Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has called on Scottish football to consider utilising foreign referees as the debate around the current standard of officiating rumbles on.
There have been an incredible amount of refereeing mistakes throughout the 2018/19 season, with outrage again rearing its head over the last week after four penalties were awarded to Rangers at Ibrox last week.
Rodgers is looking for help to be given to the current crop of Scottish referees, believing too much burden is being placed on a pool of officials who are not even paid full-time professional wages.
The Celtic boss would like to see money made available to change that, also calling on the authorities to look at bringing in whistlers from other countries.
Asked if he would like foreign refs in Scotland, as quoted by The Daily Mail, Rodgers said:
Yes, and I’m not just saying for high-profile games. This is a fanatical football country, but there’s a really small pool of referees.
If something happens or they need help, there’s no way to do it. You can’t demote – as there’s no one there to do it. There’s constant pressure on them. For me, it’s definitely something that has to be looked at. Open it up.
You want to attract more referees, so why close it to just here? Open it up and have the best referees who could come from England or Wales, or wherever.
That will also help the local refs. It’s about constant education but it doesn’t shine the torch on the same referees all of the time.
Clearly fairer, more transparent and a higher quality of refereeing would benefit not just Celtic but the entire game in Scotland and we’re getting to the point where outside solutions need to be found.
That Rodgers’ faith is so low in the current system that he feels the need to comment publicly on this issue is a sad indictment on our refereeing, and he’s not the only manager either, with Steve Clarke, Craig Levein and Steven Gerrard all outspoken on the issue this season.
Clear the air talks between club bosses and officials in Perth recently appear to have solved nothing. It’s time both the SFA and the SPFL came up with solutions, even if that means bringing in foreign referees.