Surely Stewart Regan now sees the SFA job he has on his hands

05th Nov2010

Surely Stewart Regan now sees the SFA job he has on his hands

by WeKnowSFA

Referees being reviewed by referees – it hardly seems right does it?

The age old adage about who will police the police is answered by the Police Complaints Commissioner for Scotland, an independent organisation that is not connected by the Police. This body sits and reviews any complaints made by the public about dealings with the police.

Similarly, if you have a complaint about a lawyer or a member of the legal profession, you would turn to the Scottish Legal Complaints Commission to air your grievances. Again, this body is an independent organisation which stands apart from those engaged in the legal profession.

Having this mark of separation is crucial to provide public confidence in those they rely upon and to prevent major errors, honest mistakes or blatant liberties to go unpunished.

Many of Scotland’s referees are policemen or lawyers so they would have this type of organisation monitoring them in their day to day activities, is it too much to ask for the SFA to move to this style of monitoring.

The debate about the integrity of referees was ignited by the handling of the Dundee United v Celtic match but it is important to once again reiterate that this affects all of Scottish football. Hearts released a comment about the standard of referees but previous statements from the Tynecastle club have meant that not everyone takes them seriously and some in the media were quick to dispel their opinions.

They were wrong to do so, Hearts made a number of excellent and very valid points in their statement.

What the Scottish media really needs to force them to sit up and take notice would be a comment from Walter Smith with respect to referees and the reviewing process at the SFA. Oh….hold on….

At the end of 2009, Willie Collum dismissed Kenny Miller for violent conduct against Dundee United. The suspension meant that Miller would be absent for the trip to Celtic Park at New Year and Rangers pushed for an appeal. The appeal was turned down and Smith was raging.

Smith was wrong to rage about the decision, Miller did appear to lash out at Darren Dods…but was right to criticise the way in which the review process was carried out. A review of the incident should not have been left in the hands of the man who made the first decision. In the case of appeals against red cards, an independent panel should make a judgment – they may not always make the favourable or correct decision – but there will be a lot more transparency about the decision.

The SFA and their wealth of officials (current and former hanging around in one capacity or another) are not likely to relinquish power quickly though and this is where Stewart Regan needs to decide if he is up for a fight. He will find he has allies in Neil Doncaster of the SPL and most of the SPL clubs to change the way decisions and referees are reviewed but he may be lacking in friends in the corridors of Hampden.

The talk is that Regan has already questioned the suitability of the review panel which examined the incidents arising from that Tannadice match and he should be encouraged to push this line of enquiry further.

Regan has the opportunity to create a legacy, not only for himself but also to help transform the running of Scottish football. Money is vital, of course it is but sometimes achievements and work-place success can hold a greater appeal for a man.

Getting rid of Dougie McDonald and Hugh Dallas would be a start…but by itself, would be absolutely pointless. The Scottish game may not have a better opportunity to clean up its act and a failure to do so may see many more fans lost to the game.