them right all the time.
There was certainly no shortage of talking points for Michael Stewart and me on Sportscene last weekend as it felt like there was something contentious in almost every game.
Partick Thistle felt they should have had a late penalty against Celtic. Motherwell weren’t happy with Craig Thomson for sending off three of their players, while Rangers couldn’t believe that Anthony Stokes stayed on the pitch and Ryan Jack didn’t.
And then there was the strange incident at Rugby Park where Kirk Broadfoot and Isma Goncalves both got red cards, with Kirk seemingly pulling Isma’s hair as they tangled on the ground.
Those incidents prompted a lot of angry comments but I actually think the refs on this occasion got most of the big decisions right.
I couldn’t believe Rangers appealed Jack’s dismissal when the footage clearly showed he moved his head towards Stokes and was shocked when the red card was rescinded by the panel yesterday.
I think Stokes was extremely fortunate not to get sent off too but that doesn’t excuse Jack’s actions.
The Motherwell goalkeeper Trevor Carson didn’t seem to have a case either after TV pictures showed he was outside his box when he picked up the ball.
I didn’t think he would win that appeal so I’m not surprised that he didn’t.
Both Isma and Charles Dunne seemed hard done to at the time and so it was good to see their appeals being held up. But on either front it is again difficult to be too critical of the referees, especially in the case of Dunne who was sent off after Graham Cummins seemed to dive.
Incidentally, as a former striker I was amazed the St Johnstone man would do that when he was right through on goal rather than having a shot.
Both Craig Thomson and John Beaton, who was in charge for the Rangers versus Hibs game, won’t officiate in the Premiership this weekend, both being given matches in the Championship instead.
I hope that’s to protect their reputation rather than as a punishment for perceived mistakes. Maybe the SFA thought it better to take them out of the spotlight for a weekend until the furore dies down.
Personally I don’t think refereeing standards are getting worse as some people have been claiming. And it’s good that there is better communication between referees and their assistants.
Before he sent off Carson you could see Craig Thomson looking over and talking to the linesman.
And between them, despite Motherwell’s protests, they got that big call right.
So I’m all for officials taking their time and making sure they get the decisions correct rather than feeling rushed into something.
Have a talk among yourselves, take a minute if need be. It’s better than getting it wrong.
I’m all for embracing more technology, too.
We’ve seen the introduction of video assistant referees elsewhere in the world and, despite some early teething problems, it will only benefit the game.
Maybe it will take longer before we have it in Scottish football because of the cost implications but I would push for it if it became a viable option.
Referees have a near-impossible job at the best of times so it makes sense to give them as much assistance as we can.
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