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Season of good will extends to referees

Chick Young | 16:33 UK time, Friday, 19 December 2008

There is an acute absence of hot air about this deepest, darkest midwinter. And things could yet take a turn for the worse.

The have announced - in the language of the courts - that there was "prima facie" evidence of a breach of the rules by Kilmarnock and Motherwell in the postponement of their games against Aberdeen and Hearts respectively on 6 December.

The under-soil heating systems at couldn't have melted a single nougat that Saturday afternoon and the top brass are clearly cheesed off about it, although in the case of Killie not distressed enough to slap down a fine or a warning about points deduction.

leveinmccurry438.jpgNot even 100 lines saying "I must switch on my central heating".

Probably fair enough in these hard times when the game is wandering about with the backside hanging out its trousers... Although Motherwell will have to sweat on the outcome of a further investigation, which is more than the pipes under their pitch have been doing.

Of course, it is of little consolation to the supporters, players and management, particularly of Aberdeen, who journeyed south only to find out that Killie couldn't find a 10p for the meter.

On a busy day for the top flight, the SPL also announced new measures for
"All SPL managers have been consulted and they have collectively agreed not to speak publicly about refereeing decisions after matches."

They added that managers will now just concentrate on the game.

This column can talk in the language of the Latins too. That's , isn't it?

It also won't last.

I am already organising a sweep in the office as to which gaffer will crack first.

Imagine another dodgy penalty for the Old Firm, a blatantly offside goal... and your old reporter wandering up with a Â鶹Éç microphone within minutes of the final whistle.

It will be like sellotaping a lid to a volcano.

Don't get me wrong. I have actually invited coaches, clearly seething at another example of refereeing ineptitude, to have a wee seat before they assess the situation, most famously with at Ibrox last season.

The Dundee United gaffer had steam coming out of his ears and sought me out immediately.

I couldn't have stopped his rant with the aid of a sledgehammer and the funny thing was that his late chairman Eddie Thompson stepped into the interview initially to calm down his manager but soon flew into the overtaking lane in terms of the attack on the blundering match official.

And here's the point. First of all, it was wonderful radio, of course it was. It illustrated perfectly the passion people like Levein have for the game.

Secondly, he was right. Mr McCurry had a shocker.

But in this brave new world if the same scenario unfolded again we are to understand that Levein will smile benignly and describe how well his team shaped up at say, offensive throw-ins.

The agreement is nonsense because if managers are not going to criticise referees then there are days on which there will be no point interviewing them.

I agree that as a general observation coaches are over critical of match officials and on many occasions it is the get-out-of-jail free card which camouflages dreadful performances by their own teams.

But if a refereeing blunder truly affects a match then it is -like of the SPL to ask their managers to turn a Nelson's eye to the matter. It is shocking actually.

Sleep easy, my friends, that if the questioned is justified about a match official's part in the proceedings of a football match then this reporter will ask it, even if - in the case of Levein at Ibrox that afternoon - all I really had to do was hold the microphone and stand well back.

This is an agreement of folly and I suggest the 12 top coaches in this country have been press ganged into it.

I look forward to the first breaking of the ranks.

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