Best & Worst Ref In Scottish Football

[Ludo*1]

As you can tell, I'm fairly bored and I'm getting even more bored of discussing the coronavirus so I thought a nice wee hark back to when the football was on and something we all get passionate about. Who's the ref you dread getting hit with and who's the ref you've never heard of so assume is decent?

There are 15 category one referees in Scotland (According to Soccerbase) and you get 15 options in a poll so the perfect opportunity to do so.

For me, Don Robertson has been the best with Steven McLean being by far the worst.

[Rugster]

2 minutes ago, Speroni*1 said:

As you can tell, I'm fairly bored and I'm getting even more bored of discussing the coronavirus so I thought a nice wee hark back to when the football was on and something we all get passionate about. Who's the ref you dread getting hit with and who's the ref you've never heard of so assume is decent?

There are 15 category one referees in Scotland (According to Soccerbase) and you get 15 options in a poll so the perfect opportunity to do so.

For me, Don Robertson has been the best with Steven McLean being by far the worst.

Don't think Soccerbase is up to date. Craig Thomson has certainly retired, at least.

[Ludo*1]

1 minute ago, Rugster said:

Don't think Soccerbase is up to date. Craig Thomson has certainly retired, at least.

I included him out of instinct before referring to Soccerbase. I'd substitute him for Greg Aitken, but this latest version of P&B doesn't let you edit.

[D'Jaffo]

Colin Steven is utter garbage as is Andrew Dallas.

Don Robertson is pretty good and whilst he often gets stick, Willie Collum is fine whenever Ayr have had him.

[Ludo*1]

4 minutes ago, D'Jaffo said:

Colin Steven is utter garbage as is Andrew Dallas.

Don Robertson is pretty good and whilst he often gets stick, Willie Collum is fine whenever Ayr have had him.

Steven is the only one on the list I can't say I've heard of.

[itzdrk]

I like Don Robertson, Willy Collum & Kevin Clancy - Clancy got the vote.    

Colin Steven is the worst official going, he is an angry wee guy that was definately bullied to f**k in school, dishonourable mentions to Euan Anderson & Steven McLean who both go out their way to f**k us over regularly.  

[D'Jaffo]

Also Bobby Madden is a w**k as well and no amount of Si Ferry car interviews will change that.

 

Managed to deny us about 3 stone wall penalties in the space of a couple of months last season.

 

[Tap in 94]

There is no such thing as a best ref in Scottish football 

[HoBNob]

Euan Anderson is decent. 

 

Stephen Finnie and Charleston are awful, two Falkirk fans, Charleston in particular should never have been allowed to referee Dunfermline games. Got a drink poured over him at a Scotland away game in San Marino after gleefully telling some Dunfermline fans he gave decisions against Dunfermline. 

They're both gone now, Bobby Madden upholds the tradition of bald refs being shite. 

Edited May 4, 2020 by Grant228

[Northboy]

1 hour ago, Speroni*1 said:

There are 15 category one referees in Scotland (According to Soccerbase) and you get 15 options in a poll so the perfect opportunity to do so.

I've no idea where I might find a definitive and reliable list but I'm pretty sure there must be more than 15 category 1 referees in Scotland.

 

[Ludo*1]

2 minutes ago, Northboy said:

I've no idea where I might find a definitive and reliable list but I'm pretty sure there must be more than 15 category 1 referees in Scotland.

 

Probably is - but these are the main players in Scotland in 2019/20 (Except Thomson of course).

[Northboy]

4 minutes ago, Speroni*1 said:

6 minutes ago, Northboy said:

I've no idea where I might find a definitive and reliable list but I'm pretty sure there must be more than 15 category 1 referees in Scotland.

 

Probably is - but these are the main players in Scotland in 2019/20 (Except Thomson of course).

UPDATE - If I read the SFA website correctly only Category One referees can cover SPFL games. Taking 42 teams that theoretically requires 21 referees per week before you think about injuries, availability, travelling for UEFA or FIFA duties etc. I'd guess there are > 30 Category One referees in Scotland but I take your point that most of us will never see or hear of quite a number of them.

[cmontheloknow]

From the SFA Handbook on SFA website

[Ginaro]

45 minutes ago, Northboy said:

UPDATE - If I read the SFA website correctly only Category One referees can cover SPFL games. Taking 42 teams that theoretically requires 21 referees per week before you think about injuries, availability, travelling for UEFA or FIFA duties etc. I'd guess there are > 30 Category One referees in Scotland but I take your point that most of us will never see or hear of quite a number of them.

Category 1 refs can do tiers 5 and 6 of the pyramid as well https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish-fa/referees/become-a-referee/referee-structure-pathway/category-one-referee/

[Dundee Hibernian]

Most referees seem poor, especially if they've made baffling decisions against your club. Beaton is the worst of a bad bunch from games I've watched, while Madden hasn't been as poor as his reputation among football fans suggests.

 

Used to think Calum Murray was a decent referee, but he didn't seem to have a long career as a Grade One official. Craig Thomson was stinking in every game I watched, he was a conceited p***k.

[eez-eh]

No idea who the “best” is. Probably one of the ones I’m less familiar with. I used to think - like everyone - that Collum was awful but the last couple of seasons when he’s reffed our games he’s been fine and actually let the game flow. I think he’s changed from his “I must stop the game every five seconds” act.

Steven McLean, Greg Aitken and Andrew Dallas are shite.

[Richey Edwards]

Andrew Dallas is a ballet dancing b*****d.

[Granny Danger]

The only other league I watch consistently is the Spanish one.  Whilst players and managers in La Liga act like all other players and managers when decisions go against them, as a fairly neutral observer I think the quality of refereeing is very high.  Even before VAR they seemed to get most things ‘right’.

Maybe the quality of Scottish refs is equally as good and we can’t see it because we’re never going to be unbiased.

[willythewelshman]

Alan Newlands, by a country mile, and then some.Alan Newlands by a country mile.

 

 

[Rob1885]

They are all fucking hopeless.