New SFA Chief Executive Stewart Regan has summoned an emergency meeting with Hugh Dallas, Dougie McDonald and Steven Craven at Hampden on Monday to discuss the events in last week’s Dundee United Celtic match.
Regan has grown increasingly concerned by the turn of events with assistant referee Craven reported to have resigned over the issue.
The actual incident when Gary Hooper was fouled by Dusan Pernis has almost been forgotten as the sequence of events surrounding the decision has unfolded.
Craven’s decision to resign has turned the spotlight on Dallas who has spent most of the week absolving McDonald from blame and turning attention onto Craven.
While McDonald has enjoyed the full support of Dallas and the SFA Craven has been left isolated and was given a low marking for his performance at Tannadice which has also been a major factor in his decision to resign.
Speaking to the BBC on Tuesday Dallas clearly identified Craven as being responsible for overturning the original decision to award a penalty.
Dallas said: “Dougie, after having given the decision, then received information from the assistant referee that the goalkeeper had played the ball from the better position that the assistant referee was in.
“There is a really good replay of the incident from the offside line camera, which clearly shows the ball changing direction – and that was something that Dougie did not enjoy at the time so the decision was overturned.”
Craven’s decision to resign clearly hints at a different version of events.
During the same interview Dallas also claimed that Neil Lennon left Tannadice in agreement with the decision to overturn the decision.
He claimed: “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.”
Dallas’ second hand version of events was contradicted by Lennon on Thursday.
The Celtic boss said: “I accepted the explanation, but still the decision rankles with me.
“I did the interview after the game and then I went to see the referee. I accepted his explanation of why he changed his mind, but I still don’t agree with it.”
Regan is certain to quiz Dallas over the events of the last week where the former referee has dominated the headlines setting the agenda.
The version of events from Craven and Lennon throw Dallas’ take on things into question.
A thorough explanation on the SFA website on Monday morning would have gone a long way to clearing things up, if mistakes were made then an admission would have been grudgingly respected.
Turning the incident into a pantomime has done no one any favours with the spotlight now firmly on Dallas to explain to Regan exactly what has been going on over the last six days.
Follow Video Celts on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube
Timing is everything eh. Why does none of this surprise me!!_
Would this incident happen to rearangers some how i don’t think so.
Refereeing standards have gotten much worse for us and better for rearangers since Dallas has been in charge.
For goodness sake there was 6 or 7 SPL managers complained about decisions when playing rearangers last season more than enough to have an investigation in any other league in the world.