HAVING been red carded for the second time in just six games on Tuesday afternoon, Duncan Ferguson could easily have been highly critical of Scottish refereeing standards when he spoke to the media at Caledonian Stadium earlier today.
Ferguson will have to watch his Inverness Caledonian Thistle side take on Ayr United from the stand at Somerset Park on Saturday because of a suspension – which is far from ideal for him with the Highland club currently scrapping for survival in the cinch Championship.
Yet, the former Dundee United, Rangers, Everton, Newcastle United and Scotland striker, who was ordered off at the end of 2-0 loss to Airdrie at New Broomfield after approaching match official Scott Lambie on the park, had clearly spent some time reflecting on his conduct and was in a contrite mood.
“I think I have to change my approach to be honest with you,” he said. “It has happened to me twice in six games now. So I have to think about myself and how I am speaking to referees. I can’t really be getting suspended and put in the stand all the time. I will serve the suspension, I will not appeal. Hopefully it will not happen again.”
Newspaper back pages, radio phone-ins, social media websites and online message boards have this week been dominated by the row over the Alistair Johnston handball just before half-time in the Premiership match between Celtic and Rangers at Parkhead on Saturday.
The Ibrox club were furious about not getting a spot kick. They have asked for the SFA audio of the incident to be made public and for the decision-making process to be made more transparent. They have also requested that VAR official Willie Collum is not involved in their games in future.
If Ferguson, whose aggressive and physical style resulted in him receiving no fewer than nine red cards during his playing career, can take such a measured attitude to rulings which adversely affect him and his team then surely everyone in Scottish football can.
“As a manager, you are always going to say the decisions went against your team,” he said. “I think a lot have gone against us this season. But I think every manager would say the same. I do personally think it (the ordering off) was harsh. But I would say that wouldn’t I?
“I was disappointed. But I went in to speak to the referee after the match. We were very civil. He explained the whole situation to me and I apologised. We move on. The rules are the rules. I have to educate myself on the rules.”
Ferguson has spent most of the past eight years coaching at a high level in England with Everton. They have full-time professional referees in the Premier League and VAR has been in place for five seasons now. So how has he found the standard of officiating since returning to Scotland back in September?
“I’ve got no problem with it,” he said. “It is a tough job to be a referee isn’t it? It is not an easy job at all. Especially when you’ve got somebody like me barking at you up and down the touchline.
“When I first came in here, I was surprised there wasn’t a fourth official at this level. If it was possible, a fourth official would certainly help to control the technical area and give referees another pair of eyes. But that’s the only thing I would say.
“Obviously, compared to the Premier League, it is completely different. Their referees down there have got a lot of help. But I’m happy without VAR. I’m not really a VAR man. I’m probably a bit of the old school.
“VAR is there to help. But I am not quite sure if that is happening at the moment. The whole thing is so forensic. I like the way the game flows here without it. Maybe on really big calls VAR could be helpful. But I don’t think it will be coming to the Championship any time soon.”
Ferguson was sent off during Caledonian Thistle’s impressive 4-1 win over Queen’s Park at Hampden last month and had to watch his team play Morton in the league from the main stand at Cappielow three days later as a result.
He is not looking forward to a repeat of the experience this weekend and intends it to be the last occasion he is absent from the dugout.
“I haven’t got a clue how to use a walkie-talkie. But I'm not sure if you are allowed to. There is absolutely no communication at all with the bench. It is what it is. There is nothing we can do but soldier on.”
Meanwhile, Ferguson stressed he is still hopeful of persuading former St Johnstone player David Wotherspoon to extend his stay at Caledonian Thistle until the end of the season and of strengthening his squad with a few new recruits during the January transfer window.
“After the Dundee United game next week he will either be with us or on his way,” he said. “There is no news on it from my point of view. It is ongoing. But until he tells me he’s not signing the contract I’m always hopeful he will sign the contract.
“I have spoken to quite a number of clubs personally and directly about players. My staff will also be on the lookout with contacts they’ve got and people behind the scenes. We don’t have a club scout, so we’ve got to do it ourselves. That’s the same for everybody at this level I would think.
“I use all my contacts as much as I can and hopefully we can get a couple of players up. You get information from everybody. I could even ask the kitchen staff. If we had a chef or a cook I would ask them!”
