Crawford Allan walks out on the SFA with the biggest crisis in refereeing since the 2010 strike brewing.
The reasons for that strike were never quite established but came soon after Dougie McDonald had lied to Neil Lennon with Hugh Dallas spreading those lies in the follow up. At the time Dallas was Head of Refereeing at the SFA, the job that Allan is stepping down from.
Back then the cover up became as big an issue as the decision made by McDonald which was followed by wrongly pinning the blame on his assistant Steven Craven then doubling down with the lies to Lennon.
Eventually Craven blew the whistle as his career nose-dived, the SFA circled the wagons with their cloak of secrecy drawn even tighter.
While the mainstream media do their best to distract and deflect the facts are out there, ad no one highlights them better than Lint on Twitter.
With every distortion of the Laws of the Game he highlights how very similar incidents are dealt with differently depending on what team is involved. Whether it is David Dickinson, Don Roberson, Alan Muir, Nick Walsh or John Beaton it isn’t difficult to identify a pattern of assistance.
In just over four years in charge of refereeing at the SFA Allan has overseen some incredible patters, made even more noteworthy by the introduction of VAR.
When one club can go 85 league matches conceding just one penalty it doesn’t really acquire a geek to highlight that something very strange is going on. Beyond repeating the SFA statement on Allan’s resignation the mainstream seem very reluctant to dig into the issue.
Willie Collum and John Beaton have been central to that incredible run of over two years under three different managers for a team that has been unable to win the title despite that massive advantage.
Allan signs off afraid to appoint Collum again for SPFL matches involving Philippe Clement’s side while Beaton waits to discover just how much evidence Celtic have amassed to defend their manager, some of the details below from Lint could well be produced at next Thursday’s appeal against a Notice of Complaint.
Crawford Allan started as head of refs Jan 2020.
This coincides precisely with Rangers’ two incredible back to back runs of 44 & 75 league games without conceding a penalty starting January 2020 to January 2024. https://t.co/04z4zxwX7Z
— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) March 18, 2024
Rangers have conceded 6 penalties in the league under Crawford Allan’s 4 years+ in charge (2 in 2024, both against Kilmarnock).
Celtic conceded 8 last season alone.
St Johnstone – second bottom of penalties conceded last season – conceded 5. pic.twitter.com/Epkn6LraEx
— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) March 18, 2024
Would be worth doing pre and post Crawford Allan penalty differential.
A quick skim shows that the 3.5 seasons before Crawford Allan took over as head of Refs, Celtic had 5 penalties awarded v Rangers, under C Allan Celtic have had zero pens v Rangers.
— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) March 18, 2024
Beaton’s behaviour since denying Albion Rovers a Scottish Cup win at Ibrox in 2014 has attracted the attention of supporters of many clubs.
For whatever reasons he has been fast tracked through the ranks with Allan appointing the man from the Crown Bar in Bellshill to take charge of the 2020 and 2023 Scottish Cup Finals. Beaton is certainly one of Allan’s favourites.
If Celtic’s dossier to defend Brendan Rodgers focuses on Beaton’s inconsistencies over the last five or six years it will be as much a criticism of Allan as it is of Beaton who was on VAR for the fateful match at Tynecastle on March 3.
Back in 2011 the late Paul McBride tore the SFA to shreds as he defended Neil Lennon against the charges put together by the dinosaur that is George Peat, the man that led Airdrie into administration and liquidation.
The evidence against Allan and Beaton is easy to locate- if Rodgers successfully appeals against his Notice of Complaint it should be the beginning of the end for the secretive workings of the SFA headed up by the blundering Ian Maxwell.
CLICK HERE for Scotsman reporter comes up with incredible defence of John Beaton.
