Refereeing Controversy Escalates - Calls Made For More Transparency

The refereeing controversy swirling since the decision to award and the rescind a penalty kick to Celtic during their 2-1 victory over Dundee United in October shows no sign of abating.

As we went to press on Monday, referee Dougie McDonald insisted that the cover-up of what occured during the game was started by assistant referee Steven Craven, saying that Craven had been the one who suggested that they deceive Jim McBurney - the referee's supervisor at that game - about how the decision to award a penalty was revoked.

According to an interview with BBC Scotland, McDonald said that when they entered the dressing room after the game, Craven "pulled the communication wire from his arm device and took my earpiece out and he said, 'What are we going to tell Jim McBurney?'

"I said, 'Stevie, I don't care. Tell him anything. Just tell him you said 'Dougie, Dougie' and I came over and clarified.

"It was not some sort of pre-meditated idea to concoct some sort of story. It was merely a reaction.

"Stevie was concerned about what we would say. I really wasn't caring about that. I knew I was on a 7.9, a mark for a serious refereeing error for giving the original penalty.

"I was happy to go along with it in terms of helping Steven. It was no big deal to me to say that. In hindsight, I thoroughly regret it."

McDonald said that he regretted misleading the referee's supervisor and, on his way home from the match he called the SFA's head of refereeing development Hugh Dallas and told him the true course of events: "He (Dallas) was very angry, actually. He had a bit of a go at me for telling the observer the incorrect situation.

"He told me to speak to Steven Craven and that we couldn't stick with that version of events and that the truth would have to be told the next day when he was doing his media stuff and that would be the case."

Hearts director Sergejus Fedotovas stepped into the aftermath of the row over the weekend, calling for "a proper system of accountability" and urging the Scottish FA "to continue its lobbying in world football for the implementation of video technology."

Celtic were preparing a response to the allegations as we went to press.