Celtic are leading a charge for significant changes in the Scottish top flight over the standard of refereeing, according to the Daily Record.
The newspaper claim on their website that all 12 Premiership clubs met with chief executive Ian Maxwell, compliance officer Clare Whyte and referee chief John Fleming in crunch talks over demands that are wanted by the teams for next season in what could be a revolutionary shake up of the rulebook.
It is stated that Celtic are fronting a drive to bring in referees outside of Scotland to improve the standard of officiating and that a second round of discussions is to take place imminently – at some point over the next 24 hours.
Opinion
The standard of refereeing in the Scottish top flight has come under major criticism not only from the players and managers but those at the top of the clubs and when there is so much controversy it is something that has to be looked at. Bringing in officials from overseas – most likely England – would not only help improve what happens out on the pitch but bring a wealth of experience who can improve the standards of the existing officials north of the border. The top brass of the division have to make sure that the likes of Celtic are not dictating the future shape of Scottish football but at the same time if their idea has the support of opposing clubs then it is definitely something to explore. At the end of the day, fans and clubs are the ones suffering from dodgy decisions and if you can increase the quality of refereeing then it should definitely be considered a priority.