The SFA must sack Steven McLean today

Steven McLean should be sacked from all refereeing matters today.

McLean should have been sacked by the SFA in 2015 after being in charge of the Celtic v Inverness Caley Thistle Scottish Cup semi-final.

Instead, a year later he refereed the Scottish Cup Final. A reward.

Yesterday at Tynecastle, McLean, on VAR duty made an intervention as wrong and potentially costly as deciding to ignore the clear handball from Josh Meekings at Hampden 11 years ago.

Hearts, Motherwell and other clubs are playing for big stakes.

McLean is enjoying a well paid hobby, making huge interventions and impacting on the livelihood of hundreds.

Either he doesn’t know the Laws of the Game or he refuses to implement them. Neither option is acceptable.

A phone call on Monday to Jens Berthal Askou won’t make McLean a great guy for owning up to his mistake.

WHY DID MCLEAN INTERVENE- DOES HE KNOW THE LAWS OF THE GAME?

Matthew MacDermid should be sacked alongside McLean, the match referee. He should have reminded McLean of the laws of the Game when he was called to the monitor.

If MacDermid is afraid to correct a senior referee that is more reason to sack him.

While we’re at it Assistant VAR Graeme Leslie can go as well. What is the point of an assistant that won’t point out a glaring error?

There is no possible justification for the decision to award Hearts an 87th minute penalty. Keeping them in the SPFL driving seat.

When a grounded Kabore attempted to header the ball he put himself in danger. Instantly it is an indirect free kick to Motherwell. No quibbling over it.

Six yards from goal Stephen Welsh attempts to clear the ball. He holds back because an opponents head is near the ball. The ball is less than two feet off the ground.

This is where the stupIdity, or something else, of McLean kicked in.

Sitting detached in a studio watching the match he wanted to get involved.

Presumably he has a copy of the Laws of the Game for reference, plus his mate Leslie.

What happened next shames Scottish football. Perhaps more than shames it.

In a banana republic of 1970s eastern Europe we would laugh at that decision.

Since 5pm on Saturday it has been the most talked about decision in British football.

McLean has previous with Motherwell.

He refereed their 1-1 draw with Danny Rohl’s side in February.

Motherwell had Lukas Fadinger sent off. It was a fair decision but other incidents went unpunished.

Askou highlighted strange refereeing following that match:

I was surprised that they didn’t get more yellow cards in the first half, and I don’t think it’s good enough.

It’s an absolutely top game, probably the best game you can get in Scottish football right now, and you get to play that cynical?

I think it’s a shame for the game, that’s the reason why there weren’t more goals in the game.

Motherwell have been suffering ever since.

McLean should have been removed from refereeing senior matches in 2015.

Instead he has been in the thick of it ever since, alongside his mate Collum. And the current Head of Refereeing at the SFA owes his entire career to Hugh Dallas.

McLean and his issues are well known inside the SFA and across football.

The Scotland international manager knows about it.

After having three Kilmarnock players sent off against Aberdeen in 2019 Steve Clarke said:

I just went over and congratulated him and told him it was the worst refereeing performance I had ever seen in my career. It’s a long  career.

He lost control of the game in the first half. He actually lost control of a professional football match.

When Hearts beat us 2-1, I mentioned the referee and it was Steven that night as well. He didn’t control that game either. The job of the referee is to control the game.

I feel a little bit sorry for him. People tell me, historically, he has never been particularly kind to Kilmarnock and I think he feels the pressure from the fact his father played so many games here.

If you are a referee and you feel that extra  pressure, it can affect your performance.

I have mentioned it a couple of times privately through the club to try and get it without saying anything publicly. But I am now going to say that I think it would be better for Steven and Kilmarnock if he doesn’t referee any more games for us. Quite simple.

There’s loads of referees around that can cover.

With five matches left to be played small margins will decide the destiny of the SPFL title.

Pre VAR these could be put down as honest mistakes. That excuse is no longer valid.

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