Billy Reid has become the latest manager to openly criticise refereeing decisions in games against Rangers.
Craig Brown, Gus MacPherson and Peter Houston have all been outspoken about decisions in recent months as has the Celtic website.
Not much more than a year ago the SPL were delighted to announce that they had come to an agreement with club managers to prevent public criticism of referees.
The announcement came six months after Craig Levein had been hit with a massive fine for his comments about Mike McCurry’s performance during a 3-1 defeat from Rangers at Ibrox.
A new maturity seemed to be breaking out within the game suggesting that general grievances would be looked at professionally provided that managers held back from public criticism.
The cynics wondered how long the love-in would last.
This season’s events have consigned the ‘peace-process’ into the dustbin of history with managers despairing at decisions going against their teams.
Despite the regular criticism of decisions the SFA seem very reluctant to discipline managers with the charge of ‘bringing the game into disrepute’ virtually forgotten.
Hamilton boss Reid didn’t even bother to look at a slow-motion replay of James McArthur’s disallowed goal such was his conviction that his ‘goalscorer’ was onside.
Accies are currently clear of the relegation dogfight but if Falkirk and Kilmarnock continue to pick up wins they could find themselves scrapping to beat the drop after the split.
Reid said: “I haven’t seen McArthur’s goal on the monitor but I don’t need to.
“I knew Joel was offside when the cross came in but James wasn’t. He came from deep, timed his run well and I’m told he was three yards onside.
“I was celebrating the goal so I’m disappointed it wasn’t given. I had a word with the ref but he had a hard decision.
“Some they get right, some they get wrong. He called this one wrong.”
Despite the popular opinion that it is Celtic that are most upset about refereeing decisions very little has been said by the club.
The first time that any official criticism was made was on February 28 when Dougie McDonald’s decision to send-off Scott Brown at Ibrox was appealed- and dismissed by McDonald.
Even in a match where the referee admitted to a mistake in not awarding Celtic a penalty, against Rangers in October, Tony Mowbray’s criticisms were all aimed at his central defenders rather than referee Craig Thomson.
Elsewhere managers have been highly critical of officials ranging from elder statesman Craig Brown to caretaker Peter Houston at Dundee United.
After having a ‘goal’ disallowed for offside against Rangers to put his side two up in a game that was eventually drawn 1-1 Motherwell boss Craig Brown almost got angry.
He said: “I feel very aggrieved. All he has to do is look along the line.
“I’ve had this feeling before at international level when the other team gets decisions like these and now I know what it feels like at club level. I call them big team decisions.
“There’s a sense of injustice in the dressing room. I really feel that at 2-0 the game would have been over.”
After losing 3-1 to Rangers at Ibrox last month St Mirren manager MacPherson was more outspoken about refereeing inconsistencies.
The St Mirren boss said: “David Weir impeded Michael Higdon in the process of shooting, he affected how he was shooting. There’s a decision to get made there. No decision was made.
“We watch games, we go to games and we see clips on the BBC and we see a different set of rules getting applied. None more so than when we’re coming here (to Ibrox).”
During his side’s Scottish Cup tie with Rangers Dundee United caretaker boss Peter Houston watched his side’s 1-0 lead become a 3-1 deficit courtesy of two penalties that certainly fell into the ‘soft’ category.
Despite fighting back to earn a replay which they eventually won Houston wasn’t afraid to come out and criticise referee Dougie McDonald despite knowing that the same official would be in charge of the replay.
Houston said: “I am disappointed and I just wonder if the penalties would have been given at the other end. I hope they would have been.
“Dougie is an honest referee in normal circumstances, I think he is one of the best in Scotland but I was disappointed that he got there early to give the penalty kicks.”
What is going on in the background between the clubs and the SFA is anyone’s guess but it shouldn’t be forgotten that the clubs are the SFA with an Annual General Meeting comin
g up next month.
g up next month.
The standard of refereeing is clearly a major concern as is the appeals process with Celtic chairman John Reid and SFA Chief Executive Gordon Smith issuing statements clearly aimed at one another.
When a third of the managers in a division are complaining about an issue it is clearly worthy of investigation.
Turning the other cheek or hiding behind the ‘it even’s itself out over the season’ cop out surely can’t be an option for managers or their clubs.
How long do we have to listen to OTHER managers criticising cheating officials publicly ?? ( and don't kid yourself….it's cheating…whether it's through fear or through favour..it's cheating).
I am angry at our lack of public condemnation over the incidents this season which have been highlighted to death….but nothing's been done about.
If we have nobody at the Club who is willing to expose this charade…then write a letter to Bermuda …to a certain Fergus McCann…and invite him to come and sort them out….wouldn't be the first time….would it ??