Ref Stuart Dougall longs for the return of the Old Firm rivalry

Top referee reckons Scottish football is crying out for a return of the Old Firm powder keg.

Stuart Dougal needs no telling referees can find themselves the target for abuse. In a career that included over 100 international appearances and two Scottish Cup Finals, the former Grade One official caught plenty.

Yet, as the picture of him remaining calm while on the receiving end of a close-up complaint from Neil Lennon in an Old Firm game illustrates, he didn’t let it get to him.

So while Dougal gets dispirited of the seemingly endless criticism that has been aimed at officials this season, the 51-year-old is confident the current generation in black will cope.

What is unexpected is his view that the return of the powder-keg Glasgow derby in 2015 will actually take the heat OFF referees.

“Officials will always take flak. It is part of the cycle of Scottish football,” says Dougal.

“And, at the moment, away from the criticism the referees are getting, there is nothing too contentious going on. There is no Rangers and Celtic title race for people to get excited about.

“In Rangers’ absence, the Premiership is bereft of a challenge to Celtic. Neil Lennon’s side are going to win the title. We knew that before a ball was kicked and we still know it now.

“It is human nature that there has to be something to talk about. The standard of our football now would be the obvious one because we are really, really struggling.”

It is a view that cuts across the positive picture put across by many coaches of a boom time for young, domestic talent.

“If you doubt that things are bad, consider the following questions,” Dougal continues.

“We are coming to the end of the winter transfer window but where are all the big signings?

“Celtic have brought in a Norwegian internationalist, Stefan Johansen. But other than that? Where are our clubs in the European competitions? The World Cup Finals are coming in the summer. Will the national team be involved?

“But no, that is not what we are talking about. Instead, all we hear about is referees and the mistakes that this one or that one has made.

“Listen, they are going to make mistakes, in just the same way that players, managers or journalists will make mistakes. We are all human after all. But commonsense has to be applied.

“If we have a case when one specific ref is going from one game to the next making mistake after mistake then, yes, that is something to look at.

“The guy concerned should then be taken out of the top flight and put down the divisions until he can show he is ready to make the step up once again. That is OK. People have to find their level.

“Managers and players will move through the leagues through the course of their careers. But we can’t have indiscriminate criticism of officials where people have a go at refs as if they were a group of robots.

“To do so is counter-productive on a number of levels. First, there is the likelihood that young men and women who might be considering training as officials will be put off by the level of abuse that could be aimed their way.

“Second, it is likely to encourage other managers and players to aim more criticism the same way. And lastly, but arguably most importantly, there is the dispiriting effect it has on the men and women concerned.

“People don’t always believe me, but I can guarantee you officials do not want to be at the centre of attention. What they want is to referee football games and to be acknowledged for doing a good, professional job.

“They don’t want to turn on the television and have their mistakes pored over in front of an audience of many thousands. And, let’s be clear, they are going to make mistakes.

“Personally, having done the job, I think if we are talking about each of our top officials making one or two mistakes a season, we are doing not too badly as a sport. Managers and fans, I am sure, would accept that kind of return from their players.”

As disappointed as Dougal has been about the focus on referees, he is confident there is no threat of another strike like the one witnessed in 2010.

“That was different,” he insists. “That was a really bad time.

“Referees were coming under intolerable pressure from outside influences.

“It was coming from fans and from clubs and was affecting not just the officials, but their families as well. Something had to be done and action was taken.

“It wasn’t done lightly, and I know the guys even to this day don’t like to hear it described as a strike. They view it as action action taken to get the point across that the game needs officials.

“There will be people who didn’t agree with it but I think everybody would acknowledge it made an impact. The authorities were forced to bring referees in from abroad which got huge publicity right round the world.

“The point was made, and then that was it. Normal service was resumed. I think the fact we are still talking about it now three-and-a-half years later on shows the impact that was made.

“And I genuinely believe things have improved a lot since then. OK, at the moment, referees are taking stick which is not ideal. But overall things have definitely improved. There has been more respect for the officials.

“It was needed. These are professionals who love the game and have to be able to enjoy their sport without being subjected to abuse in their personal lives.

“There is still room for improvement, and we all have our part to play in that respect. In the end, it all comes down to commonsense.”