Official warns rise in abuse will lead to Scotland ref shortage

FORMER Scottish top-flight referee Kenny Clark has warned that several of his old colleagues are considering quitting the game amid an increasingly vehement backlash over their decisions.

Days after Willie Collum received threatening phone calls after handing Rangers a dubious penalty on his Old Firm debut, Clark has warned that Scotland is at risk of a referees shortage.

Assistant referee Steven Craven’s resignation from the professional game was confirmed 24 hours after the Parkhead controversy, as a debate over the penalty U-turn in Celtic’s previous game turned into a Scottish Football Association investigation.

Craven and his teenage sons were reportedly the subject of threats and verbal abuse after Dougie McDonald rescinded a penalty award to Celtic during their 2-1 Clydesdale Bank Premier League win against Dundee United.

And Clark has warned that other match officials are ready to follow suit.

“I’m aware of several people involved at the top level who are contemplating their futures simply because of some of the abuse that is going about,” the former FIFA referee said.

“It’s got to be a big concern for everyone in football, not just those involved in refereeing.

“The pressure brought to bear on match officials has intensified enormously, even since I retired two years ago.

“People need to take a step back from that and recognise match officials are an integral part of the game and, if we keep on putting them under so much pressure, we’ll end up with a situation where people simply don’t want to be involved in refereeing.

“There are those who are currently involved who might be thinking, ‘Is it really worth it to continue?’

“Secondly, it’s a problem for referee recruitment. If any young man was to say to his family this week, ‘I’m thinking of taking up refereeing’, I’m sure his family would try to dissuade him of that notion. And that can’t be healthy for the game.”

Clark admits he asked himself whether his career was worth the added pressure , but he feels his successors have been handed an even more thankless task.

“There were a couple of times where I certainly took stock but I was fortunate in that it never impinged to any great extent on my family life.”

“I think that’s the most worrying aspect. Issues are now being brought to referees’ doors, quite literally, and their families are becoming involved and that must make life very, very difficult for the current crop of officials.”