Exploring the Essence of Scottish Football Refereeing

Before embarking on an in-depth discussion about the central theme of this piece, it is imperative to address a fundamental question: What defines a “conspiracy theorist”?

According to the widely respected Oxford dictionary, a conspiracy theorist is an individual who believes in the involvement of a clandestine yet influential organization in a specific event or phenomenon. Thus, this succinctly answers the query based on the definitive source in the English language.

The critical terms within this description are “secret but influential organization.” Now, let’s shift our focus to the Scottish Football Association (SFA), a body that wields substantial influence over all aspects of Scottish football.

Contrary to the covert nature associated with a secretive organization, the SFA does not operate behind closed doors with cunning and intelligence. While it may display elements of deviousness, it falls short on the attributes of astuteness and cleverness. If it possessed these qualities, the Scottish refereeing system would likely exhibit a higher degree of competence, which regrettably, is not the case.

Rather than a concealed entity, the SFA’s favoritism towards a specific club—alongside its evident bias against another—stands palpably evident and unapologetically out in the open. This conduct leaves no room for clandestine maneuvers. Take, for instance, the looming sixth refereeing assignment by John Beaton involving Celtic, despite the club’s longstanding reservations about his officiating.

Branding Celtic supporters as conspiracy theorists represents a facile dismissal and a journalistic cop-out, frequently employed by figures like Keith Jackson, Stephen McGowan, and Hugh Keevins. This approach conveniently sidesteps the underlying issue looming large: the possibility that Celtic fans could be rightfully critical of the SFA and Scottish referees.

Regrettably, the voices of fans and bloggers, including myself, are often disregarded. For truly discerning journalists, the contentious subject of refereeing standards in Scottish football presents a tantalizing narrative ripe for exploration.

Amid a decline in readership of leading Scottish publications, the mainstream sports media perpetuates a willful blindness to the glaring realities within Scottish football. One of the most conspicuous truths is the overt partiality displayed in Scottish refereeing.

In a recent article highlighted by Joe McHugh at Videocelts, Stephen McGowan, once again evaded the crux of the matter concerning Scottish refereeing standards. Rather than addressing substantial issues, McGowan chose to defend the lack of public declaration of allegiances by Scottish referees, amusingly juxtaposing it against the practice with English counterparts.

In essence, the Scottish football refereeing landscape beckons for scrutiny and calls for transparent appraisal, unclouded by biased narratives or evasive journalism tactics.

Scottish Referees and Allegiances: Targeting the Wrong Issue

Suggesting that Scottish referees disclose their allegiances to remove suspicion might do more harm than good—it could just paint a target on their backs. Does this imply that every English referee has a target as well? Or is it specific to Scottish referees supporting a particular club?

Would disclosing such information only fuel conspiracy theories, especially if it became known that most referees supported one club, like the Ibrox club? It’s likely that in such a scenario, fans of rival teams, such as Celtic, could be the ones taking aim at these metaphorical targets.

Let’s not delve into the specifics of McGowan’s article, as Joe McHugh has already covered that comprehensively. The focus here is on the potential consequences of forcing referees to reveal their allegiances.

In a recent article, the absence of Scottish referees at Euro 2024 was highlighted, contrasting with smaller countries like Slovakia and Slovenia producing respected referees. Celtic had previously requested similar transparency regarding John Beaton but were met with resistance, as Beaton continued to officiate games involving them back-to-back.

This situation is not a conspiracy; it’s straightforward facts laid bare. McGowan highlights the difference in referee pools between England and Scotland, emphasizing the challenge due to Scotland’s smaller population size. However, the argument still falls short.

Forcing referees to disclose their allegiances may not address the root issue of suspicion. Instead, it could create unnecessary targets on their backs, further inflaming an already sensitive situation within Scottish football.

Disqualifying officials believed to have affiliations with Celtic or Rangers wouldn’t just prevent them from overseeing Glasgow derbies. In a tight race for the title, they wouldn’t be deemed fit to handle any match that could influence the final outcome.

Competent, qualified category-one officials would find themselves sidelined, watching less experienced referees take charge of crucial games simply because of their origins in Forfar or Formartine.

But why does this argument fall short? Let’s take a step back to my previous article where I delved into referees from Slovenia and Slovakia.

Slovenia, with a population slightly above 2 million—3.5 million less than Scotland—manages to provide professional referees for its top league. Similarly, Slovakia, with a population akin to Scotland’s, successfully furnishes referees for its premier league.

Both countries produce referees officiating European finals, pivotal European club games, and major international tournaments—regardless of their population sizes.

While facing derby rivalries akin to Scotland’s, these nations accomplish what Scotland seemingly struggles to achieve. Why the disparity?

The question remains: Why hasn’t the Scottish Football Association taken steps to professionalize referees in Scotland?

In his arguments, Stephen McGowan dismisses claims of bias or conspiracy theories in Scottish football. But one issue seems glaring: incompetence, a notion frequently pinned on Scottish referees due to their amateur status.

The idea lies in taking the leap towards professionalism to eradicate incompetence. While it may not eradicate bias entirely, it could mark a significant step towards reform in Scottish refereeing.

Professionalizing referees could set the stage for genuine change in the Scottish football landscape—a pressing need in the present scenario.