Ian Maxwell has missed out Celtic and Ross County in an apology over Bobby Madden’s late withdrawal from tonight’s match.
The East Kilbride based official was on route to Dingwall for a 7.30pm kick off when alarm bells started going off at the SFA.
Approached by The Sun they had to admit that assistant referee Graeme Stewart had been on duty at the Hibs v Hamilton match when he should have been self-isolating after being identified as a close contact of someone who had tested positive.
During the match at Ross County tonight Maxwell told the SFA website:
I have tonight apologised to Hibernian and Hamilton Academical for the unnecessary risk of having an assistant referee at a match when he should have been self-isolating, however much it is mitigated by two negative tests in the build-up to the match.
As part of an internal review, I have asked the respective departments to ensure we maintain the highest standards of compliance relevant to Scottish Government protocols.
David Roome (on duty with Madden and Stewart in Athens last weekend) tested positive on Tuesday February 16 but either there is no worthwhile system within the SFA, there is no communication to close contacts or Madden and Stewart decided to ignore self isolating and go ahead and pick up more match fees.
Stewart was an assistant at Hibs putting players and management at risk with Madden prepared to do likewise at the Ross County v Celtic match.
A drive to Dingwall from East Kilbride would require around four hours to complete, at 4.36 today, less than three hours from kick off The Sun announced that Madden had been withdrawn with Fourth Official David Munro taking over.
Tonight’s statement does little to explain what processes the SFA undertake, perhaps it might require intervention from the Scottish Government for Maxwell to get his organisation operating in a professional manner, compliant with elite athlete status.
