SO our referees are indeed Brothers, but of the Trades Union rather than Masonic tendancy, as witness their proposed strike for Saturday. I can understand their decision to strike, but, since strikes generally solve very little and leave all parties out of pocket, this is yet another wrong call from a bunch of guys whose tendancy to make wrong calls this season has helped cause all the bother.
Regular readers of this blog will know, I've been saying for a while, the Laws of the Game need a thorough and radical overhaul, via IFAB, the supreme law-making body in football. However, I have also been saying for a while, I doubt if the appetite for this and the cerebral power to make it work is there.
What is also required is a bit of common sense from all quarters, even the media. It is just one small component in the current sorry mess, but media hype hasn't helped. Every decision is now scrutinised in minute detail, via umpteen camera angles, in real time, slow motion, then "super slo-mo", so that a decision, which a referee has to make in an instant is pored over, then deemed "wrong". This places unacceptable levels of pressure on a body of men who are by and large scrupulously fair.
Of course they have prejudices, we all do. To pluck names out of the air, David Weir probably gets away with challenges for which Ross Tokeley will be booked. If Craig Brown says something to a referee in passing, during a game, it will be let go, whereas the same remark from Neil Lennon or Jim Jefferies might bring an invitation to go and sit in the stand - but, that's life.
What doesn't help is the constant input from former players turned media pundits and from managers desperately hanging onto their jobs. If it was up to some of the media pundits drawn from the ranks of the recently-retired players, no tackle would ever bring a foul, regardless of how late, high and crude; no yellow card would ever be justified - add in the bias of such as Murdo MacLeod, who has yet to see a Celtic player commit a foul, and you've got a recipe for big trouble. Some managers are in charge of 11 angels apparently.
Factor in the antics of Ginger Whinger II, plus Celtic's long tradition of playing the victim card and you've got a significant component in the current trouble. That club has constantly sniped at Dougie MacDonald, since the Tannadice penalty incident.
To put it bluntly, they want him out.
But, he did the main part of his job. Regardless of how he reached the decision, he got it right when he didn't give Celtic the disputed penalty. He and various others within the refereeing department then attempted a cover-up/explanation, which they got wrong - AND FOR WHICH MacDONALD WAS PUNISHED - via a reprimand.
Now Celtic clearly feel this was insufficient punishment. But the place to raise their concerns about the punishment, or lack thereof, is via the correct SFA channels - not through the media.
I was speaking to a senior refereeing figure recently, he said to me: "Celtic are now making it almost impossible to appoint a referee to an Old Firm game". I would go further: the impression is now afoot that Celtic want to hand-pick their officials, guys who will see things their way.
When this happens, football is finished, it cannot be allowed to happen.
Maybe this strike should go ahead, give everyone a wee bit of time to reflect on events. If it happens, there will be no football on Saturday - and we will see what we will be missing. This just might concentrate minds wonderfully.
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