With Hugh Dallas strangely quiet this week it seems that Kenny Clark has stepped in as an un-official media deputy.
Last week it was almost impossible to avoid Dallas as he smugly explained why all was well with Scottish referees.
Radio Clyde, Radio Scotland and the BBC website were all given interviews explaining how brave Dougie McDonald had rightly overturned his instinctive decision to award Celtic a penalty at Dundee United on the advise of his assistant Steven Craven.
Dallas’ protege Willie Collum was profiled ahead of the Celtic-Rangers match in glowing terms as the future of refereeing in Scotland
A concise explanation from Dallas on the SFA website would have been enough to inform supporters, players and managers of what had gone on at Tannadice.
Since news of Craven’s intention to resign came out Dallas has virtually disappeared off the radar.
Unlike McDonald last week there has been no rush to back up and explain Collum’s bizarre decisions at the Celtic-Rangers match.
Into the media gap has stepped Clark who knows a thing or two about refereeing mistakes especially when it comes to Celtic matches.
Yesterday the SFA took the unusual step of inviting a former referee along to assist in the third round draw for the Scottish Cup.
After the draw was made the participants were made available for interview with Clark answering the obvious questions about refereeing matters focusing on the alleged off the park trouble that has followed recent decisions.
Clearly Clark knew what was expected of him yesterday with attention diverted from away from poor refereeing decisions to other issues.
Clark’s own career was never far away from controversy with one incident amongst many standing out for Celtic supporters.
In December 2006 and with Paul le Guen’s regime on the brink of collapse Celtic were leading Rangers 1-0 at Ibrox thanks to a glorious strike from Thomas Gravesen that is still giving Steven Smith nightmares.
Possibly for the only time in his career Neil Lennon found himself in the Rangers penalty box in front of the Copland Road stand when shell-shocked Smith clearly took the legs away from Lennon.
Penalty surely thought the watching millions- Clark however saw it differently although he did apologise afterwards which was of no consolation as Rangers equalised to earn le Guen a point.
Clark also failed to see Duncan Ferguson’s head-butt on Raith Rovers Jock McStay in 1994. The SFA’s failure to take action led to Ferguson being charged by the police and jailed.
With Collum unable to comment and Dallas taking a rare vow of silence Clark has stepped in to paint Celtic as the villains of the piece.
“Should a decision be made against Celtic, again they will say that’s because of the complaints Celtic have been making,” Clark claimed unconvincingly. “It puts the match officials into something of a no-win situation.
“It’s a sorry state of affairs when clubs are wanting explanations about individual decisions and it would be a strange world indeed if a referee was to ask a club why their star striker missed a penalty.
“Could he talk us through it? The striker wouldn’t be able to explain how he did it. And, by the same token, if I was asked as a referee in a post-match interview why I didn’t give a penalty, my answer would be that I didn’t think it was a penalty.
“People need to remember that so much of the laws of the game is about the opinion of the referee. We are never going to get agreement on everything, with both teams happy about every decision after a highly charged game.”
Irony seems lost on Clark as he continues the refereeing controversies with a heavy hint that referee’s will have second thoughts about awarding Lennon’s side any decisions following the events of the last fortnight
It would indeed be a strange world if referee’s asked club’s about how a star striker missed a penalty.
But not as strange as the decision of a top referee to award a penalty, seek out the advise of his assistant then claim that the assistant had been better placed to view the incident and overturn the decision.
Or as strange as a referee awarding a penalty for an incident that he hadn’t seen because he was running out of the way after the ball had struck his back in the penalty area.
“The referee had a very good game,” Lennon said after the 3-2 win at St Johnstone, a comment that Clark and his cronies would rather not read.
“However, the incident involving Joe Ledley looked onside, a perfectly good goal from a good ball and a good run. The official got it wrong but let’s leave it at that, eh?”
Clark’s comments smack of contempt, the them and us attitude that separates referees from players, managers and supporters.
With the SFA unwilling to explain contentious decisions every club is perfectly entitled to ask for clarification on strange decisions in their matches.
When a referee overules a penalty that he has awarded and that incident is followed up in the next match by a referee awarding a penalty that he didn’t see then the need for an explanation is overwhelming.
At some stage on Friday the SFA will finally give supporters an explanation over Cravengate.
Hopefully there will be a clear answer and not sidetracking and the type of avoidance that Clark and his ilk specialise in.
Chief Executive stress for Regan
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Kenny Clark states “its a sorry state of affairs when clubs are wanting explanations about individual decisions”
Thats very much at odds with dame hugh dallas “the paying public deserve explanation of the big decisions” June 12 2009.
The various rumours that Clark is “Celtic Minded” leave me cold.
As a ref in our games he was as bad as the rest and worse when one considers his red-carding (twice) of Sutton after the final whistle at Rugby Park.
The man looks like a rat and acts like one.
Guys, I’m as Celtic daft as any one but I know Kenny Clark personally. It doesn’t suit the agenda but he is a good bloke. I couldn’t believe the Lenny penalty denial either but if you have to go back to 1994 before that to the Drunken Duncan incident to start finding a pattern I think you’re beginning to provide the stats for the defence. He is part of the “referee’s union” no doubt but that’s because he genuinely believes referees can and should be important and neutral parts of the game.
Sorry if that doesn’t sit well, but Kenny (unlike others) does not go round the pubs and clubs with post retiral stories of how he stuffed Celtic unlike some of his contemporaries, he is not officially involved with the SFA either, he’s as entitled to be involved with the media as any ex player.
Jeez, why am I typing this? I don’t need the hassle! But there you go.
Kevin, Clark’s comments yesterday speak perfectly well for himself.
There have been plenty of mistakes between the Ferguson case and the Lennon penalty, ask any Dundee United supporter, or Craig Levein, what they thought of his performance in the 2008 League Cup Final against Rangers and you might find a few more honest mistakes.