The Scottish Senior Football Referees’ Association is pushing the SFA to take action against Celtic over a banner at Saturday’s Scottish Cup tie against St Mirren.
Viaplay Sport had to cut away from the crowd scene as a banner was unfurled midway through the first half of the match which Celtic won 5-1.
The banner was about Douglas Ross, the leader of the Scottish Tories who was running the line for the first time since being elected unopposed to the role in August 2020.
Injury ruled the MP for Moray out of referee duties last season, after being appointed to four Premiership and six Championship matches this term he was back in the spotlight on Saturday for a televised cup tie.
Ross spoke out about the banner during interviews on Monday, now the Daily Mail is reporting:
REPRESENTATIVES of Scotland’s referees have asked the SFA to take action over a banner aimed at Scottish Conservatives leader and part-time official Douglas Ross by a Celtic fan group.
Ross ran the line in Celtic’s 5-1 win over St Mirren in the Scottish Cup. And during the goal check which followed the opener from Daizen Maeda, Green Brigade ultras displayed a banner.
Viaplay Sports commentator Rory Hamilton issued a live on-air apology to viewers offended by the message.
Sportsmail has since learned, however, that the Scottish Senior Football Referees’ Association — the body which represents officials — have made representations to the SFA’s compliance officer over the issue.
In contrast with UEFA, Europe’s governing body, Scottish football has no levers to punish clubs for offensive banners displayed by supporters.
In 2012 the SFA charged Celtic with failure ‘to ensure the good conduct and behaviour of supporters’ by allowing an offensive banner to be taken into the ground. A Judicial Panel subsequently dropped the charges after accepting that the Parkhead club had not breached any existing SFA rules.
Last year, Rangers supporters’ group the Union Bears also held aloft a banner using crude language to criticise the ‘tyranny’ of the SNP government over Covid restrictions at football — with no action taken by the SFA.
Despite a willingness on the part of the SFA hierarchy to review the rules to enable future action and offset the anger of referees, the Ross banner is unlikely to trigger a notice of complaint.
At the very least, SSFRA sources hope the compliance officer will write to Celtic asking what measures they took to prevent the display of the banner and urging no repeat.
Drawing attention to the banner or any punishment is unlikely to have much impact with Celtic powerless to suppress the political views or chants of supporters.
Announcements over the PA system at future matches involving Ross are only likely to intensify the reactions from fans.
This weekend Ross will be an assistant referee at the match between Inverness Caley Thistle and Hamilton Accies.
Not very thick skinned for a fascist politician. Let him complain. This banner should be loaned out to every fan base that has this kunt officiating for the rest of the season!
Complaining about a banner while that fat b*****d is coining it in with 3 jobs and all the expenses that goes with those jobs in the middle of a Cost of Living crisis he and the rest of his tory pals in government bleed the country dry,and c***s want to create HAVOC about a swear word on a banner.
I wish these platforms , Sky , BT sports and Viaplay were as quick to apologise for the sectarian and racist songs sung by the Klan.
Selective hearing loss . They all sicken me.
If these SFA goons are more offended by a banner rather than the effect of Ross’s party on the working class people who attend their football, then that is the REAL problem
“…with Celtic powerless to suppress the political views or chants of supporters.”
Not quite. The club know exactly which group of fans is responsible and could ban them if they wish. They shouldn’t be banned for a banner which only told the truth but perhaps they should be banned if they don’t stop the IRA chants which have been getting louder and more frequent from their area of the ground. It’s high time that sh**e was consigned to the dustbin of history.
Editor: I think you’ll find the cheering and chanting came from much more than one corner of the ground.
Well said Ed. Seppington is just spreading more of HIS sh**e for us all to ponder. And he would have us all believe him as well!
And I bet you still thinks the OBA was a good piece of Legislation as well, eh!?
Actually no, I don’t. As usual from the SNP it was a piece of poorly thought-out and written legislation that was completely unnecessary, nothing but a empty virtue signal. And if you think wanting to stop the cretinous chants is “shite” then you must be one of the cretins that likes to spout such chants? That shit is now history, we’ve as good as “won” that battle now, it’s only a matter of time before Ireland is reunited. To continue to harp on about old battles seems very hun-like to me.
In reply to the ED; I was not aware of that, it seemed to originate with the GB. I’m not a GB hater, I just think sometimes they need brought under control. Regardless of the source the IRA stuff needs ditched immediately.
I am certainly not a cretin, nor one of the ones you would like to pigeon-hole me as, to suit your own politics, of course!?
I only use the word “Shite” to other people who are happy to use it as a part of their lexicon i.e you and yours!
You are quite well up with Scottish politics, but I fear you do not understand the politics of Ireland.
Pity that, since it is a country very close to this country and the politics of Ireland are very relevant to Scotland!
I have been in many football stadiums and heard thousands join in a lusty chorus suggesting, in less delicate language, that the ref’s parents were unwed. I am unaware of any complaints from the ref’s association. One banner however has sparked a complaint. It appears that you can say or sing what you like about refs, just don’t write it down.
Demand,,,, sounds like a(peepel sound bite)hmm to what consequence,,shut celtic Park to fans,, refuse cup final tickets,, deduct points for every letter of so called offending word(which is used to describe a tory) its a term of endearment,,, bunch o c***ts lot o em,,,
I wish these platforms , Sky , BT sports and Viaplay were as quick to apologise for the sectarian and racist songs sung by the Klan.
Selective hearing loss . They all sicken me.
The SFA are to blame given him a match at Celtic Park in front of 60,000 partizan celtic fans who hate the the Tories & make no secret of it wat did the expect,he’s the Tory leader in Scotland who voted for no free school meals for kids,celtic are built on Charity,he should never have been near that stadium is his wages not enough
It’s called ‘Free Speech’.
When Scotland’s Protestant Community
start to call out the Anti Catholic/Celtic/Irish
filth that is routinely spouted at the DebtDome
then we’ll start a dialogue on the issue.
His and his mates moaning about being called a C##T while turning a blind eye to shouts of up to knees in the blood of catholics.
Stones and glass houses spring to mind.