BRENDAN Rodgers last night told a meeting of Ladbrokes Premiership managers and referees’ representatives that Scottish match officials must turn professional to reduce the number of mistakes being made.
Rodgers attended a gathering called by SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell at McDiarmid Park in Perth in the wake of a series of high-profile controversies this season along with his Rangers counterpart Steven Gerrard.
The former Swansea City and Liverpool manager stressed the need for referees to go full-time, like their counterparts down in England, in order to significantly improve the standard of officiating in this country.
“Referees going full-time is a big one for me,” he said. “Where the money comes from I don’t know, but for me it is one of the areas I would look at, them being professional.
“If you are refereeing a game at the weekend – and I think they do their best – then you come together on a Monday because it is your job. Then you can analyse and you can look at areas where you were really good in the game, areas where you could be better.
“Then you are mentored in that situation and can exchange ideas with other referees and then that preparation will give you confidence. When you go into your next games that confidence makes you better. You are better prepared then to deal with pressure and pressurised situations.
“They are not only officiating here. They are asked to go into European games with high stakes and high pressure. I respect some of the guys have good jobs, but I do think there is a need for that and there is also a need to protect players.
“If you have refereed a game at the weekend and you have got to get to your work on a Monday and focus on your job ‘til 5pm or 3pm or whenever it is, then your full concentration isn’t on the (refereeing) job.
“These guys are going into high pressure situations and asked to deal with that type of pressure. If you are prepared and working hard at your game then the more you put into it then it gives you confidence. It doesn’t guarantee anything, but you should succeed at a better level.”
Rodgers also asked for clarity about the disciplinary process that prevented SFA compliance officer Clare Whyte from issuing a notice of complaint against Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos after a league game against Celtic at Ibrox last month despite three separate incidents being flagged up.
“You can be in a game and watching it, but when you go back and analyse it, it’s never as bad, or as good, as you think at the time,” he said.
“Sometimes these referees are in the game and make their report, but when they come away after a couple of days and analyse it, things may look different. But under the current structure here, they can’t change it. It’s about looking at the whole process really.
“I just think there’s some really poor decisions. It’s been consistent. It’s maybe highlighted more now a bit, but it’s about trying to ensure the game doesn’t become reckless.
“I’ve been saying it since I came here, when Kieran Tierney suffered a bad tackle (in a game against Motherwell in 2017). The safety of players is the main thing.
“We all make mistakes, referees, managers, players, every one of us. You have to be able to make mistakes but it’s about not making as many of them. It’s important to have a structure that supports referees.
“It’s about getting the right decisions for the greater good of the game, other than just protecting referees. It’s a very difficult job, we all recognise that, but it’s about getting consistency. They just need a bit of help, but it’s also about how they can help themselves. Having that professional attitude on a day to day basis would help them improve.”
Asked about the meeting at the Rangers’ pre-match press conference yesterday, Rangers manager Gerrard said: “I am looking forward to hearing what the SFA have to say, what is on the agenda and what comes out of that. I'm all for these type of meetings.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here