Irish refs decline Scotland invitation

ALL Scottish Premier League matches will go ahead this weekend but Ireland’s leading referees have shown solidarity with their Scottish counterparts by declining to provide back up to the Scottish FA.

Authorities have reached agreement with “several European national associations”, after the country’s grade one referees confirmed that they would be standing by their decision to withdraw their labour this weekend.

The Israeli and Polish football federations have confirmed they plan to send officials with countries such as Portugal and Malta also reportedly cooperating. But referees in Ireland, along with Iceland, Norway, Wales and Sweden rejected overtures from the Scottish FA to take charge of matches.

“We did it out of solidarity,” said Bernard Foy, president of the Irish Soccer Referees Society. “All referees have a difficult job and are all subject to certain abuse, both physical and verbal. The Scottish have put up with extensive abuse recent times and we did not want to interfere.

“This request came in the middle of a dispute and we didn’t want to get involved in that.”

Despite the assurances from the SFA, former SPL referee Stuart Dougal did not rule out more U-turns from European colleagues. Referees from the likes of Iceland and Holland were initially willing to come over before being told of the abuse that Scottish referees had been receiving.

“I don’t speak for referees but I have mixed views on this,” Dougal said. “On one hand it’s great the vast majority of the innocent people who have been caught up in this, predominantly players and the great number of spectators who are decent and honourable, will hopefully get a game this weekend as a result of the foreign referees.

“The flip side is maybe it doesn’t show great support from the SFA as to the problems referees are facing.”