sunday mail - dallas is getting it!

[thebigcat 0]

cant believe the space devoted to this shite in tomorrows sunday mail - 5 pages of drivel. Craven has shat big time on Dallas and McDonald. Feck sake it wisney a penalty - get over it!

Heis claiming victimisation bullying the lot, there must be a compensation claim in there somewhere!

sorry, i dont have the skill, hardware or indeed inclination to scan some of it. Phone ins will be interesting this week!

*can someone move this to the general sports talk - Ive started in the wrong place!!* (dafty)

[minstral 5,375]

Watch the scum go mental and want court action. The SFA must stand up to them or they will kill football with all their paranoia.

[Pete_Rangers 9]

cant believe the space devoted to this shite in tomorrows sunday mail - 5 pages of drivel. Craven has shat big time on Dallas and McDonald. Feck sake it wisney a penalty - get over it!

Heis claiming victimisation bullying the lot, there must be a compensation claim in there somewhere!

sorry, i dont have the skill, hardware or indeed inclination to scan some of it. Phone ins will be interesting this week!

*can someone move this to the general sports talk - Ive started in the wrong place!!* (dafty)

Heard about this on snide 1 today.Mark "the taig" Gudi was slabering at the mouth because it's his story.He was calling it explosive stuff

[stuart54 218]

Watch the scum go mental and want court action. The SFA must stand up to them or they will kill football with all their paranoia.

They'll be compiling their little letters of conspiracy as soon as this newspaper hit the stands.

[Ozblue 4,331]

Heard about this on snide 1 today.Mark "the taig" Gudi was slabering at the mouth because it's his story.He was calling it explosive stuff

I'm not sure him using the word "Explosive" in an article that will be read by certain followers of Ra Sellick FC is a good idea...it might be misconstrued as derogatory.

[H72 265]

They really are crying little bitches.

[evilcockney 4]

Fuck me this one is picking up speed as the week has gone on. It was just a soft pen thats all, are they really saying that some mysterious force is fixing the league. Thats steaching it even for that brainless lot.

[dummiesoot 15,427]

I've stopped listening and Reading the shite that has followed what was the correct decision.

[Chef 436]

Dougie McDonald told me to lie to Neil Lennon about Celtic penalty U-turn, says quit linesman Steven Craven

Oct 31 2010 Mark Guidi, Sunday Mail

STEVEN CRAVEN today reveals the truth behind the lies of a controversial Tannadice cover-up.

In an explosive MailSport exclusive that will rock the SFA to its core, Craven lifts the lid on the spot-kick storm from Celtic's clash with Dundee United.

The linesman opens up about the lies and bullying that led to his resignation and reveals how: Ref Dougie McDonald lied to Hoops boss Neil Lennon about his sensational penalty U-turn.

Both he and McDonald came clean to refs chief Hugh Dallas.

Dallas tried TWICE to get him to repeat what he knew to be a lie.

Bullying, harassment and victimisation in the corridors of power will lead to refs quitting.

Craven told MailSport: "Dougie ran towards me and said: 'I think I've f***** up.' After the game Dougie said we should tell the referee supervisor (Jim McBurnie) that I called him over to question the penalty award.

"I went along with it because I wanted to be supportive of Dougie.

"But then Neil Lennon came in after the game and asked Dougie why he hadn't given the penalty kick.

"We told Neil the version that was a lie.

"It was wrong to lie. And I'm not proud that I went along with Dougie's suggestion.

"I decided to quit a few days later. I'd had enough of Hugh Dallas and John Fleming (the SFA referee development officer).

"For a while I felt I had been a victim of harassment and bullying from them.

"A lot of guys are not happy with it and are ready to walk away."

SFA chief executive Stewart Regan said: "Dougie hasn't accepted responsibility for Steven's resignation.

"His resignation covers other matters and we are looking at those."

Dallas tried TWICE to make me repeat what he knew was just a LIE

STEVEN CRAVEN knew he was wrong to go along with Dougie McDonald's lies after the Dundee United v Celtic game.

But he was stunned and shocked when refs supremo Hugh Dallas wouldn't listen to the TRUTH after the officials decided to come clean.

Craven says in his resignation letter that Dallas twice tried to make him repeat a version of events he knew to be untrue.

That was when the linesman realised he was going to be hung out to dry for McDonald's decision to overturn the penalty he had awarded the Hoops.

Inaccurate stories started to appear on a daily basis in an attempt to cover up the real version of events - and that's why Craven has decided to speak out.

Now the match official - who quit the SFA last week as exclusively revealed in the Daily Record - can tell us the full story.

He told MailSport: "I can remember it all clearly. Dougie blew for the penalty but I could see the United keeper Dusan Pernis did touch the ball.

"However, Dougie was no more than seven yards away from the spot-kick incident while I was 25 yards away.

"I was with Dougie in a game between Aberdeen and Kilmarnock two years ago.

"Craig Bryson fell inside the Aberdeen box and I screamed to Dougie to give Killie a penalty.

"But he ignored my call and cautioned Bryson for simulation.

"We spoke about it at half-time and Dougie was adamant he called it right. Television evidence proved he was right.

"So that incident was going through my mind immediately after he gave Celtic the penalty at Tannadice.

"I thought he had the perfect position. There was no way I could question him.

"He then ran towards me and said: 'I think I've f***** up. Did the keeper get a hand to the ball?' I told him I believed the goalie played the ball and that it wasn't a penalty. So he decided it should be a drop ball.

"To make it clear, Dougie approached me. I did not call for him to come over.

"After the game, in front of the other assistant referee and the fourth official, we spoke about it. Dougie said we should tell the referee supervisor (Jim McBurney) that I called him over to question the penalty award. He claimed it would give the decision to overturn the spot-kick more credibility.

"I went along with it because I wanted to be supportive of Dougie and back him up.

"That's the first time I've lied after a game. It was the wrong thing to do. With hindsight, I regret it. I'd never lie again.

"The supervisors have earpieces and can hear all communication between officials during games.

"Jim said he didn't hear me calling over Dougie but that the stadium was noisy."

Supervisor McBurney wasn't the only person the officials tried to deceive. They even lied to Hoops boss Neil Lennon when he asked for an explanation.

Craven revealed: "Lennon came into the room after the game and asked Dougie why he hadn't given the penalty.

"We told him the version that was a lie. He seemed fine with the explanation. But, then, I suppose his side had still managed to win thanks to a late goal.

"I told Neil it was better to win with a legitimate goal rather than a dodgy penalty. He agreed."

McDonald's controversial U-turn led to a media storm and the worried ref decided to come clean to Dallas.

But Craven claims the refs supremo wasn't interested in the truth and wanted the linesman to keep taking the flak. That then kicked off a series of events that led to Craven handing in his resignation and the SFA starting an investigation.

The first part of that probe led to McDonald receiving an official warning but the investigation is still ongoing.

Craven said: "On the Monday morning there was quite a reaction in the papers.

"I sent Dougie a text to ask what he thought of the fall-out.

"He called immediately and told me he had talked with Hugh the night before and decided to come clean.

"Dougie told Hugh lies were told to the supervisor. He then told Hugh the truth - that I had not shouted for him to come over.

"I was then urged to tell Hugh the truth when he called me. I was happy to do so and felt quite relieved.

"When Hugh phoned he asked me to talk over the penalty. He said: 'So what happened after you called out for Dougie to come over? You called out Dougie, Dougie, Dougie?'

"My wife was in the room and I told him that was not the case. I told Hugh he now knew the truth.

"The truth was the version Dougie had told him over the phone.

"But Hugh repeated: 'What are you talking about, you said Dougie, Dougie, Dougie and called him over' but I told Dallas I did no such thing.

"Dougie came clean and so did I. But Hugh didn't seem to accept that.

"I phoned Dougie back and told him Hugh tried to make out this wasn't true and denied having the conversation with Dougie on the Sunday night.

"Dougie's response was he thought Hugh was just trying to test me, that he wanted to see if I would tell the truth or stick to the previous story.

"My reading of the situation was Hugh wanted to protect Dougie and leave me to take the flak.

"It was wrong to lie and I'm not proud that I went along with Dougie's suggestion. Rewind the clock and I wouldn't do it.

"But it was worse to continue the lie.

"I was really upset after that conversation with Hugh."

Craven then got even angrier when he checked his email and received the official match report.

He was criticised for his performance at Tannadice and that convinced him it was time to get out of the game.

Craven said: "When I got my match report from the game emailed to me that proved to be the final straw.

"I was down-marked for getting an offside decision wrong.

"When I got the match report I phoned Drew Herbertson at the SFA and told him I'd had enough.

"I was going to quit at Christmas - but not because of my ankles, as has been reported elsewhere. It was because of all the nonsense with Hugh.

"I got my letter from the SFA on Friday morning to say my resignation had been formally accepted."

[Ibroxblue 122]

Seems there is some dispute about Mr Craven's version of events:

It is understood that people within the SFA are taking legal advice.

They question Craven's account of the sequence of events that led to McDonald being warned after an SFA investigation.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/9143038.stm

[bombaybadboy08 15,660]

Doesn't matter who reversed the decision etc It wasn't a penalty.

I could see their outrage if it was a penalty but that's not the case.

[dummiesoot 15,427]

Why can't they just fucking say the penalty was rescinded correctly now everybody, sellick, the press, fans, should all just GTF

[Skol 401]

Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill.

What does it all mean? Does anybody other than the press and paranoid Celtic fans & officials actually care?

This is such a non-story. "Explosive" my arse. 300 people have died of cholera in Haiti, nearly 500 in a tsunami in Indonesia and this drivel gets 5 pages.

[simplythebest 11,437]

Dougie McDonald gave Celtic the opportunity to spout their paranoia to a new extreme.

I blame him for fucking up, that's created this whole mess.

[the brown brogue 1,774]

Hmmmm...

Whats interesting in the newspaper article is the line where he denies he was going to have to quit due to bad ankles anyway.

To me the whole thing sounds like opportunism by a guy who was going to be shown the door anyway and has his eye on a compensation claim payday.

Regardless of this, the crux of the matter is that the referee was CORRECT to overturn the initial decision in the first place.

[whitey126 42]

Ok I'm confused.

So everyones in agreement that it WASN'T a penalty. Yet because they told people that the linesman shouted the ref over rather than the other way about, there have been investigations and a resignation... Even though in the end they agreed on the CORRECT desicion?

Never have I heard so much shite in my intire life, only on this fucking county could there be all this commotion about a ref making the right call. Absolute joke

[Jamie1807 146]

Imagine how bad they would of been if they hadn't gotten a late goal in that game

[kplfishtank 4,640]

so now we are to believe a linesman who has told us all he lied before

wonder how many pieces of silver craven got for this story

[adam2102 556]

everyones in agreement that it was not a penalty but the argument has moved onto why did the officials lie to lennon?

[Clemdog 39,388]

Never in doubt, like flys to dog shite.

We must do everything in our power to help our club rid Scottish football of pro-Rangers, anti-Celtic bias from top to bottom within the S.F.A.

No matter how much you hear about it, it never gets old how deluded they are

[Jimfanciesthedude 24,058]

He told MailSport: "I can remember it all clearly. Dougie blew for the penalty but I could see the United keeper Dusan Pernis did touch the ball.

so what craven is saying is that he seen it wasnt a penalty, but decided not to say anything because he got a decision wrong 2 fucking years ago

if he didnt resign he should have been given the bullet, if dougie macdonal HADNT thought he'd fucked up, celtic would have gotten a penalty that wasnt when the ASSISTANT referree knew it wasnt

if he knew it wasnt a penalty, he should have fucking called over dougie macdonald anyway, told him his opinion, and then let macdonald decide what to do

basically the guy is saying he never done his fucking job

[KeepBelieving1872 64]

so what craven is saying is that he seen it wasnt a penalty, but decided not to say anything because he got a decision wrong 2 fucking years ago

if he didnt resign he should have been given the bullet, if dougie macdonal HADNT thought he'd fucked up, celtic would have gotten a penalty that wasnt when the ASSISTANT referree knew it wasnt

if he knew it wasnt a penalty, he should have fucking called over dougie macdonald anyway, told him his opinion, and then let macdonald decide what to do

basically the guy is saying he never done his fucking job

Oh yeah, spot on. Hadn't thought of it like that.

Hopefully folk will pick up on that in the phone-INS tomorrow. He is meant to be an assistant referee but didn't have confidence in his own ability cos of one incident 2 years ago. Glad he resigned one month early now!

All I've heard all day from the unwashed is how the article is proof that Dallas has been part of cover ups for years, is an orange b$&@ard and the sfa are mason b$&@ards!! I just don't get how it's proof of anything when it's really nothing to do with getting to a decision for or against any team on the pitch.

Only in Scotland and only be them.

[TravelingWilBEARy 4,319]

This will fuel the next 2 generations worth of conspiracy theorists.

[Thermopylae 15,286]

Watch the scum go mental and want court action. The SFA must stand up to them or they will kill football with all their paranoia.

Problem is timmy is a like a pack of rabid dogs now who smell blood ... and I'm affraid Dougie McDonald has found out what politicians thoughtout the ages have known that whatever the original crime to lie and try to cover it up is almost always worse

[ritchieshearercaldow 21,539]

Fact is that it's got nothing to do with the Refs, Timothy is after Dallas now, him now being accused of colluding with the lie.

The bastards have never forgiven him and they'll want his head,if proven.