There’s a simple reason I got pulled into this debate: I don’t think refereeing decisions are made in a vacuum. That 90s era of open complaint and hostility towards officials — the so-called "politics of grievance" — didn’t just make headlines, it helped shape an environment where referees had to operate under constant pressure. I’m not accusing individuals of malice; I’m talking about the slow tailing-on effect of constant public grievance on human decision-making.
Where it came from
Back then the message was blunt — referees in Scotland couldn’t be trusted with certain games. It was loud and public. That period calmed down but the attitude didn’t vanish. You only have to look at certain careers, like John Beaton’s, to see how polarising this territory became: a referee with obvious ties to Rangers who’s had to contend with criticism and suspicion. Whether intentional politics or tribal reflex, it stuck around.
Why it matters to the decisions
People imagine decisions are always conscious, balanced and dispassionate. They’re not. Our brains rely on shortcuts, biases and previous experience. Put an official in a cauldron of grievance and you change the context they operate in. That’s why I don’t shrug off the odd stat: I’ve seen one that said only 2 of 15 penalties for us were awarded by on-field refs, and another comparing VAR errors suggested a 19-goal swing between our club and Celtic over part of a season. Whether those numbers are perfect or not, they’re big enough to force you to ask questions.
So what do we do?
First, call it out without turning everything into a conspiracy. Second, understand the human side: referees can freeze, look away or defer because of context, not just cowardice. Third, keep the discussion factual and keep pushing for transparency where it helps. I started talking about this because those discrepancies aren’t academic — they affect results. If we care about fair competition, we should care about the environment that helps create it.
To be fair, it’s messy. But ignoring how tribal politics and bias interact with decision-making is lazy. That’s why I’m vocal.
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