Game Is Courting Disaster If Refs Go To The Cops

Nov 16 2008 Andy Walker

THE most memorable Old Firm game I played in was the infamous 2-2 draw at Ibrox in October 1987.

That was the match when Frank McAvennie, Chris Woods and Terry Butcher were all sent off before ending up in court alongside Graham Roberts for "behaviour likely to cause a breach of the peace".

And it stands out in my mind because it summed up everything about the highs and lows Scotland's biggest game can throw at you.

The passion, drama and sheer rollercoaster of emotions that day made it unforgettable.

But it didn't stop there. In a court of law four players were charged with misconduct as a result of what happened on the football field.

It was the first time the Scottish legal system got involved in matters on the pitch.

And Butcher and Woods were eventually found guilty of breach of the peace, McAvennie not guilty and Roberts not proven.

I'm not sure about Woods but I know it still rankles with Butcher that he has a criminal record for misbehaving on a football field.

No wonder - it's a stain on his character that's totally undeserved.

And we're going down a dangerous road if Stuart Dougal, chairman of the Scottish Senior Football Referees Association, is encouraging more of the same.

One of his refs, Colin Brown, has pressed charges against Berwick Rangers player Gary Greenhill for an alleged push after he was sent off against Dumbarton.

And Dougal's response was as surprising as it was extraordinary.

He said: "As soon as a player, coach or anyone else starts manhandling refs or assistants we'll see more officials willing to take the same action."

I have never seen an official being manhandled by any player, coach or manager. It's just not an issue in any of the SPL games I go to.

Shouting and swearing does go on but the idea that aggressive, physical contact is on the verge of taking place is nonsense.

Dougal should be experienced enough to guide and influence refs coming through the system in a far more sensible manner.

Brown is the whistler at the centre of this storm and it's not the first time he has been involved in controversy.

Five years ago he accused then-Dundee United coach Owen Coyle of making racist remarks towards Dunfermline's Richie Byrne. However, it was thrown out by the SFA as they thought Coyle had no case to answer.

Apparently, Drew Herbertson - the man in charge of SFA refereeing appointments - asked Brown to reconsider this latest accusation but the official is adamant his case is strong enough to take to the police.

That concerns me because, unless there are extraordinary circumstances, I fail to see any need for the courts to get involved in our game.

And an experienced ref like Dougal should realise football is perfectly capable of policing itself.

A few weeks ago Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo was restrained by the fourth official as he tried to remonstrate with ref Steve Conroy after a 1-1 draw with Aberdeen.

However, an incident like that hardly warrants police intervention.

Laszlo can be described as a lot of things but he's no thug.

Passions always boil over in football but two incidents of over-the-top abuse stand out from recent years.

Hearts star Saulius Mikoliunas lost the plot when he barged into linesman Andy Davis during a defeat by Rangers at Tynecastle in 2005. And Neil Lennon stepped over the line when he ranted at Dougal himself after an Old Firm defeat at Ibrox later the same year.

Dougal will argue the SFA were extremely lenient in handing both players a three-game ban.

He may have a point but he can't possibly hope to be the judge and jury and insist on influencing punishments.

Refs have enough power as it is and it's up to the SFA to look after the interests of officials.

I would be astonished if the SFA's refereeing department want to see their men consider legal action.

Do we really want the law of the land to resolve disciplinary procedures on the park?

Unruly behaviour is unacceptable but there are procedures in place to deal with a lack of discipline.

I remember being manhandled by a ref in my Bolton days after being tackled from behind by Stevie Nicol in an FA cup tie against Liverpool.

I marched towards Stevie in a fury after the foul and the ref did the best thing by grabbing me by the scruff of my neck to stop me going further.

By manhandling me, the ref defused a potential flashpoint and I thank him for that. Had it got out of control Nicol would've battered me anyway.

Football is best when it sorts out trouble without any fuss - so the SFA should be left to take care of things.