What's He Worse At - Refereeing Or Politics

JUST a wee post, on a subject which has been bothering me, so, please, dear reader, indulge me.

One of the implied rights of the football fan – with or without lap top is, it is always open season on match officials; whether they are right or wrong, and it needs saying at this juncture, they tend to be more-often right than wrong: we have the right to have a go at them.

 Douglas Ross MP - waving goodbye to Russia

I have recently had a wee dig at Douglas Ross – the Honourable Member of Parliament for Moray from Monday to Friday, Specialist Assistant Referee Grade One with the SFA on a Saturday. I claim my right to have a go at Douglas on two fronts. One: he is a Tory, in my view therefore the natural enemy of Scotland. And two, he's a referee.

I have not been alone in slagging him, but, the continued abuse he has been having to absorb has now meant, he is cutting back on his refereeing, to concentrate on the “Day Job” - how I wish he could persuade Ruth Davidson MSP, his supposed boss within the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party to do likewise, but, hey-ho.

This decision by Mr Ross means he will not be going to the 2018 World Cup Finals in Russia as a member of the elite Scottish refereeing team which, given the high-profile European games they had been given to officiate on, seemed likely to be going to Russia.

Willie Collum – and no sniggering at the back at this – now viewed within UEFA as one of Europe's top officials, will be going, but, there will be a change to his team, with an as yet un-named assistant coming-in for Douglas Ross.

Douglas got pelters for missing last week's House of Commons vote on Universal Credit, and, yes I had a go at him for this, but, in my defence, that was because he's a Toe rag, not because he was evil or uncaring.

For a start, rightly or wrongly, the Conservative MPs, including Mr Ross, had already been “whipped” to abstain on the vote at the end of the debate – he was never going to have a vote to miss. Also, the way the House works, his absence would already have been covered.

The House of Commons has always operated as “the best gentlemen's club in London”. It has always been run to suit the professions – the doctors, lawyers, accountants, journalists and those guys who are “something in the city”. The hours and so on are structured so that Honourable Members can feather their nests by combining parliamentary work with other, perhaps more-lucrative work in the Hon Member's particular field.

Also, there is this system, known as “pairing”, whereby a Member who has business elsewhere, such as running the line at a football match in Barcelona, can in plenty of time, go to his party whips' office and tell them: “Sorry old boy, cannot make the vote on Wednesday week, off on a nice little earner to Spain.”

Provided the parliamentary business the Hon. Member would miss did not involve say a declaration of war, or a motion of no confidence in the government, the whips' office would have a quiet word with opposition whips:

“Bit of a problem old boy, the Hon Member for Moray wants to go off and play soccer in Barcelona next Wednesday, have you got anyone on your side off that day?”

“As a matter of fact we have, the Hon. Member for Bolsover wants to sneak away for a few days to Mauritius to do a spot of fact-finding with his 22-year-old, big-boobed, blonde researcher.”

“OK, that's agreed then, we “pair” Moray and Bolsover.” Job done, Mr Ross has his get out of voting chit and business carries on as usual.

That's how the system works, so, really, it was a bit of an unnecessary, media-driven storm in a tea cup, which has cost a Scotsman a probable World Cup appearance.

Pity really, but, from the way he caved-in so promptly, it shows, Mr Ross does not have the strength of character to be a good MP, or a good referee for that matter.