Dougie Dougie says it is not a Celtic issue
Will the media now say he was telling lies?
After telling lies and refusing to back down, Dougie McDonald has finally did the right thing and resigned from the post of a Grade 1 referee. The former official may have considered what he did to be a trifling matter; after all, it was a mere untruth, a fib, a white lie, no more serious than telling a child that Santa Claus exists but it seriously damaged his intergrity and his right for respect.
The media may have tried to brainwash everyone into believing he eventually made the right call (there is no way anyone can say it was 100% a penalty or not a penalty, however the addition of the Gary Kenneth challenge of Hooper should have left the probability in Celtic’s favour) but that is not and has never been the issue at stake here.
The first instance still revolves around what occurred to change McDonald’s mind about the award.
Was it the actions of the Dundee United players who crowded around him and who acted in an aggressive manner towards the whistler? Was there a shout from the fourth official about doubts over the award? Did Dougie himself instantly regret awarding the penalty and decided to look for a way to save face and change his decision?
Another hypothetical argument could revolve around Steven Craven attracting the attention of the referee but as we all know now, this did not happen.
So, the question of why McDonald had the change of heart has never been asked or raised by the media, which seems very strange as it is surely a key part of the story?
Anyways, the decision was rescinded and McDonald restarts play by ushering Celtic players away from the ball and allowing Dundee United to clear the ball from their own box. It was a truly engrossing game at Tannadice that day with Celtic grabbing a late winner through Gary Hooper.
The real story and action takes place in the referee’s dressing room at Tannadice which is where Dougie McDonald started the lie that now sees him out of refereeing.
Again, the question (that has not been asked by the Scottish media) revolves around why? Why did McDonald need to lie? If he was so certain of doing the right thing, why did he have to lie to Neil Lennon?
The suggestion that McDonald lied to save his own reputation or that of his colleagues can only put greater importance on the match report and the way referees are judged. Is it so important for officials to be seen in the right light that they must lie about their decisions? In an industry where integrity is everything, if this is the case it is extremely worrying.
So, Dougie is gone and the worrying aspect is that with Dallas and McDonald out of the building and with more time to spend on other business ventures, will this be considered the end of the matter?
The need for change and increased transparency within the SFA is now more important than ever and Dougie McDonald could do the game a lot of good if he was to go with public with the real events of that day. An insight into the way referees are adjudged and evaluated would also provide a better understanding of the pressures that are being placed on refs by the existing setup and systems at Hampden Park.
If nothing else, children will have learned that telling lies can lead to a lot of trouble…Scottish parents may be thanking Dougie McDonald in the days, weeks, months and years to come.
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