Even by their own standards the SFA’s decision to appoint John Beaton to referee the Betfred Cup Final seems bizarre.
That’s not the view of a partisan blogger but the thoughts of Scotland assistant manager Mark McGhee.
Beaton is in the middle of a nightmare run with Falkirk appealing against Saturday’s red card issued to Tom Taiwo in the 25th minute of their 1-1 draw with Hibs at Easter Road.
That decision is small fry compared to Beaton’s performance the previous week when Motherwell lost 2-0 to Dundee at Dens Park.
The Fir Park side had a perfectly good goal chopped off with McGhee saying: “The goal that wasn’t given is clearly a goal. There is no doubt. At the time I thought that and, having looked on the camera, it’s a goal.
“They don’t give you any explanation. He never gave me any explanation last year when he gave a penalty against Chris Cadden and we drew 2-2 here. The same referee.
“I have to say though, the linesman has got to help him. There are two of them there and they can’t see it. I can’t understand it.”
Going further Scott McDonald said: “Both of them didn’t want to make a decision, which is not good enough, really.
“If you are a ref or linesman and you are put on the spot, you are in that job for a reason — to make a decision, not to back out at the last minute and go, ‘Oh!’.
“It was a mis-hit cross and their keeper tries to deal with it, but even their players were saying it was in.
“We were all going on our instincts, saying ‘That was in’, but when I looked at the linesman it was as if somebody had just been killed.
“He didn’t want to make a decision, it was embarrassing. The referee tells us at half-time that, from where he was, he thought it was in, but his linesman didn’t give him a decision.
“Well, if he doesn’t make a decision the referee has to. If he thinks it is in he should give a goal.”
McDonald hasn’t been called up by the SFA to explain his criticism of Beaton.
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