Dropped
linesman
to take
action
LINESMAN George McGuire is taking legal advice after having been demoted by the SFA following an October 21 incident at Ibrox involving Alan Lawrence, of Hearts, and Rangers defender Craig Moore.
McGuire, of Bonnyrigg, and Aberdeen referee Mike Pocock missed an alleged elbow incident by Lawrence, who later received a one-match, SFA suspension on the strength of a referee supervisor's report.
Earlier this month, the 41-year-old civil servant was told he can now officiate in amateur football only after 14 years as a referee in Scotland.
``I am taking legal advice on the matter,'' said McGuire, who claims he was told there was no right of appeal against the decision.
It is believed McGuire is angry that his explanation that he did not see the incident involving Lawrence and Moore was not accepted by SFA officials.
FIFA-listed referee John Rowbotham and Jim McCluskey also have been carpeted by the SFA, but look to have escaped the severe action taken against McGuire.
George Cumming, the SFA's Referee and Development Director, would not say whether or not McGuire's demotion was due to the Lawrence incident. However, he confirmed that Rowbotham and McCluskey were pulled up by the Referee Supervisors' Executive committee
``at the same time'' as McGuire, although he would not reveal whether they had been punished.
q JIM Duffy last night said that it could be the summer before he knows if he will be part of a management buy-out at Dundee.
Canadian chairman, Ron Dixon, revealed at the start of the month that he had lined up a #3m deal that would hand control of the Dens Park outfit to Duffy and vice-chairman Malcolm Reid.
Duffy said, hours before the club's agm last night: ``We would not just be buying a football team if this deal goes through. The structure of the club is involved. Hopefully, Dundee are going to return to the premier division and I personally back the vie
w expressed by people in the game that clubs in the top division should be required to meet certain criteria.
``That means we have to consider issues like undersoil heating and increased facilities for supporters.''
``As far as I am concerned these discussions could take months, but we are certainly not backing out of the plan. We are keeping in touch with the chairman now that he is no longer in the country, and he is keeping in touch with us.''
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