Ex-refs blame Celtic, not Steven Conroy
Anything else would have been a shock
You can’t have a big refereeing decision happen in a game without hearing the opinions of former refs in the aftermath. The best refs are the ones that you don’t notice during a game but it seems as though the opposite applies to former refs.
You wonder if **** (okay, we’ll not mention the city centre firm Dougal works for) are struggling to keep all of their employees busy because Stuart Dougal seems unable to keep his opinions out of the newspapers.
With regards to the Fortune “goal”, Stuart Dougal said this;
“Steve made the Fortune decision as he felt there was illegal contact made and I can live with that.” “If he had allowed the goal to stand I can live with that also but it’s a clear case of being damned if you do and damned if you don’t.”
Stuart Dougal then turned his attention to the Celtic players;
“There’s no doubt it was a key moment in the game but Celtic still had 70 minutes left to claim a victory. Look at the amount of opportunities they squandered before pointing the finger at the referee. Samaras and McGeady missed glaring chances so we must be fair and weigh everything up before making a scapegoat of the match official.”
Kenny Clark had this to say about the decision to merely book Kyle Lafferty;
“Stevie got it wrong when he gave Kyle Lafferty a yellow card.” “If people are honest I bet a lot of folk thought it was a booking first time around.”
“I changed my mind after seeing it again but I can understand why at the time Stevie thought Lafferty was going in to block the ball.”
With the next clash of the Glasgow big two coming at the end of February, it won’t be long until the ex-members of the SFA get to defend their former colleagues and get themselves in the public eye yet again.
Should ex-refs be giving opinions on the performance of players?
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The issue here is not Celtic missing loads of chances.
The issue is Celtic once again being at the wrong end of atrocious refereeing decisions in a Celtic vs. Rangers game. If the goal at 19 minutes had stood I’m sure the outcome would have been different. These officials need to look at themselves not Celtic; they are well paid to do a job in which they clearly are delivering an unbalanced and incompetent outcome.
The facts speak for themselves, sort it or change job.
Thanks Scofy, always good to hear the opinions of others.
There is a definite need to view the two subjects as being the separate issues that they are.
i would imagine those 2 have got jobs in the press to report on the performance of the refs,not the players
Thanks Brian, it is a bit strange to see the comments that Dougal made.
Then again, everyone has an opinion on football games so it must be hard to keep these views quiet.
Actually, Dougal once again gets it all wrong. If he’d read the facts, at no time did Celtic point the finger at Conroy. Celtic are under no illusions that they have only themselves to blame. They own up to that!! The real problem is that refs are there to do a job. If they are incompetent, they shouldn’t be in the positions they have. This is black and white! We are all accountable for our actions but for some reason, the refs rally round when this stuff happens. What a pity Tiger Woods wasn’t a referee. His misdemeanors would have been swept under the carpet by his “mates” the way the refs continually fail to take responsibility for their actions. Had this been a one off we would all understand, but look at the last two Old Firm games and see who has lost points in each game based on referee incompetences. Sure, we should have scored many more, but then again, whats to say they’d have been allowed to stand? Dougal needs to get the facts straight. He never was Celtic lover was he? But is sure good to see him with egg all over his smug face with this rather large faux pas.
No idea what Scofy is on about. The telling angle is the three quarters view from the far standside where we see Fortune lead with his arm which then makes contact with McGregor’s arm, preventing him from catching the ball. No conspiracy, no big bad referee robbing Celtic, just the sort of decision that any ref in any game in the world could make. He certainly got the Lafferty one wrong and I’d encourage Rangers to drop him, partly as punishment, partly because he’s rotten.
Tony Mowbray did not complain about Conroy’s performance, in fact he seemed to just accept it.
Mr. Dignity himself on the other hand waited to see the outcome of Kenny Miller’s appeal to his sending off on Wednesday night, and when it didn’t go Rangers’ way he tore into referee Willie Collum.
Yet it is celtic who are the subject of Stuart Dougal’s attention in his newspaper column, while he studiously ignores ‘Walter’s’ antics.
Strange that!
Cheers Nitsy, its definitely something that is going to split opinions.
Hibs lost a goal at Kilmarnock a few weeks back that many would have said was a foul on the goalie but the ref said it was valid. Mind you, that ref was probably blinded by the fact that it was calamity keeper Ma-Kalambay in goals that day.
Okay, just did a wee bit of research, the ref that day was Steven Conroy. Haha! Oh well…..
Anyways, as for Lafferty? If Rangers have other key players fit, do you think Lafferty is likely to start games?
Cheers Carntyne,
the issue over Dougal’s comments can come in two ways.
1) He agrees with Smith or is happy for Smith to criticise refs
2) The media are not asking the questions of ex-refs / pundits when Walter is involved.
We dont have any insight into what of these two scenarios is more likely…if any?
I think Mr Dougal would do better to concentrate on the shambolic performance of the referee rather than commenting on the performance of individual players.
Yet again big decisions in a Glasgow Derby go against Celtic, and the usual sources try to brush it off with the usual excuses.
Cheers Ruairi, I think the general tone is that there was no need for Dougal to make they comments about the players.
Pity Gordon Strachan wasnt still the Celtic boss (okay, no one will agree with that remark) to see his reaction to a non ex-footballer commenting on his team. Perhaps Stuart Dougal would have been called a Kestral drinking, tracksuit wearing no-mark.
The game was littered with assistance to Rangers who desperately need a good reason to keep Lloyds from selling their best assets in January,Celtic were cheated yet again,perhaps the ex referees should make comment on Walter Smith criticizing the MIBs when theres supposed to be an agreement in the SPL with managers to not do so.
http://i49.tinypic.com/e7movn.jpg
Foul, end of, but hey the sellick huvnae lost/drew fair since 1888
Cheers guys.
massive difference of opinion, as you would expect.
General consensus from the media appears to be that it was a goal…but it wasnt given…onto the next one as they say!
I thought Peter Grant at least would have something to say to Conroy at half time about the main decisions he had to make. But he said nowt!! T M should have been on the park at the Lafferty tackle. But all he did was hold his head.
Hope he had a word with N’GUEMO about his defending at the McCulloch goal. Like your finished at Celtic son!! Bye…
time for any ref but a scottish one then at least we can all agree he’s not bias in favour of the strangers
John thank goodness your not the manager!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A Dutch referee would be a good idea since Rangers fans believe its a Protestant Country!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!