Former FIFA referee admits to cheating in Rangers fixtures

Celtic striker Chris Sutton (L) is held back by team mate Alan Thompson (C) as he goes for referee Mike McCurry (R) during the Scottish premier league match against Rangers at Celtic Park Glasgow, March 8, 2003. Celtic won the match 1-0. REUTERS/Jeff J Mitchell JJM/MD

Former referee Mike McCurry has admitted that he made up his own laws of the Game when he refereed Paul Gascoigne as a Rangers (IL) player.

McCurry was one of the leading referees in Scotland for over a decade with regular international jaunts thrown in when he was on the FIFA list from 1996 to 2004.

During Gascoigne’s three years at Ibrox he seemed untouchable to Scottish referees but in Europe he was sent off against Ajax and Borussia Dortmund by neutral referees.

McCurry used his status as a Church Minister for the media to project an image of decency, later on his hands on approach to younger members of the flock made front page news in the tabloids.

I refereed a game at Ibrox previously, Rangers against Dunfermline, Rangers were leading by a number of goals. And what you had was Paul Gascoigne and Brian Laudrup playing, now every time that someone would hold Paul Gascoigne’s jersey, or even a slight grip of him I would give a direct free kick because it saved any afters so to speak. The fact that you’ve got Paul Gascoigne, a little volatile shall we say, perhaps.

The Laws of the Game don’t make any special allowances for players who are ‘a little volatile shall we say’. Those players should have the rules applied in the same way as players who aren’t volatile.

The Reverend McCurry took things too far in May 2008 when Dundee United visit Ibrox during the title run in, afterwards Craig Levein and Eddie Thomson made it quite clear that it was a fixture that their club wasn’t given a chance to win.

After that McCurry came in for more scrutiny, his private life was highlighted, once the frequency of high profile televised matches was reduced he stepped down as a referee to concentrate on supporting his club alongside his activities with the Orange Order.

Bobby Madden quit Scottish football at the end of last season for the more lucrative circuit in League One and League Two of the English Football League.

 

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