JOHN HARTSON has demanded that referees who make significant mistakes be held accountable, suggesting that punishment should be taken against them.
He believes that if referees were met with fines and suspensions for their errors, they would think twice before jumping the gun.
Hartson also noted that if players were to make mistakes, they would face fines or suspensions, questioning why this isn’t the same when a referee has a blunder.
The Welshman told Go Radio:
“I think the more important issue is there has be retrospective action against referees who make serious errors of judgement. Curtis Main’s dive against Dundee United (for example) that could cost Dundee United, who are fighting for their lives by the way. There has got to be a punishment.
“If I got and top somebody on a Saturday, and I get sent off all of a sudden it’s three games, it’s lambasted and there is a fine. There is a punishment against me. I’ve done wrong and I have to hold my hands up after a bad tackle.
”Referees get things wrong, and all of a sudden they are back in work next week. They have to take action, and maybe if they did they would think twice about doing the job more professionally, because they realise they won’t get paid for three weeks.
“I don’t know if you have to ship all 10 or 12 referees in Scotland out and bring new ones in. I think that it’s going to be very difficult to change the standard of refereeing. I think that’s difficult.”
Time after time, Celtic fans have watched on as a referee has made a game-changing call which simply isn’t the correct one, whether it’s for or against the league leaders. The standard of refereeing that’s on display week in week out is abysmal, and something should be done to try and change the worrying trend.
VAR specialists are due to arrive in Scotland to help the referees with the decisions, but it’s yet to be seen if this is enough.
Bringing in punishments and making referees full-time sounds like a good start, but there is still a lot that can be done to improve the current standard.
