Football - Leicester City v Queens Park Rangers - Coca-Cola Football League Championship - The Walkers Stadium - 04/05 , 3/1/05 Craig Levein - Leicester City Manager Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Michael Regan
Graham Spiers is reviving his podcast with Mike McCurry to highlight how an all round good guy had his career ruined by one or two honest mistakes.
Many people have a very different view of the Sinister Minister including parishioners of Mosspark Baptist Church near Ibrox.
It takes a special type of person to navigate their way through to the top level in Scottish refereeing although membership of the Glasgow or Lanarkshire Refereeing Association certainly helps.
The former head of the footballing authority and one of its top referees are on the after dinner circuit swapping anecdotes about how they rigged the game to help one team.
The corruption at the heart of the @ScottishFA is in clear view but the media turn away. pic.twitter.com/hmRTVhuKsg
— RhebelRhebel (@RhebelRhebel) November 16, 2021
McCurry’s performances had already caused some concerns but in May 2008 he went a few steps too far as Craig Levein articulated in his post match interviews.
Four days before the Europa League final against Zenit St Petersburg the last thing that Walter Smith’s European warriors needed was to drop points to Dundee United with Celtic pushing them all the way in the Gerrymandered race for the SPFL Premiership title.
McCurry came up with five mind-blowing decisions over 90 minutes but found a sympathetic ear in Spiers prepared to pin the blame on an assistant referee for failing to correct one of McCurry’s minor misjudgements.
While Spiers tries to rebrand McCurry for a career in the Scottish media the former referee plays to the gallery with wacky tales deliver to Rangers Supporters Clubs, often alongside former SFA CEO Gordon Smith.
Hi Graham. Does Mike talk about the Royal Black Institution at all? I’m all out of budget to pay for the Patreon fees.
— cartuja (@cartujakds) May 22, 2023
If you want to regain credibility Graham, you need to call guys like McCurry out. Not only pretence of a neutral ref but pretence of a family man. One web wag called him “The Sinister Minister” . Don’t be the “member of the tribe scribe”. I do believe you’re better than that
— Schrodinger’s Cat (@trebletrebleye1) May 21, 2023
I’ve seen Mike at a spokesman’s dinner, and can tell u he’s all fun and games playing to his gallery. So as for his so called regret, that’s just words with no remorse behind it. The guys was a cheat & still is a cheat, it’s as simple as that.
— Henrik GM (@g_dogg67) May 21, 2023
the sinister minister
— william colquhoun (@WColquhoun22) May 21, 2023
Graham you lose respect when you give these people a platform, we all know, let’s not pretend otherwise and insult my(and thousands of others) intelligence, I wonder if he would agree to me questioning him on your podcast?
— Tim (@craigyboywhyte) May 22, 2023
Are you still trying to resuscitate this guy’s destroyed career.
We get he’s your mate.— Cautious Dave (@cautiousdave) May 21, 2023
“Regret” for this game living on?https://t.co/5vfj0zjmyq
— Prime (@TheBhoyPrime) May 21, 2023
Attends RSC functions these days. Say no more!
— Paulybhoy82 (@paulybhoy82) May 21, 2023
Mike “simply the best” Mccurry and Greame “neil Lennon wasn’t entirely innocent him self”*Spiers I think I’ll give it a pass
*when hearts fan attacked him on the sidelines
— Dazzler ?? (@dazbo88) May 21, 2023
What a Load of Bollocks , McCurry’s allegiance was widely known in Football. This so called “ Regret “ is neither an apology or a regret, he knew what he did . As for the “Fraternity or Gene Pool “ give us a break Graham , it’s a fact not fiction, Farry, Dallas &Co enough said
— Springfield (@parkheadcross) May 22, 2023
Been like this for over 100 years and won’t ever change. Just look at present zero pens in 54 games. TOTAL CORRUPTION.
As far as I’m aware sevco are the only klub in the UK not to have penalty awarded against them this season.
Think of those league games and Scottish/FA cup games and league cup games throughout the season nationwide and the sevco klub are the only one not to concede a penalty.
Or as the late ,brilliant , Bob Ross used to say … We don’t make mistakes here , just happy accidents !
No idea why Spiers is regarded – in some quarters anyway – as ‘best of a bad bunch’ when it comes to the SMSM football related coverage.
Yes, he is articulate, and can write well…
but he’s just an upmarket Jackson / Chris Jack, no more and no less.
When he was reporting on the footy, he would have a decent / truthful article every so often to generate the attention – but he would then either quickly row back his comments in subsequent articles – or just simply move onto another topic without even a backwards glance.
That was Spiers’ standard M.O. before he left footy coverage to write about golf [?]
Spiers is just as guilty as the rest of the SMSM sports ‘journalists’
in their dereliction of duty around the reporting of the demise of Rangers FC, and since.
Spiers is choosing to collaborate with an ex-member of the Scottish Referees’ Association, which has a longstanding, shockingly poor reputation – nationwide – amongst the paying public. Will Spiers go anywhere near that can of worms with McCurry…?
I wouldn’t pay a penny to see / listen to any of the mince which Jackson/Jack spews out.
Ditto, for Spiers.
🙂
Give Craigy his dues. He calls it out not in uncertain terms. Nice one!