Stewart Regan's time-bomb: Steven Craven's blockbuster

SFA Chief Executive Stewart Regan is sitting on a 48 hour time-bomb.

At 6.32pm tonight a hurried statement from Regan read: “I can confirm that I have met with the relevant match officials and members of the referee departments regarding the events that occurred during the recent Clydesdale Bank Premier League match between Dundee United and Celtic.

“I can also confirm that Steven Craven has tendered his resignation and will no longer officiate in the professional game. I hope to conclude the investigation within the next 48 hours and will make further comment at that time.”

While Regan attempts to find out the chain of events at Tannadice and afterwards Craven is sitting on a blockbuster that will fetch top dollar from newspapers eager to get let their readers know exactly what really went on.

If Craven plays his hand too early it will allow Dallas to put together a version of events to suit himself.

As Regan attempts to get to the bottom of things the last thing that he wants to do is come up with another version of what went on only to see it contradicted by Craven’s version in print.

The Daily Record are in pole position for the story with Mark Guidi breaking the news on Saturday about the assistant referee’s intention to resign and contradicting the version of the story given out by Dallas.

Getting Craven’s inside account will now be even more attractive for The Sun with the Daily Record pulling out all the stops to hold on to their story.

Any footballing allegiances at either paper will be put aside for the journalistic double whammy of getting the big story and putting one over on their rivals.

All the while Dallas will have to come up with a good explanation for the following comment that he gave to the BBC: “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.”

Saturday’s story in the Daily Record suggests very heavily that Dallas has made an honest mistake with that quote as was his claim that “He (Neil Lennon) received a full explanation, which he found acceptable after the match.”

For once in his career Hugh Dallas is strangely quiet. No more chummy interviews where he spreads the gospel according to Shug where the issue is me, me, me and not explaining Craven’s positioning at Tannadice as Dougie McDonald pointed to the penalty spot for an incident that he was perfectly positioned to view… unlike Willie Collum in the Kirk Broadfoot incident.

Having Craven as the fall guy for the incident was very convenient, Dallas praised the honesty and bravery of McDonald while pointing the finger at his assistant without explaining his positioning through the incident.

Craven’s resignation is brave. Refereeing is a decent second income for most working men, some fresh air and fitness with some reflected glory. International tickets aren’t a problem and when you have to hang up the whistle there’s a good chance of joining the gravy train as a supervisor or assessor.

By resigning Craven has closed that door and isn’t something that he’ll have done lightly.

Watching the way that certain referee’s are preferred for the bigger matches and promoted for foreign trips could well be a factor in Craven’s decision to resign.

With the clock ticking towards D-Day on Wednesday Regan will be anxious to ensure that there are no more honest mistakes coming from the The Head of Referee Development.

SFA call Hugh Dallas to account

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