Former referee, Kenny Clark, spoke to the BBC on the subject of bias in referees last night: “For anyone to suggest that a referee would work for 10 or 15 years to get to the top level of refereeing in Scotland and would then cheat the fans simply in order to give ‘his team’ an advantage is just nonsensical.”
Putting aside for one moment all recent issues in our game, everyone is prone to bias, conscious or otherwise. It is part of the human condition. If referees insist they are immune, they are contributing to the problem. Instead, they should be aware of the potential. Former referees should encourage them to be vigilant.
Clark explains how much work goes into getting to the top in refereeing and that it would ridiculous to jeopardise a career to help your football team, but he is missing the point. No wonder refereeing is in such a mess if they go around telling each other they are not affected by the human condition. They are human, they make mistakes and are as subject to bias as any other group of professionals.
Clark was happy to cite the new SFA procedures as being sourced from English football, but omitted the add that English football addresses this very question of unintended bias by asking referees which team they support.
Celtic Charity Football Talk, Xavier Centre, Carfin
Saturday 19 January, 8pm
I am joining Tom Boyd and George McCluskey for a question and answer in Carfin this Saturday. There will be plenty to talk about, as always, while Tom and George will add the wisdom from their years of experience in and around the game.
Tickets are £7 each, call Mick on 07827 975271 to book. Beneficiary is Vision of a Blind Golfer. See you there.
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Southampton v Derby on BBC1
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Theresa May’s Government
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Additional Celtic v Valencia tickets available from 11:30am tomorrow, January 17.
Fill yir boots, 2 more per season ticket, first come etc.
DAVID 17,
What do you want Celtic to do.I see some alleged Celtic blog tonight telling PL to loosen the purse strings and pay Aberdeen the £10 million for Mc Kenna.If Olympiakos,are realling hitching the price up to around £8 million,when it was initially around 4,should we just pay up.Have you ever seen the guy play,has anyone?
Off topic,but can anyone tell me when One Eyed Jacks is upin front of the courts again for the Takeover fraud.
Turkeybhoy
U r goin tae get intae more trouble.
U need to stop that
:)
HH
Tt. Bhoy joe
Mr Callaghan was due to go to Mexico for the 70 World Cup but the six week suspension was the end of thatIronically, the refwho took his place was none other thankful Gordon, later caught accepting suits and watches from AC Milan
Bad a
They seem to be playing Armstrong as a centre forward?
jrp Gordon
Predictive text csc
Watching Soto _ derby… player shots..then is caught by the sliding g challenge in box…not one shout for a penalty from crows. Team or comment ators
FAVOURITE UNCLE on 16TH JANUARY 2019 7:38 PM
No problem.
Can’t help with the riddles though , I’m afraid-))
St Stivs & others
My very, very good source tells me that Kenny Clark supports Celtic.
He speaks for referees in the media, but is he self appointed or does he speak with the approval of refs?
I can only repeat what many others are saying.
Justice on the field of play has to be seen to be done – in all it’s aspects.
Patently, there are serious concerns about the performance by referees in Scotland.
Those concerns are voiced by every club most weeks & since the SFA still operates a no comment policy from them & refs – nothing changes.
The frustration of fans who have endured poor, wretched and appaling displays by officials is worsened by the lack of any explanation or dialogue from then SFA.
Just as the police resisted investigating themselves for many years & just as the Scottish Law Society still investigates their own – perhaps Mr Clark can understand that when a group has a monopoly on a service, but refuses to be open about what they do & why & cursorily dismisses any suggestion of lack transparency, accountability & fairness – those paying indirectly for their services may feel hard done by.
St Stivs tale of blazered referees bigging themselves up in airport executive lounges while a wee lassie gofur runs around for them reeks of the same attitude.
Referees are taking their lead from the SFA though.
If referees were obliged to face the media after games to discuss their decisions & the implications – I’m certain quite a few would stop being referees & most others would re-evaluate how they would do their job.
When you are confident that whatever you decide will be endorsed by your employers there is absolutely no reason to work hard at getting things as right as possible as often as possible.
Transparency over the referees own club allegiances is only part of that change that is long overdue.
The secrecy over that & so many other issues feeds the fear of bias that many fans are so easily drawn to.
If referees & their mouthpieces really wanted to be part of the solution then what are their suggestions?
I am unaware of any such constructive feedback from them.
This is not the 1950s, in terms of attitude or media coverage, but the SFA & thus the Referees still act as if it is & they can pompously strut about football fields like Brian Glover did as Mr Sugden in the film Kes.
Referees have complete authority & responsibility before during & after games. Their role is often overlooked by fans but much more often their performance is just ridiculed by fans.
The current pathetic state of affairs is another example of mismanagement by the SFA – from whom referees & their associations take their lead.
When your job performances are so bad that your honesty & integrity are being brought into question – simply denying those allegations while refusing to engage in basic precautions that would help remove some of these suspicions – is very SFA, very Scottish & very stupid.
HH
TURKEYBHOY on 16TH JANUARY 2019 7:59 PM
DAVID 17,
Transfer targets should be realistic. It’s not that difficult. Offer our valuation of the player and if they double the price walk away and move onto the next target. If the deal is possible get the business done. I’ve never known a Club to have so much trouble executing transfers as we do. We either show intent to back our double treble winning Manager or we don’t. The consequences of the latter could be severe.
That referees cannot be biased is accepted by the authorities as an article of faith, despite the evidence to the contrary. To accept any other view would open them up to a level of scrutiny which they would find unacceptable.
If I was a referee, I would try to referee in as fair and unbiased manner as I could. However, my perception of each incident would be bound to be filtered by my own prejudices.
If referees were immune from bias it would not be necessary to ensure that International matches and European club games are always refereed by someone from a neutral association.
Referees in Scotland should be required to declare their allegiance. However, there would be a problem, then, finding referees for Sevco games. Alternatively, we might find a surprising number of referees declaring for clubs such as St Mirren and Partick Thistle.
There has to be an abundance of referees, throughout grass roots football in Scotland whom don’t support the zombie club.
Obviously it’s a closed shop at the top and they aren’t getting an opportunity to make the grade.
Our old friend Waggers,playing very well tonight,as are Derbys front men.To give that offside is ridiculous.What is it,a Pinkie.
Armstrong has been poor.
TB,
He was more offside than CalMac was against the huns. Offside is offside, them’s the rules.
CAIBHIN,
Fantastic point,I wish I had thought of.If that trumpets opinion that Referees would never cheat,why do UEFA have neutral Referees from a different country,for their CL ties.
Gary g @8.09
Seems to be a trait with these peepil.
POG,,
Yes,I know,but the margins are so minute it gets ridiculous.The “Clear daylight “rule for me was the best.
Armstrong wasted playing so far forward. Practically the furthest forward player at times and with his back to goal.
His strength is coming from behind the ball to in front. Needs changing.
Thats a goal.
FOOL TIME WHISTLE
When your job performances are so bad that your honesty & integrity are being brought into question – simply denying those allegations while refusing to engage in basic precautions that would help remove some of these suspicions – is very SFA, very Scottish & very stupid.
Or very deliberate to fulfill wishes.
TB,
Nothing that Waghorn is involved in can ever be a goal ?
No thanks for James McCarthy,never fancied him at his prime,so now unfortunately for him, after injuries,his appeal is even less so.
I do trust this is all paper talk, as I cannot see the merit on one hand of losing Scott Brown,Ncham,and even Malumba and bringing in McCarthy and Ya Ya,despite them both being younger than Sevco’s new additions.
Clark is indeed supposed to be a Celtic fan,but like Collum,Clancy,and ,the retired Conroy, they are basically cowards when it comes to Celtic,even being even handed is a stretch.so they over compensate the other way.
A bunch of wretches.
Clark tries to pass himself off as a St Mirren fan,check out the video of him earlier on here,Celtic fan?
CAIBHIN on 16TH JANUARY 2019 8:21 PM
Very good point.
Ah so if your if your name starts with a “C” you are a Celtic fan, it’s all clear to me now ??
Conroy is a self confirmed Celtic fan, not sure about Collum, Clancy supposed to be PT fan and if Clark is a Celtic fan then I’m a Chinaman
!!BADA BING!! on 16TH JANUARY 2019 8:43 PM
Of course he will when public just like Chick Young.
Armstrong got no service from his team mates in that first half.
Full Time Whistle .8.18pm
Good post , despite the Kenny Clark bit .
Question your source ;-))
Bigshuggy 2.46pm
I was at the game. I had a job as a program seller that season at Somerset Park . My age group played on a Sunday afternoon that season so Saturday afternoons were free after playing for the school in the morning. Happy days and we made a right few quid.
My memory of the incident was disbelief amongst my pals . Mixed between fans of both teams, no one could believe what happened. I think we all found it hilarious when the ref was knocked off his feet , and were dumbfounded when Johnny Doyle was sent off . HH
VAR.
A clear and obvious error.
That’s when the original decision should be changed.
Was the award of a goal to Derby, a clear and obvious error?
That’s why VAR won’t solve our problems with refs in Scotland.
Different teams will get different decisions/answers.
Hail Hail
Pog
Gonna rustle us some chips n curry sauce bud.
Feeling peckish!
HH jg
Turkeybhoy 8.37
Agreed. A goal all day long . Advantage is meant to be with the attacking player.
A shoulder being offside, especially at that stage of the move , is nonsense. HH
POGMATHONYAHUN AKA LAIRD OF THE SMILES on 16TH JANUARY 2019 8:50 PM
I was aware of the C connection,purely coincidental.:)
Clark. Deffo, ( Lawyer ) well concealed.
Conroy related to ex players, so of course he is,except when chalking off our goals vs Sevco at Celtic Park,so no votes for him,nor did he get much support from his pals on other matters,so he left.
Clancy could not find Firhill on a Sat. Nav. ask his sister in the North Stand!! Plays 5s Monday nights with my relation.
Collum,yes well known but as I said over compensates.
Can any Egg chasing Tims confirm if the VAR was immediately embraced by the Egg chasing fraternity or was it berated to start with? We can’t have it both ways, we either accept that VAR is used to help referees eradicate mistakes or we bin the technology and spend the rest of our lives complaining about incompetent referees and bias.
Jamesgang,
You want salt and pepper chips? ?