THE SFA's head of referee development, Donald McVicar, has hit back at John Hughes after the Falkirk manager complained about inexperienced official Scott MacDonald being allocated the Bairns' clash with St Mirren at Love Street.
In a relatively e
ven contest, Falkirk midfielder Arnau Riera was red-carded for a challenge on Andy Dorman minutes before the former New England Revolution midfielder scored the only goal of the game with a wonderful volley.
The Falkirk manager questioned the wisdom and motives of McVicar and former Fifa referee Hugh Dallas, the SFA's referee development officer, for allowing MacDonald to referee his side in what was only his second SPL game of the season.
Hughes said: "I am not going to have a go at the referee but I will have a go at the system, your Donald McVicars and your Hugh Dallases and all these guys that put the referees out.
"Basically they are taking the mickey. We have worked very hard to get into this league of 12 and we have the same rights as everybody else.
"So you tell me why we are getting lumbered with rookie referees week-in, week-out. Are we getting used as a learning tool for these guys?
"Yes, they have to learn but that guy has had five games all season and he was flung in at the deep end.
"If he is good enough to referee in the SPL, he should be good enough to referee anybody in the SPL."
McVicar said that Hughes, who was called into MacDonald's room after the game after an exchange of words in the tunnel, should go through the correct channels to register his complaints and concerns.
He said: "John Hughes has never had any dialogue with us and has never asked for any dialogue.
"On top of that, Falkirk did not send a representative to the pre-season meeting (with the referees].
"Therefore, it would be better if he addressed us rather than making his points through a third party."
Hughes' St Mirren counterpart, Gus MacPherson, saw his side leapfrog Kilmarnock in to tenth place with the narrow victory while also reaching the same points total as they managed in the whole of last season.
The Buddies manager is looking for the same again when Kilmarnock visit next week.
He said: "We have 36 points, the same as last season. But we have not set targets, we just want to win these last games.
"The home games are going to be difficult because of the surface but players will want to win and we will see wherever that takes us."
The game was decided with just eight minutes remaining when Dorman struck a vicious volley past Shane Supple from 12 yards.
The full article contains 474 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
