Hugh Dallas: 'Neil accepted that the decision was correct'
Fresh from his appearance on Radio Clyde he was interviewed for the BBC website and like any politician decided to add a little bit more to the story.
The latest twist to the events at Tannadice on Sunday is that Neil Lennon spent some time with Dougie McDonald in the referee’s room and apparently ‘Neil accepted that the decision was correct. ‘
Who knows what revelations tomorrow and the lead up to Sunday will bring from the SFA’s refereeing guru.
For all of Dallas’s undoubted talents and media skills the only person that could come up with that statement is Lennon himself.
Most Celtic supporters would be amazed if Lennon left Tannadice on Sunday feeling that his side hadn’t deserved a penalty in the Hooper/Pernis incident.
According to Dallas: “Neil Lennon took the time to go to the referee’s dressing-room about 40 minutes after the match was concluded.
“They had a discussion and Neil accepted that the decision was correct. It was just unusual. I think Neil was extremely frustrated that he did not have the opportunity to get an explanation at that time, which is not possible.
“He received a full explanation, which he found acceptable after the match.”
In his latest interview once again there is no breakdown from Dallas as to why it wasn’t a penalty- Pernis’ reckless challenge for the ball denied Hooper the opportunity to have a goalscoring opportunity.
The laws of the game are open to interpretation but there is no law quoted by Dallas to help explain the decision to supporters unfamiliar with the exact wording.
Neither does Dallas give any sort of adaquate explanation as to how an assistant referee much further from the incident and at a worse angle could view the incident better than one of Dallas’s favourite refrees.
“Dougie sets his standards very high, but in my opinion he was right not to award the penalty,” Dallas claimed.
“Referees have to make a decision in a split second and I think, in this instance, he has managed to collect his thoughts and other information within 10 or 15 seconds.”
If McDonald had taken 10 or 15 seconds at Ibrox in February to consult his assistant after Kyle Lafferty hit the deck then Scott Brown may have avoided a red card.
As well as avoiding giving an explanation quoting from the laws of the game Dallas again avoided explaining assistant referee Steven Craven’s movements.
Craven seemed to be in agreement with the penalty decision as he dashed to the corner flag then moved along the by-line preparing his position for the expectant penalty.
Surely if he had any doubt about the penalty he would have stayed in his original position and raised his flag to draw the referee’s attention.
If that had happened, whilst hardly being acceptable to Celtic supporters, it would have confirmed that there was some doubt about the decision.
Craven gave no indication about any doubts about the award until all of a sudden he had a better view on it than the referee who was much closer to the contact.
Lennon will no doubt give his version of exactly what happened after the match when he is interviewed to preview Sunday’s match with Rangers.
Rather than constantly attempting to justify the actions of Sunday’s officials Dallas would be better served putting a statement on the SFA website every Monday morning to explain controversial decisions.
Managers, players and supporters all make mistakes. When a match official gets things wrong, as Dougie McDonald did on Sunday, admitting to it and giving an explanation would go a small way towards refusing the anger of supporters.
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