Well Done the Third Team

IN over 30 years of covering football, by far the best call I ever saw made by a match official was at a Scottish Junior Cup tie between Arthurlie and Hill o' Beath, at Dunterlie; the tie, a replay, was poised at 1-1 with seconds to go, when the visitors from Fife forced a corner.

The ball came over, up went the players and the ball finished up in midfield; however, I thought, from my vantage point behind that goal, I had seen it fisted there by a 'Lie defender, as did one or two of the H-O-B players. Then, the linesman who had been back at half-way and right in front of the Arthurlie technical area was spotted with his flag raised. The referee, a young boy named Willie Collum who was, to my mind at the time, barely out of nappies, went across, conferred with the linesman and gave the penalty, which H-O-B converted to win the game.

Cue outrage from the 'Lie fans, backroom staff and committee, until one of their defenders admitted, he had indeed fisted the ball away. That decision showed the positive nature of events when the three officials work as a team - which doesn't always happen.  I haven't seen too-many examples of such team work, ever, but there was a terrific one this afternoon at Dens Park, when a Dundee "goal" was rightly chalked-off for offside, on the say-so, not of the referee, or the in-line assistant, but either the other assistant or the fourth referee - the two officials who had the best view of events.

We are quick to criticise, often too-quick, Scottish referees, when they get it wrong, but this call, like that long-ago one at Dunterlie, shows that, when Scottish referees get it right - they are as good as any.  I've tried refereeing, it's a hard job, which is why I am loath to criticise football's third team - because without them, the other two could not function.

WELL done the 'Bot. Being from that part of God's County, I have been encouraged from the cradle to despise and abhor Auchinleck Talbot - but, credit where it is due. To hold Hearts to a single-goal defeat was a wonderful performance, which will have done wonders for the standing of Junior football and hopefully brought closer the day when we have a proper working pyramid in Scottish football.

I have been saying to other football writers for years now - the juniors is a better grade of football than you think - results such as today's at Tynecastle back that up.

It is time we had real competition at a lower level in Scotland. Why should some teams be "senior" for ever when they contribute nothing to the senior game - open the doors, let the fresh air of ambitious clubs from the Junior, Highland and East of Scotland Leagues have their chance to replace some of the dead wood in the lower ranks of the SFL.