Steven McLean will referee tomorrow’s Celtic v Inverness Caley Thistle match with the benefit of a weeks networking in the sunshine.
The SFA stumped up to send their Grade 1 officials to La Manga for five days of training under the watchful eye of John Fleming, Head of Referee Development.
Last season’s referee strike and the seperate controversies over Hugh Dallas and Dougie McDonald brought refereeing into the spotlight with McLean working full-time as referee recruitment and education officer for the SFA.
Explaining the purpose of break in the sun McLean said: “It’s been a very worthwhile exercise.
“We arrived on Monday and immediately had a training session. We had a double session on Tuesday and another on Wednesday. Then we had video analysis and meetings to discuss the season so far, including both positives and negatives.
“Unfortunately we don’t have the luxury of being full-time like the players do. But we get this chance to basically be full-time for a week.
“It’s great to take advantage of that and having hard sessions mixed with recovery sessions, which is what we have been doing.
“Graeme Jones and John McQuade our sports scientist and fitness consultant have been developing sessions which have been specifically tailored for that. It’s been very good from a physiological and training view point. It’s been excellent.”
McLean added: “The players are getting fitter, faster and stronger and therefore the game develops at quite a pace now. In order for us to get as many decisions correct we need to be in peak physical condition.
“The guys prepare very well and the fitness level as a group has improved enormously over the last five to 10 years and that can only benefit the game in Scotland and benefit us as referees and our performances.
“The more decisions we can get correct, especially in the final third and important decisions in the penalty area, you need to be in close proximity to incidents to get the best viewing angle to make the correct decisions and if that gives us more credibility then that is only a positive thing and that’s what we’re striving for.”
The last thing Celtic needed right now was for these dodgy characters to spend time together.
How did their exam results go?
Epic fail I suppose.
Gutted they weren’t on the Costa Concordia… Woulda made my year that
A trip away and this is the kind of performances we get on their return, coincidence? Like i said, this was the last thing Celtic needed, these cheats getting their heads together.