Old Firm

[Bluedell 5,679]

Talking about the old firm doesn't mean any sort of partnership. It's just a way of describing the 2 biggest teams in Scotland/Glasgow.

 

Discussing the old firm game doesn't mean I want anything to do with them. It doesn't mean anything other than we're playing them.

[Uilleam 5,966]

Mr Charles Richmond was a dildo as a referee, and he remains a dildo. He is a dildo who thinks he is a porn star, an unfortunate affliction.

 

From The Dhaily Rhebel, April 12 2012. (Let him who is without sin cast the 1st stone...whatever)

 

Revealed: List of blunders that caused referee Charlie Richmond's fall from the top

 

CHARLIE RICHMOND last night was accused of engineering his own plunge down the ranks of Scotland’s referees.

 

The 43-year-old quit this week after 12 years as a Grade One official, insisting he’d been frozen out for not “sucking up” to his bosses.

 

But SFA head of referee development John Fleming swore Richmond’s rant was an “affront” to whistlers and insisted his demise was self-inflicted.

 

And Record Sport today can reveal the list of blunders that brought about Richmond’s spectacular fall from favour.

 

We understand a string of mistakes on the park and wrong choices off it were responsible for his 18-month exile from SPL matches.

 

In season 2008-09, he was rated the poorest performing Category One ref with the lowest average mark from his games.

 

In the summer of 2010, Richmond was invited to an interview at the SFA to discuss his performances and offered help, support and coaching.

 

However, six months later, it is understood the SFA received complaints that the 43-year-old had not been attending training sessions or meetings at his local Ayrshire association.

 

Hampden chiefs were also made aware by other officials of a supposed individual approach to games, which suggested he was isolating himself from assistants and fourth officials on match days.

 

In season 2009-10, Richmond is believed to have scored six marks below 8.0, including five marks of the dreaded 7.9.

 

It is understood that a 7.9 mark in reports denotes “clear and important mistakes” made by the ref during a game.

 

Last term, Richmond and Steve Conroy – who quit last month – were removed from the SPL rota for low marks. And although Richmond returned for five top-flight games this season, his failure to attend the mid-season referees’ training camp in La Manga did not go down well, especially as he didn’t go the 2010-11 gathering in Marbella either.

 

The SFA place great importance on the training camp as a mid-season review and a chance to discuss changes to the laws of the game and how they have been implemented.

 

A furious Fleming said: “While many of his complaints appear to be historic, I consider Charlie’s comments an affront to the work currently undertaken by the SFA to promote and support referees at all levels.

 

“There will be plenty of his former colleagues who will feel misrepresented by his comments.

 

“Over the past few seasons he madea decreasing effort to attend referee association meetings and training sessions.

 

“Charlie has also failed to attend our winter training camp – vital formid-season debriefing and discussion – for the past two seasons.”

 

Fleming insisted Richmond had been supported and insisted it was odd he made no claims when he was flying all over Europe for international matches after being put forward by the SFA.

 

He added: “Charlie claims he lost the support of the ‘decision makers’ within the referee committee, yet was reintroduced to the SPL this season after a prolonged period of performance management. This involved one-to-one discussions and appointments outwith the SPL in an effort to rebuild his confidence.

 

“It is curious that Charlie did not see fit to air these grievances while he was officiating in UEFA and SPL matches.”

 

Richmond said: “Apparently I didn’t suck up to the right people. Apparently I’m not a team player.

 

“Ability has to be there but if you move in the right circles, you get rewards.

 

“There will be people who walk over the top of others and people who say the right things to get where they want.

 

”A few years ago, Hugh Dallas told me it was just as important to promote yourself in refereeing as it was in any profession or pursuit.

 

“Promotion as a referee should depend solely on performance on the park.

 

“I’ve no doubt many refs in this country rise to the top because their face fits and not because of their ability as an official.

 

“Are there refs operating who shouldn’t be at the top level? Yes.”

 

John McKendrick, chairman of the Scottish Senior Football Referees’Association, said: “We take issue with some of the insinuations and assertions made by Charlie.

 

“We dispute and are offended by the claim that referees need to ‘suck up’ to progress.

 

“Similarly, we would argue strongly that our members who officiate in the SPL have demonstrated over a sustained period that they have the ability and the right to operate at that level.”

 

But McKendrick blasted SFA chief executive Stewart Regan for branding Richmond an under-achiever.

 

He said: “The SSFRA considers that it is unhelpful and regrettable that any recently retired referee should be described as a ‘consistent under-performer’.

 

“Referee development and improving performances means that changes to the official list of referees owe more to rising standards of performance among emerging referees, rather than the poor performance of retiring referees.

 

“Scottish football should value, rather than deride, the contribution that recently retired referees have made to our game.”