Replay Ref Is Off His Ed

Aug 17 2008 Gordon Waddell

I'D almost be inclined to give ref Eddie Smith the benefit of the doubt for making a bad decision at Parkhead in the heat of the moment without the use of a replay.

My gut reaction watching the Will Haining penalty at full speed was he didn't foul Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink but we've all thought that and been proved wrong in slow motion at some time or another.

What's unforgivable, though, is that after looking at it again on TV, as many times as he wanted, he STILL thought he'd called it right.

No doubt he still thinks he was right to give Celtic a foul at Love Street last season for Gary Mason's challenge on Shunsuke Nakamura.

We can pay these guys as much as they want - and I still say you could never pay me enough to fill their boots - but when there's no accountability, what's the point?