Significant Monday SFA Resignation

After a contentious term, Crawford Allan, the head of referee operations for the Scottish FA, has made the decision to quit his role at Hampden at the end of the current season. The SFA website carried this announcement.

Allan, who was appointed four years ago to replace John Fleming, is 56 years old and has been under intense scrutiny. The Scottish Premiership’s use of VAR has drawn the most criticism, since it has been a major source of disagreement among the league’s senior administrators.

Looking back on his term, Allan was proud of his leadership during a period of significant change in Scottish officiating, characterised by issues like the COVID pandemic and the use of VAR in Scottish football. He has officiated games for almost thirty years, fifteen of those at the highest level of competition.

Widespread discussion has surrounded VAR’s application; Celtic recently complained to the SFA over a series of contentious calls made during a Tynecastle encounter. The standards for “clear and obvious errors” and the inconsistent handball judgements have drawn criticism.

Opponents contend that rather than helping referees, VAR has made their decision-making even more difficult. Concerns about transparency and a perceived lack of responsibility on the part of officials have also been brought up, pointing to structural faults with the refereeing system.

FOR MORE NEWS CLICK HERE