Scottish referees claim strike could lead to positive changes
Scottish referees say that their impending strike action could lead to a much brighter future for football in the country.
Category-one officials voted to withdraw labour for the weekend of 27-28 November over concerns for their well-being and criticism levied at them by clubs, players and managers.
Their decision put the entire Scottish Premier League and Scottish Football League fixture card at risk of being postponed but several of the games will go ahead after the Scottish Football Association drafted in officials from other countries.
However, several European bodies — including Wales, Ireland and Iceland — refused to allow their referees to cover for the striking Scots, and official John McKenrick was pleased by the support for him and his fellow whistlers.
He told the BBC: "As a collective body we have been completely overwhelmed by the support we've had from officials right across Europe. This is not just a small group of mavericks making a point for self-interest. If you listen to the comments from managers,
players and chairmen, it really has been understanding and supportive of what we are trying to achieve.
"We know that they will be hurting over the action that is taking place. And we regret that. It's a pity that games won't go ahead. But it's not a them-and-us situation, we are part of football. For the greater good of the game in Scotland, we had to make
a statement, so that we can re-orient and take stock and then move on to a progressive, more productive and enjoyable atmosphere.”
The strike action follows a series of high-profile match incidents which have led to referees being criticised and, they feel, their integrity being questioned.
The most notable of these took place at Tannadice in October when referee Dougie McDonald awarded Celtic a penalty against Dundee United only to reverse his decision after a consultation with his linesman. However, the referee failed to explain the incident
properly in his match report and was warned by the SFA as a result.
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