Sympathy for the ref, cynicism for SFA

648

Yesterday’s referee Craig Thomson is getting it from all quarters but I have some sympathy for him.  He saw the Scott Brown tackle and took no action.  The challenge was executed with extreme force but also with laser-like accuracy.  It didn’t injure or foul anyone.

Aiden Connolly dived to win Dundee United’s penalty.  Thomson could not have seen an infraction, because there wasn’t one, but when a player attempts to con a referee like this, it’s impossible for the ref to get it right all the time.

Virgil got involved with Butcher, both players on the ground, carelessly kicking away.  Both should have been cautioned.  Fifa guidelines entitle the referee to interpret this behaviour as a sending off offence, if he deems it appropriate- however, Thomson didn’t see it and took no action until his assistant, Graham Chambers, got involved.

It was evident from the length of time Thomson spoke to Chambers that the assistant was getting the third degree on what he claimed to have seen.  The ref asked several questions of his assistant to verify how sure he was of what he saw.  It was clear this was not corroborated by the Thomson’s own account.

Neither of them saw Nadir Ciftci kick Scott Brown on the head.  I didn’t see it either until I watched the incident a couple of times.

Chambers got things spectacularly wrong.  Like most others he missed the worst incident (Ciftci), advised the referee into red carding two players who should have been cautioned, and, to demonstrate how flustered he was, failed to notice which United player he put his arm on and led away from the action.

When a referee has an assistant, and a player like Connolly, to work with, he’s going to have a bad day.

As far as retrospective action is concerned: Scott Brown is in the clear, the referee saw what he did and was happy with it.  Ciftci presumably will be banned for violent conduct.  Connolly should be banned for simulation, unless Ronny is right that this rule applies only when players wear green and white hoops.  Paton should have his red card rescinded.

Virgil van Dijk has a case to have his red card reduced to a yellow – however – this being the SFA, I don’t think that will happen, as he is tied to Calum Butcher’s situation, and that is more complex.  If Virgil has his card reduced to a yellow, so too should Butcher, but Butcher was later booked – which would have been his second yellow.

A player who the assistant referee intended to remove from the field would not have been on to receive his booking had the assistant not nabbed the wrong player.  He also didn’t have the benefit of taking his caution into account.

The SFA will stick their fingers in their ears and insist the assistant’s initial interpretation was right, just to avoid the unholy mess of banning Butcher for two yellow cards while not banning the Celtic player, or deciding that Butcher’s (actual) yellow card should be ignored due to the player unfairly missing out on a caution.

Countdown is on to Friday night’s CQN11 St Patrick’s Dinner at the Kerrydale Suite, tickets will be in the post today.

Between now and then you can win a Celtic jersey signed by the 2008 squad, who won one of the most remarkable titles in our history.  All proceeds go towards building a fourth CQN school kitchen in Malawi for Mary’s Meals.

It’s been humbling watching people come forward and do their bit in recent weeks.  Tickets cost £5 each, you know how valuable this is to those kids and families in Malawi.  Buy your ticket here, or click the link at the bottom of that page to buy a book of tickets.

Friday’s programme is about to go to press…  The wee guy with the spoon is not from a stock photo, he’s been served at a kitchen YOU PAID FOR last year.  Stunning stuff.

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  1. squire danaher on

    How can teamcards be activated for replay if they are closing upper stands??????

  2. !!bada bing!!

     

    17:03 on 9 March, 2015

     

    VVD will have no chance ,as Ctfiti and Connolly will get banned IMO

     

    ::::::::::::::::::

     

    Connolly will not get banned.

     

    Ciftci will get banned but he is already banned from LCF.

     

    VVD will get banned.

     

    Paton may get banned if officials say that he was sent off for his conduct towards the linesman.

     

    Butcher might get banned but unlikely. (he may argue that he was playing the balls)

     

    Brown will not get banned because to do so will mean that panel think that Thomson is crap referee.

     

    Referee and linesman will get a cup final gig.

     

    IMO

  3. Dharma..,

     

    You are still using your interpretation of a sweeping generalisation, did I name Paul when I made a sweeping generalisation ?

     

    That’s why your presumption is disingenuous, it is a poisonous attempt to drag Paul into it at a personal level, as an attack on him.

     

    As for

     

    “If you weren’t inferring that Paul67 was idiot in your original post of 12.57 then why did you post at 14.42 “if you disagree then your an idiot too” after asking me my opinion of your post?”

     

    You being an idiot was at the time conditional, on you disagreeing, that only idiots will make excuses for corrupt officials after all this club has had to deal with, using the refs strike as the datum to remind people who they were giving the benefit of the doubt.

     

     

    You did refuse to answer that question and still do, to harp on about your misinterpretation of my initial point, which as I said you tried to enforce your poison as something I had done, rather than simply your poisonous imposition.

  4. Jude Cifti is a pretender, would never have him on our team.

     

     

    Hun’s vs Zombies, have you ever seen a handsome zombie does not have the same ring to it

     

     

    HH

     

    gsu

  5. thomthethim for Oscar OK on

    Jungle vIp,

     

    From earlier.

     

     

    It looks like you are flying with Aer Lingus Regional.

     

     

    They have recently taken over the Donegal-Dublin-Glasgow routes.

     

     

    As they have smaller planes, at least on the Donegal flights, the in board luggage lockers are smaller than the standard flights.

     

    This is probably why the dimensions are smaller.

     

    I would imagine that larger cases would have to be stored in the cargo hold, with a baggage charge.

     

     

    Aer Lingus’ predecessors, Flybe and Aer Arann never charged for hold cargo.

     

     

    Don’t know if this helps.

  6. OK got it now teamcard lower tier

     

     

    Us upper tier will get a tkt for a new seat in LOWER tier

     

     

    Makes sense I THINK

  7. !!Bada Bing!! on

    iki-we shall see amigo,i think they will find it difficult as RD called out the diver,after the game.HH

  8. Oh, and as it was a sweeping generalisation, then everyone else that gives the SFA and their refs succour is an idiot, that’s why it was a sweeping generalisation, there was no one singled out, that was your doing.

  9. squire danaher on

    jc2 17:34

     

     

    That makes sense, but doesn’t account for the Lower tier guy not getting his season seat when attending at TO??????

  10. Squire D..,

     

    Good point, I think the lower tier should be closed this time so the upper tier can suffer for a change

  11. Jungle Jim Hot Smoked on

    I sent an email to the Compliance Officer re Cicci`s kick/stamp to the head of Scott Brown. Their reply indicated interest.

     

    As regards the rest, I agree with Paul and made the same sort of comment on here this morning. The players have a lot to answer for as well. They make the already difficult ref`s job harder than it needs be.

     

    JJ

  12. sunny calmachie on

    frankmarker

     

     

    Sorry you feel that way,

     

    I like you have had a season book

     

    pre Fergus,

     

    but at £15 a ticket I would sit on a tack,

     

    I have brothers, friends, and family who

     

    can’t afford a SB,

     

    so if my seat has been taken, so be it,

     

    I’m just glad, lucky,and fortunate that I can attend when others can’t,

     

     

    Happy Celticing

  13. Jungle Jim Hot Smoked on

    Canamalar

     

    I have only read a few posts this morning and another few now. Yours are a lot more angry than is normally the case. Calm down !

     

     

    JJ

  14. Tickets for replay.

     

    Those in upper tier and also on cup ticket scheme will be allocated. Seat in lower tier at the beginning of the exercise.

     

    Those in lower tier who are not in cup ticket scheme may have no chance to buy own seat because it has already been allocated to one of those noted above before the start of business at Ticket Office.

     

     

    Don’t shoot the messenger CSC

  15. jj..,

     

    People defending referees and doing the hun meeja job of blaming our players grinds my gears

  16. Jungle Jim Hot Smoked on

    Just bought my ticket in 106 Lower for replay. By the time these games are over, I will have seen Utd more this season than have some of my friends who are Arabs!

     

     

    JJ

  17. Jungle Jim Hot Smoked on

    Canamalar

     

    I strongly agree with your point re Hun Media. Also, I am very aware of the bias of Officials but, as regards diving in particular, the players must shoulder some of the responsibility.

     

    My overall point, though, was that your argument will have more impact if expressed without insult.

     

     

    JJ

  18. !!Bada Bing!! on

    Compliance Officer has until 3pm tomorrow,to charge any players from yesterday.

  19. TheBarcaMole on

    An Tearmann 16:38 on 9 March, 2015

     

    Cyrenean

     

    Enjoyed your tale about getting to Milan from Pollok in 1970.

     

    There used to be a load of buseez that went from that area,and up round the willowford.

     

    Hope all is good with you mate.:-)

     

    HH…………

     

     

    Aye, me tae AT…………there really is many a Celtic story to be relayed around about said locale at that time………

     

    Was in the KoSC Blantyre with BT et al a few months back and the lassie behind the bar is from a huge and well known Tim supporting family in Pollok/Nitshill and Priesthill……. Got talking etc., and then one of the guys hears me and says “Aye I remember the bus leaving the Oak”……..

     

    Regards & Hail Hail

     

    TBM

  20. Stairheedrammy on

    I hope I don’t get any of those top tierers sitting next to me. I paid good money to be kept away from their types.

  21. jj..,

     

    Sometimes agreed but when dealing with our Uriah Heep’s I’m no too bothered if I upset them. It’s what they want after all, so they can become indignant, who am I to deny them a little pleasure.

  22. Hun (often lowercase) a barbarous,destructive person; vandal

     

     

    Perfect description if you ask me.

     

    How’s it sectarian?

     

    Sensitive wee souls.

  23. realnineinarow on

    Got some paperwork to do, thought I would switch on Clyde and hear some unbiased opinions of the “Scottish” version of the Beautiful Game. 2mins later Gerry and the Darkside pundits switched back to Radio 2

  24. Looking forward to Venger v Van Gaal over twelve rounds to-night may be even as rough as yesterday.

  25. I’d there anything better than a bowl of stew with a drop of brown sauce.

     

     

    No buttered crusty loaf as I’m trying to be good.

     

     

    Árd Macha

  26. jude2005 is neil lennon \o/

     

    17:15 on 9 March, 2015

     

    Gary67

     

    He’s only in his early twenties!! Stokes or Cifcti???

     

     

    Neither

  27. TheBarcaMole on

    Jimmynotpaul 16:45 on 9 March, 2015

     

    An Tearmann.

     

    The Willowford and The Glenlora which became the Pollok are two I went on. Mostly The Pollok. Although my first proper away game was on The Willowford in the 70s we beat Dumbarton, 8.0 I think………….

     

     

    The Glenlora next to the shops (long time ago) and then the Oak for me, and that was before OAKIE thought he ran the bus………

     

     

    The Willowford/Cavendish…..Naw, different strokes and that……

     

     

    Regards & Hail Hail

     

    TBM

  28. iki

     

     

    17:48 on 9 March, 2015

     

     

    I’m not on home ticket scheme but managed to my season ticket seats in main stand

  29. stairheedrammy

     

     

    18:05 on 9 March, 2015

     

    I hope I don’t get any of those top tierers sitting next to me. I paid good money to be kept away from their types.

     

     

    _____________

     

     

    HaHa, Yer a bad mhan.

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