John Fleming has revealed that ‘conflicts of interest’ are considered in refereeing appointments.
The Dundee Supporters Association recently wrote to the Head of Refereeing at the SFA expressing their concern at Steven McLean being in charge of matches involving Kilmarnock.
In the eighties McLean’s father was a Kilmarnock player with the recent match involving Killie and Dundee seeing a controversial penalty awarded to the Ayrshire side.
Jordan Jones was given a two match retrospective suspension following the game with former Dens Park boss Neil McCann involved in an angry exchange with the referee after the match.
“The Referee Operations Department does take into account “conflict of interests” which referees may have when appointments to matches are prepared,” The Sun reports Fleming explaining in his reply to the Dundee support.
“It certainly was the case that Steven McLean was not appointed to officiate at a match involving a club for which his brother (Brian McLean) was a registered player.
“As and when Steven’s brother moved to another club, that enabled Steven to be appointed to his brother’s former club.
“The Department is conscious that Steven’s father played for Kilmarnock FC but it is not considered to be a conflict to prevent Steven being appointed to Kilmarnock FC matches.
“He has refereed Kilmarnock many times in his time as a Category 1 referee. If Steven’s father was active in any way shape or form with Kilmarnock FC then that would be considered a conflict of interest.
“To extend the parameters relating to “conflict of interests”, by taking into account connections which parents or even grandparents have or have had with clubs, would result in there being a stranglehold on the SFA’s ability to appoint officials to matches.”
Brian McLean started his career with Rangers (IL) during that time he played for the Northern Ireland u-21 side before discovering that he was ineligible.
Many supporters have raised concerns about the influence of the Lanarkshire Refereeing Association in which anti-Catholic bigot Hugh Dallas remains an influential figure.
Andrew Dallas, John Beaton and Willie Collum are all products of the Lanarkshire Refereeing Association.
