Aberdeen boss says referees may be putting jobs at risk
Aberdeen manager Mark McGhee claims that Scottish referees may be putting their jobs at risk after voting to go on strike over the weekend of 27-28 November.
Category-one officials have decided to down tools over worries that their integrity is being questioned as well as fears that they may be attacked by disgruntled fans who are angry at their decisions.
McGhee will still be able to lead his men out against Kilmarnock on Saturday 27 November as all Scottish Premier League games will go ahead after the Scottish Football Association was able to bring in referees from other European associations. However, many
of the scheduled Scottish Football League games will be called off due to the action.
Although McGhee's own job is under threat following a string of poor results which have seen the Dons slip to 11th in the table, he claims that the referees are putting their careers on the line with the impending strike as the foreign officials could prove
to be more than adequate replacements.
He told reporters: “The most important thing is the games go ahead whether the referees are from Scotland or abroad. But I think it is a dangerous precedent if foreign referees were to come in and do well. There would be a lot of clubs who might feel in
certain situations they might prefer that option. Officials could be doing themselves out of work so they need to be careful. Refs need to look for what's in their interests."
The officials opted to withdraw labour after being criticised for their decisions in several high-profile incidents.
Celtic have been perhaps the most vocal critics of the referees, after an incident in a game against Dundee United at Tannadice which saw them awarded a penalty only for the match official to reverse his decision. The Hoops were also angry when manager Neil
Lennon was dismissed from the technical area after protesting for a penalty he felt his side should have been given in a defeat to Heart of Midlothian at Tynecastle.
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