Celtic Fan Media reacts after Craig Levein let’s the cat out the bag again on BBC Sportsound

Craig Levein was on BBC Scotland’s Sportsound programme to talk about recent refereeing events in Scotland and had the panel flustered as he let the cat out of the bag regarding officials in this country. Levein joined Kenny MacIntyre, Tom English and Kirk Broadfoot to discuss referees on Monday night.

The ex-Hearts player and former manager discussed the introduction of VAR into the SPFL amongst other events that unfolded this past week in Scottish football. Levein revealed that he believes there is a bias within the game in Scotland which is at the heart of the poor officiating we have to endure.

Levein recalled a game against Rangers at Ibrox years ago when he was manager of Dundee United. He revealed that the decisions against his team were so blatant in favour of the home side that the referee wanted his side to lose the game. This particular game he said was refereed by a man in black who was indeed a fan of the Ibrox outfit and was given the game as a favour as he was retiring.

A transcript of the discourse was published in Daily Record:

Levein: “Well I can go back to a game when I was at Dundee United at Ibrox and the official was absolutely appalling.

“He made mistake, after mistake, after mistake.”

MacIntyre: “Was that pressure from the crowd, is that what you’re saying?”

Levein: “No, it was his last game. His very last game. And he got given a game at Ibrox because, I believe, he was a Rangers fan.”

English: “See… I don’t, I don’t…”

Levein: “So what do we say about that then?”

MacIntyre: “You’re saying that’s your understanding, there’s absolutely no evidence that was why he was given the game.”

Levein: “Well that’s what I think.”

McIntyre: “Yeah.”

Levein: “I don’t say I’ve got evidence…”

English: “That’s not admissible in court though it’s not going to stand up in court.”

Levein: “I’m not looking to go to court. If I’m standing in the dugout at Ibrox and a referee’s made five or six huge mistakes do you not think I’m entitled to come out and point that out?”

Broadfoot: “Of course you are, 100 per cent. Absolutely.”

English: “As long as you’re not saying, ‘this referee was deliberately out to get us’. That’s the problem.”

Levein: “Well…”

MacIntyre: “Let’s not go down that road again!”

Intriguing stuff from Craig Levein who obviously was making all the panel uncomfortable about his experience of bad refereeing and his hypothesis of why it was the case. The game in question if memory serves is a game in which disgraced former referee Mike McCurry took charge of and saw countless odd decisions given against Levein’s side back at Ibrox in 2008.

It is odd that the old Ibrox club were in dire financial trouble the last time dubious officiating and scandal was taking centre stage within the SFA. Could it be that history is repeating itself now that the new club have mortgaged the future on stopping Celtic’s ten-in-a-row challenge?

Something doesn’t smell right. If you recall, Craig was fizzing after that particular game and was all guns blazing in his criticism of the authorities. However, the Dundee United manager fell silent for some bizarre reason. A while after that Craig was given the Scotland job. Makes you think, eh?

Watch the game Craig spoke about on BBC Sportsound and refresh your memory of one Mike McCurry…