Football referees put on strike in Scotland

 

Football matches in Scotland appear to be postponed next weekend after top referees voted to go on strike.

The referees have made the decision after a meeting on Sunday after they felt disillusioned after a growing amount of criticism about their performance and decisions in recent matches. Judges also claim that their personal safety is in jeopardy after the criticism in recent weeks has intensified and they believe fans can take matters into their own hands.

The proposed action will be carried out by Category 1 officials who will be influencing the matches in the เลื่อนแข่งพรีเมียร์ this weekend and the Alba Challenge Cup final between Queen of the South and Ross County may also be affected.

The Referees Association could also call on category two and three officials to take part in the action, which would leave Scotland without any officials for matches this weekend, which would affect all of Scotland's leagues. This would, of course, lead to huge disruption and loss of revenue for all affected clubs.

Referees have received a huge amount of criticism following recent games, especially after Celtic chairman John Reid called for the resignation of referee Dougie McDonald following his decision to cancel a penalty he had awarded Celtic in their recent match against Dundee United. Reid has called for bold and radical action to combat lies, conspiracies and concealment in Scottish football. Judges claim they are now afraid for their own safety and the safety of their families. Celtic manager Neil Lennon has also been very overt in his criticism following recent defeats in matches against Rangers and Hearts.

Recent newspaper reports have added to the judges' dissatisfaction. The Sunday Mail recently reported that eighty per cent of Scottish referees had failed a test on the legislation in the game when they were in a training camp in February.

It is now likely that the Scottish Football Association (SFA) will not be able to provide referees for the matches at the weekend, but no doubt they will look for a quick solution to this problem. Both SFA and UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) are yet to comment publicly on this matter.