Whining Warbs turns his anger to ‘rookie’ referee
After the game the former city trader said that he was ‘bemused and frustrated, whatever adjective you wish to use’ over the decision.
On his club’s TV channel on Wednesday Warbs explained that he had contacted the SFA to discuss an action that happens every Saturday of the season without dramatics.
Yesterday referee Barry Cook was the target with the former Ibrox youth keeper’s suitability to referee in the second tier of Scottish football questioned.
Using the same sneaky style as Ally McCoist, Warbs was happy to give airtime to the paranoia of the Ibrox support before stepping back and disassociating himself from the claim.
Ignoring the fact that Cook has refereed a top flight match this season Warbo- who has NEVER managed in a top division said: “That term ‘rookie ref’ would suggest – and I’m not saying he is – an inferior quality. You’ve got to provide the best officials possible for every game. If he is such a young referee, why was he doing a game with the team at the top of the table, on television? Was that the best decision? I’m not sure.
Using the same style rookie manager Warbs added: “It is hard to fit everything into your schedule. It is a difficult one because you throw a guy into a game – and I’m not saying he wasn’t prepared, but you choose the game wisely. It was a TV game and everyone has picked up on it
“Everyone’s got to train, everyone’s got to learn but no specific club should be the victim of that.
“I’m saying that as we’ve lost a player who has played almost every minute of every game for us and it’s not right there’s no appeals process and nothing we can do. It’s not appropriate, that decision.
“John Fleming has been first class and has twice come back to me on email. He has been outstanding and I have no problem in that respect at all.”
Perhaps if Warbs hadn’t sent Andy Murdoch and Robbie Crawford on loan to reduce costs he wouldn’t be quite as upset by Halliday’s booking.