Referees want support of clubs

Striking Scottish referees are seeking assurances from 42 professional clubs that they do not question their integrity.

BBC Scotland reported on Wednesday the Scottish Football Association were considering contacting each of the clubs in a bid to appease officials, who have announced they will strike this weekend after recent high-profile criticisms of their performances.

Referee Dougie McDonald angered Celtic when he admitted he was dishonest with manager Neil Lennon about the reason he overturned a decision to award the Glasgow club a penalty in their October 17 win over Dundee United.

That was followed by referee Willie Collum receiving death threats after officiating in Rangers 3-1 win over Celtic at Parkhead on October 24.

The news of the plan comes after officials in Iceland – where the SFA had been looking to source referees for this weekend’s fixtures – rejected the move in a show of solidarity with their Scottish counterparts.

“We will support our colleagues in Scotland,” Icelandic referee Kristinn Jakobsson told BBC Scotland.

“The referees all around the world is one team, so I think we are going on the same line.”

Icelandic referees unanimously rejected the idea of travelling to Scotland, after the head of their union Sigurdur Thorleifsson at first supported the idea.

The head of Norwegian refereeing Rune Pedersen said his officials had commitments that would prevent them from assisting.

The SFA have until Thursday to get the backing of the clubs if they are to avert the strike and ensure the fixtures can go ahead.

Celtic have welcomed the strike, according to the BBC, and are hopeful it will lead to an investigation by European football’s governing body UEFA into the standard of officiating in the country.

But UEFA have insisted they will not become involved in what they see as a domestic matter.

SFA president George Peat said the referees’ decision to strike was sad, but said he could understand their concerns and would exhaust all possible options to come to an understanding.

“We will do everything we possibly can to broker a deal before the weekend,” Peat said.

“We do not condone the strike, but we must sympathise with the grievances of the referees.”

“The behaviour of some people in recent weeks has tarnished the image of Scottish football. It has demeaned the game.”

“The climate of inference, innuendo and conspiracy theories must stop.”