CELTIC have failed in what appears to have been an attempt to have a
referee, Jim McCluskey, prohibited from handling their future matches,
and reading between the lines, it is obvious the club have been rebuked
for their insolence.
After yesterday's SFA council meeting, the chief executive, Jim Farry,
made it clear the association were not at all happy that Celtic had
sought to influence the appointment of referees. ''Clubs often object to
the performance of the referee, but the council are disappointed that
the club should seek to influence appointments.''
The Parkhead club had written to the SFA comlaining about McCluskey's
handling of this season's first Old Firm match, which was played at
Celtic Park at the end of August. Rangers won the match 2-0 -- Mark
Hateley scored both goals -- but Celtic's supporters, and obviously the
directors, were incensed after Pieter Huistra tackled Tommy Coyne, who
was bearing down on goal, from the back on the edge of Rangers' box.
Huistra was booked and allowed to stay on the field when the vast
majority inside Celtic Park were convinced he should have walked in
accordance with new guidelines. Clearly McCluskey was of the view that
Gary Stevens was rushing in and might have made a tackle.
Celtic saw this as the turning point in the match, and perhaps after
brooding over the incident, wrote to the SFA. The letter arrived in
front of the disciplinary committee who, in deciding to note the terms
of the club's complaint, had no hesitation ''in rejecting the request
regarding the appointment of this referee to future matches involving
the club.''
The committee's communique to the full council yesterday went on to
state: ''The committee was disappointed to receive such a letter, and
while acknowledging that the appointment of officials for this match was
made by the Scottish Football League, it decided the club be advised, in
unambiguous terms, that it is not a matter for a club to seek to
influence refereeing gradings of appointments. The obvious difficulties
which would arise if that state of affairs were ever to come about
should harldy need to be stated.''
Clearly, the authorities have moved smartly to remind Celtic of their
place and their attempt to become McCluskey-free must now be a source of
embarrassment to two people in particular. Kevin Kelly, who becomes the
club's chairman at the end of this month, is a member of the
disciplinary committee while the man he is about to succeed, Jack
McGinn, is treasurer of the SFA.
Celtic's chief executive Terry Cassidy, who is in Neuchatel with the
team for their UEFA Cup, second-round tie against Xamax, made no comment
yesterday.
Dundee United's out-of-contract Yugoslavian internationalist, Miodrag
Krivokapic, has been training at East End Park, although Dunfermline's
manager Jocky Scott made it clear yesterday that he does not intend to
sign the player. ''He is friendly with our Yugoslavian player, Milos
Drizic, and I have agreed to his training here,'' said Scott.
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