Any suggestions that the SFA have moved into a new era of openness and accountability were exposed as a sham at Hampden yesterday as Steven Craven’s lifetime ban from refereeing by the Glasgow Referee’s Association was upheld by the SFA.
A year ago Craven resigned from the professional game after an elaborate stitch up involving Hugh Dallas and Dougie McDonald to paint him as the fall guy after a controversial match at Tannadice where Dougie Dougie decided not to award Celtic a penalty after Gary Hooper was chopped in the box ten feet in front of the referee.
While his instinct said penalty Dougie Dougie quickly realised the impirtance of the match to Celtic as they attempted to retain their 100% start to the season ahead of the first match with Rangers.
We’re often told referees don’t change their minds but on this case Dougie Dougie did just that, restarting the game with a rushed drop ball directly to a Dundee United player as he planned how to avoid any blame in the after match fall out.
Straight after the match Dougie Dougie got in touch with shamed former refereeing chief Dallas to plot their way out of the controversy. In the referees room after the match Dougie Dougie had told Craven that he’d tell Neil Lennon and anyone else that Craven had over ruled his decision despite the assistant racing to the corner flag in agreement with the decision.
After two weeks of officially endorsed spin and lies, including the obligatory death threats not backed up by a police statement Craven announced his resignation from the professional game and decided to let the truth come out in an unpaid interview with the Sunday Mail.
Craven explained: “I thought that he had the perfect position, there was no way that I could question him.
“He then ran towards me and said ‘I think I’ve f****d up. Did the keeper get a hand on the ball? I told him I believed the goalie played the ball and that it wasn’t a penalty so he decided it should be a drop ball.
“To make it clear Dougie approached me, I did not call for him to come over.”
Explaining the lies and cover up after the match Craven added: ““Dougie said that we should tell the referee supervisor (Jim McBurnie) that I called him over to question the penalty award. He claimed it would give the decision to overturn the spot-kick more credibility.
“I went along with it because I wanted to be supportive of Dougie and back him up.
“That’s the first time I’ve lied after a game. It was the wrong thing to do. With hindsight I regret it. I’d never lie again.”
Craven’s verdict of events directly contradicted that of Dallas who had called on his media friends to give his version of events.
The shamed former referees chief 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.”
Unlike the attention seekers that are coming into refereeing Craven would just like to stay involved in the game at grass roots level helping out in an area where there is a shortage of referees.
Having spoken out without permission, while Dallas, McDonald and various others officially smeared him Craven has been banned forever from the game.
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you people are never happy are you get a life ffs
Very articulate and well thought out response. Explain to me why, a report on a story on a Celtic fans website (hence the name video celts) means that someone has to ‘get a life’ ?
The story is something that happened in a Celtic match. As a Celtic fan, I am pleased that there is a place to read about such things.
coming from trueblue on video celts page looks like you need to get a life.
We are happy when we stuff your horrible lot 😀
But it does not surprise me that a Rangers supporter cannot see the injustice of someone being banned from being a referee for telling the truth .
but then again your lot have been the benefactors of most of the dubious decisions from these crooked cowards .
to be fair, he did still lie himself. Yes he admitted it later but in the real world of law this would just get you a lighter sentence, not let off completely
Yes, whilst comment & opinion is welcomed from everyone on this matter of ref’s lies & attempted cover-up’s…clearly, there are some who fully condone & indeed, promote lies/corruption towards certain people, from certain people. The banning of Steven Craven is an absolute disgrace(though no real surprise!) & i hope the man has some recourse with the legal system…he shouldnt let this matter end here.
He is being punished for one reason and one reason only. He outed the bigots and the cheats.
Just for the record, dougie dougie has not received a life ban!
What’s his situation then? Genuinely curious. HH
Someone had to pay for ending the years of secret little winks, nods and unwritten understandings. This person was Craven.
It was a safe bet the SFA would uphold the decision, safe because if not for this guy they would still have Dougie Dougie and Peat probably. Dallas left as we know for another reason, although not unrelated in context.
This issue started the whole ball rolling last year and it ended up with 3 high profile SFA casualties.
The SFA knew that the upholding of his ban would carry little coverage in the media and they were right, no phone in’s dedicated to the issue etc, just 3 paragraph internet articles etc.
Regan has changed the SFA? Not a chance, his strings are well and truly pulled.
Mr Craven has two choices go down the legal route or my prefered option write a book and expose the rats nest which is the SFA.