I said I’d be back to my normal cheery self today, and I was, right up until that song came on the radio.
All about the base , no treble my arse.
In the aftermath of the shocking standard of refereeing at Sundays Scottish cup semi final, where Steven Maclean continued his one man mission to ruin Celtics season, the club have written to the SFa demanding an explanation. I’m not sure what was in the letter exactly, but I do know they didn’t go with my draft, which began;
Dear Cheating Hun bastards,,
Though I can’t think why.
By the way, for those who think I’m harping on a bit about this, consider this tweet from the Huddleboard, which has been described as one of the most thought provoking Celtic forums. ( Well, thats how I just described it, anyway, )
Don’t tell me I’m paranoid when the man who administered the majority of the hun’s EBT cheatathon is the fricken’ president of the SFA.
Celtics statement said;
WITH the Club being inundated today, Celtic can confirm that it has written to the SFA regarding yesterday’s match and in particular the incident involving Leigh Griffiths and Josh Meekings.
First and foremost we absolutely congratulate Inverness Caledonian Thistle on reaching the Scottish Cup final. They are a fantastic club and reaching the final is a great achievement.
However, given the level of reaction from our supporters and across football, we are duty bound to seek an understanding of what actually happened.
We have not been given any other specific explanation so far and this is simply to understand the circumstances of what went on and why such an obvious error was made.
Fair enough. Its the opening slavo, and we await their reply with interest.
If they haven’t replied within a fair and reasonable period, say dinnertime, then may i suggest a gentle reminder…
Oi, you cheating hun bastards, I’m talking to you
This time is once too often, maybe it’s because its so obviously cheating, or maybe its just that MacLean, whilst cheating in the public eye, hasn’t been called on to explain his actions to the paying public, that its hit a nerve.
Others have sprung to his defence, though.
John Fleming, the chief of referees in Scotland, had an excuse ready, straight from the SFA handbook. SFA meaning Stemming Fenian Aspirations.
“I don’t think there was anyone in the ground who would have thought it was 100% a penalty and sending off until they had seen the replay.
I can think of one or two.
“When you watch it again on TV you can see clearly that it has a handball, no question about that.
“But that is most apparent when the replay is slowed down and you watch it again.
He’s in charge of the referees. I might be on the point of spotting why they are all bloody useless.
“What we do is speak to the officials involved, we take their view on what happened, we look at a freeze frame on the incident in question and we then look at their positioning.
Yes. Could be tricky.
“Alan was a very short distance from the incident when it happened. For him to see properly when the ball was headed goalwards, he would have had to see through the head of the player [Meekings].
Or he could have spotted the arm flying up, blocking the ball and then the terrified look on Meekings face when he turned to the linesman.
“So I can see why in real time it looked as though the ball hit his face.
If that is his honest opinion, then he needs to be flung out on his arse with the rest of them.
“Steven could see through the gap in play as the game unfolded but there was a millisecond, a click of the fingers when his view was not 100%.
No there wasn’t.
“You need to be absolutely certain and if you’re not then you shouldn’t give it.”
Really ?
The only person who can tell us why he didn’t give a penalty is MacLean. Until he does, he should be suspended without pay.
Oddly enough, Fleming then goes on to deflect attention away, by discussing the introduction of video technology, and manages to shoot himself spectacularly in the foot, which resulted in a booking for Scott Brown.
“Dutch football ran a pilot last season with video technology and next week when the International Football Association Board convene it is one of the topics that is on the agenda.
“There will be an exploration into the potential of introducing video technology going forward.
“The SFA would back the introduction of it but it is something that we would have to trial and analyse results. There are some instances which are factual – a handball, an offside, a ball crossing the line – but there are other situations where you could haveten officials watch the same incident 10 times and still not agree.
Thats the point. It was a handball. That is a fact. Six officials missed it. Or ignored it, and we need to know which it was.
Actually, we do know.
And MacLean ?
He loves us really…and this picture shows us just how much.
so does this one, in fact, although picture two might go some way to explaining the venom in picture one.
Watch again how Stefan Scepovic learned how the offside rule is different in Scotland from the rest of europe. And guess who was the referee
At the very least, the SFA should have realised that MacLean is prone to making mistakes against Celtic, and chosen another referee, thus avoiding any possibility of controversy.
Thats what would happen elsewhere.
By the way, an interesting comment from Andy Docherty in yesterdays diary replies. Paraphrasing, but if Gordon was sent off for denying a goalscoring opportunity, how come the Inverness player got his shot in ?
The collision came afterwards….
On with the inquest, as we need to get it out of our sysytems before tomorrow nights visit to Dundee, where we hear Ally Mccoist will be the man in the middle, with Jimmy Bell and Ian Durrant running the line, and Frank MacAvennie, a well respected media analyst and highly intelligent observer , speaking at the launch of something called Frank and Friends-they are all presumably in this picture;
had some advice for Celtics players.
“It’s just one of those things. Get over it, it’s done and forgotten about now.
I’m assuming the going rate for talking to newspapers is roughly thirty pieces of silver these days.
It’s not done, it’s not over, and its certainly not forgotten about. Every man who pulls on the hoops between now and the end of the season should remember the words of a true Celtic great, and not one who used to get on theplane to London after every game.
And never has that been more poignant than it is now.
You know, last birthday my wife gave me one of those George Foreman thingies that she reckoned I needed.
A swift uppercut.
Time for Celtic to come out swinging as well.
On all fronts.
The last picture quiz showed Jimmy Johnstone and Dixie Deans in the clours of Shelbourne. Who is this former Celt, in the colours of another Irish side, showing a little more wear and tear than his actual age would suggest ?
is that Colin Healy?
Colin Healy.
Having had the misfortune of being at the game on Sunday, I have to say that the penalty (non) decision was appalling, however that is all it was as far as I’m concerned. Celtic were 1 up & playing relatively well, certainly well enough to win the game. The concern I have is that from our corner kick, ict are suddenly 1 on 1 with Gordon! We then take off Forrest, who was causing them all sorts of problems & leave on commons who was having a stinker & doesn’t have the legs to chase opponents. What happened after that was shocking from Celtic, completely lost our shape & discipline, giving the game on a plate to ict. If we had been professional enough, we would have won the game. Refs decision was shocking, but he didn’t give them a goal.
Can anybody clarify exactly when, how (& who?) it was decided that McLean would be appointed ref for this particular semi?
Ralph; If I had any doubts about about MacClean’s attitude towards Celtic(not that I needed any after his performance as the 4th official at the game where the £850000.0p. per year gardener whispered in Neil Lennon’s ear) then the photograph you have published of MacCleans face contorted with rage when Virgil Van Dyke spoke to him when they were leaving the field at half-time removed any doubt that I had. HAIL. HAIL. GBRD.
Assuming he’s still a ref next season, I’m gonna put money on Celtic’s opponents every time this guy refs one of our games. If he’s presided over 3 of our 5 defeats while only being in charge for 4 games, that’s one hell of a return.
I seem to remember Jock Stein saying,”If you are good enough.it doesn’t matter who the referee is”
so i have to agreewith Sparky 7510.We were not good enough.
Sick and fucking tired of the whole agenda in Scottish football, from Ogilvie down to the referees they are dirty cheating corrupt Orange Bastards!
Fuck the SFA!
Buck stops at the doors of Doncaster,Ogilvie and Reagan otherwise known as the three wise monkeys.See no evil,hear no evil speak no evil.
Still raging!! Heads up for Dens park.HH
It was the Scottish Cup..whats it got to do with SPFL and Doncaster?
Well Doncaster is a cunt to be fair Desi!
An utter cunt at that! Hh
See sky have announced their best ever results.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/scotland/26159324
Interesting – he knows what is and isnt a handball!
The reply in yesterday’s diary about Gordon not stopping a goal scoring opportunity (or indeed a goal) is exactly correct.
For my sins I was once a referee at a lower level and attended the annual conference in St Andrews where a ref (can’t remember which) was savaged by Donald MacVicar for a similar incident in a Celtic match. The match was at Parkhead and Larsson was through one on one with the keeper against Dundee. A chasing defender attempted to bring him down but, although stumbling and off balance, Larsson got his shot away which went wide.
The Dundee player was sent off.
We were forced to watch and re watch the video and were told in no uncertian terms the Dundee player should not have been sent off as the chance was still taken and therefore not denied.
Sorry that’s so long but I thought it important to give as much detail as that so everyone is clear on the instruction, maybe Mr MacLean should take note!
All been said on the penatly issue already.
Regarding Gordon, why did he try to get the ball with his hands … Don’t understand why he tried a slide tackle ish….
Tomorrow is another day … Hail HAil
Flemming said the SFA back the introduction of video technology. Why ~6 weeks ago, did the SFA vote against its wider introduction at the IFAB meeting? Flemming’s statement has caught him in a blatant lie and has proved that Flemming or others at the SFA are either patently dishonest or incompetent, either way they are not fit for purpose.
If only an honest journalist could ask questions about provable deception at the SFA.
TIME TO RESIGN FROM THE SFA AND LEAVE SCOTTISH FOOTBALL TO DIE
To go where DH67???. Methinks it is Celtic who would die after The SFA used it as an excuse to gather UEFA support to put the boot in.
You are a fuckin idiot.
Just one wee comment regardless of the merits of the decision or not but why the hell is the goal line assistant on the same side of the goal as the linesman? Surely he should be on the opposite side – common sense really…..oh wait!!!
Why would the SFA or SPFL want video technology when it would stop them allowing Refs to cheat like they did on Sunday. Technology would sort all this rubbish out and be very good for Celtic as we would at least get an honest decision so I reckon we will wait a long time for it to happen here. It was a bad day all round on Sunday; the players looked tired, the management and tactics were pretty shit and we did not seem to have packed the right boots the way our team slid all over the place. Still, I will take a Double in a new managers first season any day. Hail Hail!
Meekings should be banned for the final and I pray that is what happens.
He cheated, end of!
Don’t agree at all if he was wearing The Hoops would you be saying that? I doubt it Montijo.
The Meekings thing is a distraction and they are punishing a guy who may never get to another Final.
This is a diversion away from the real culprit in all this The Referee . He had a clear view of the incident and whatever his agenda did not act professionally and should therefore be punished by removing him from the top tier for a suitable period of time like Life.. How many Referees / Officials do Celtic have to bring down before someone at UEFA starts to investigate the corruption in our ruling body. We cut one head off and another grows in it’s place. Like something in an episode of Atlantis.
I don’t give a fuck what you think!
Another thing, Dan the wee man syndrome,
Meekings cheated, he deliberately cheated he should be banned!
” If he was wearing the Hoops would I be saying that “???
FFS?
What the fuck are you on about Donny?
Oh Dear is this what it is coming to , I actually thought this was a relatively progressive site but that comment has dragged it in amongst the Bear Pit. In fact that was more becoming of DH67.
Some folk canny handle defeat that well Dan.
Bottom line we were below par on the day.
one incident did not cost us a place in the final bud,poor finishing and sub standard performances from most of our key men cost us.
That’s Fitba drives you mental if you don’t put it into perspective.
We have a League to win we move on.
Charlie,
I can’t handle defeat easily you’re right, the circumstances surrounding our defeat on Sunday shouldn’t be accepted easily.
My comment has nothing to do with the site in general, it is MY opinion that is being expressed, but I’ll not interrupt your curry favouring….
So yer man has been charged by the SFA … Too little too late … Shows the ref up for being incompetent / biased (delete where applicable)
Obviously the blue horde are lapping it up and what with the “derby” win over our youngsters they are all full of themselves … Even celebrating mad Lizzie’s birthday .., you know the monarch that asked for her dosh and fecked them good and proper !!! But they love her all the same ??!
Anyhow interesting?? Fact but over here in the sunshine all Portuguese refs have to disclose their allegiances … Doesn’t stop them from whistling games including their team though but at least it is transparent !! Another thing the ex referee Pedro Proenca who retired this season is a card carrying Benfica fan and can even vote in the club elections !! But the fans all hate him and always accused him of cheating Benfica out of penalties etc .., even attached him once at a shopping centre in Lisbon ( the one that is opposite the Estadio de Luz)
Anyhow we will all be celebrating the double in a few weeks and they will be celebrating selling their arses to Big Mike so that the lights can stay on a little longer at the asbestos dome
Great diary again today. Today is the 20th anniversary of the Father Ted series. Those 3 priests are geniuses compared to the inept clowns running Scottish football.
That’s Colin Healy who plays for Cork City alongside another ex Celt. Liam Miller. Remember him? A guy who traded a huge future with Celtic for obscurity at manure.
He should be banned or better yet the game should be void and replayed!
They could replay the game from the time of the incident, basically we have a penalty and Meekings off!
It has just occurred to me that by offering Meekkings the one match ban they are again covering the back of The Referee basically backing up what his boss said that in a split second he missed the incident. By doing this they are trying to remove any criticism , just another honest mistake.!!! This Organisation needs to be swept out of the door at Hampden.
Exactly!