Yet again Steven McLean has turned Scottish football into a laughing stock with his basic inability to referee football matches.
Two years ago he ‘failed’ to see Josh Meekings punch away a Leigh Griffiths header during a Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden. Rather than collect the shame of a Hampden red card Meekings was picking up a winners medal a month later.
Earlier this season McLean allowed the Sevco v Motherwell Betfred Cup semi final to turn in to a farce with players from each side putting the boot and elbow in with immunity from punishment.
After a couple of weeks out of the spotlight the SFA put the same referee under the spotlight in the Edinburgh derby.
It took only six minutes for McLean to show how out of touch he is with the game with his assistant Sean Carr equally guilty. Once again Scottish football was viewed as a pub league across social media.
Refereeing in the #SPFL is shocking! A clear #Hibs goal #HeartsVHibs @ScottishFA pic.twitter.com/tmgdM2paog
— Michael (@weeseabee) December 27, 2017
“It was a disgrace,” Neil Lennon told The Sun. “It was daylight over the line., everyone could see it. You could tell by way it came out of the goal.
“Thirty seconds later, our boys are going nuts in the dugout because the guys behind are telling them it’s not even close.
“It’s a big, big decision that has gone against us again. There was the handball against Rangers and now tonight.
“And these decisions are costing us important points.
“We were by far the better team on difficult pitch. So it’s great for my players but I should be sitting here talking about a great win.
“He’s got to get it right. It’s a goal. A goal is a goal. The referee said he couldn’t get a good view of it and the linesman didn’t see it.”
With Hibs chief Rod Petrie one of the leading blazers at the SFA Lennon can push for an explanation or more importantly a long term demotion for McLean from top matches.
The next time the brother of the former Rangers (IL) defender is in charge of a top match it will be a signal to up and coming refs that once you get into the elite FIFA group you have a job for life no matter how poor your decision making is
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