von Dinamo Baden » Mi 3. Apr 2024, 12:02
John Beaton Rangers vs Celtic appointment is SFA 'message' after public Brendan Rodgers 'incompetent' swipe
The referee was blasted by the Celtic boss who received a ban for his comments
John Beaton's appointment to take charge of Rangers vs Celtic this weekend will serve as a "message" to managers around the country.
That's the view of former category one referee Stuart Dougal who feels the Scottish FA knew exactly what they were doing when they picked Beaton just weeks after he was branded "incompetent" by Brendan Rodgers. The manager was furious after his side's defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle where Yang was sent off for a high boot and Tomoki Iwata conceded a harsh penalty in Gorgie.
He let rip on Beaton and Don Robertson and was hit with a two-match ban with one of those games suspended. Dougal, speaking to the Daily Record, understands the furore that will have been going on around social media the moment Beaton was announced but the whistler will have been protected from that.
Still, that's not to say the SFA did not hand Beaton the powderkeg fixture to show that no intimidation or public criticism will put them off using their top refs.
"Believe it or not, referees don’t actually bother with all that stuff. I know we’re only human but if you stay away from social media and try not to read the newspapers then, as a match official, you go into your own little world," he said.
“They have their own support network and that’s who John will be speaking to - other top referees, his referees’ association and obviously his family. John is an experienced official and this is not the first time he’ll have gone into an Old Firm game with people questioning him - whether it’s his impartiality or his ability.
“But he wouldn’t be getting an Old Firm game if the Scottish FA didn’t believe in him. Referees are monitored every week by the referees’ observer or supervisor. So you don’t get these top games if you are not performing.
“People say, ‘Referees can have a bad game and nothing happens to them,’ but that’s simply not the case. Trust me, you don’t get games of this magnitude if you are not performing week in, week out.
“Whether fans, players or managers don’t think referees are performing it’s not them who make the decisions - it’s the authorities. That’s the same for all the top referees - these guys need to keep performing to be considered.
“John will be delighted to get it because it’s a seal of approval from the SFA. And it’s also a wee message to the clubs in general that clubs will not dictate to the SFA or to the referees’ department who is put in charge of their games. Or who is not.
“Referees will get their games on merit regardless of who has criticised them. And John’s not just been criticised by Celtic or by Brendan Rodgers. John will have had criticism throughout the season, as every other referee will have had. That’s just the nature of the beast and part of the job.
“They are trained for it now whereas, dare I say, back in my day we just dealt with it. They have a support mechanism in place these days which is much greater than it was when I was refereeing and that has to be welcomed.”
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For Beaton it's a lose lose. Make a call for Celtic and Rangers fans will accuse him of bowing to the pressure. Go the other way and Hoops fans will think 'same old Beaton'.
But Dougal was unmoved. “It was ever thus. That’s why the comments from Brendan Rodgers were unhelpful. If a referee makes a decision that goes against one team then the fans or, in some cases, the club will find a reason for why that decision was made rather than just say, ‘Well that was unfortunate,’.
“Just look at the way Gregor Townsend handled himself after Scotland had been denied a match winning try in the Six Nations against France. He didn’t come out and slaughter the TMO or the match referee. He just said it was all part of the game and unfortunate. Can we get that in football? I don’t think so. The next question is why?”
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It's such a joy for us to see,
For they play football the Celtic way. 
