Jefferies Right To Question CIS Ref

I see that Jim Jefferies was less than impressed by referee Dougie McDonald’s performance in his side’s 3-1 defeat by Rangers yesterday.

By all accounts McDonald had an absolute shocker, so much so that even the match report in the Daily Ranger said that Kilmarnock had every right to feel angry. When that happens you KNOW there was a problem!

Hearts fans can sympathise very much with Jefferies having been on the receiving end of some truly appalling performances by this referee. I know that McDonald is highly rated by the beaks and I’m sure he goes about his business in a professional way and doesn’t look to annoy or favour any teams. But I think he’s one of those referees that when he has a bad game, he has a seriously BAD game! A bit like Alan Freeland, who is another guy who can go for a few games without much controversy, then ‘bang’, he’s all over the papers about a particular performance or decision.

Ironically enough, one of the worst displays (if not the worst) by McDonald I ever saw was against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park a few years ago. This was the game that resulted in then manager Craig Levein embarrassing the SFA after they tried to fine him for comments he made about the match official. I still believe to this day that his remark about losing count of McDonald’s mistakes after 95 was far too kind! He gave Kilmarnock everything that day, so maybe yesterday’s game was his belated way of making two wrongs make a right!

Jefferies is clearly worried that his side’s chances of winning the CIS Cup Final against Hibs could also suffer at the hands of McDonald, who has been put in charge of his second domestic cup final in a row for some reason. I know the SFA are a bit of a joke, but I really thought they’d have opted against McDonald after his showing in the Hearts-Gretna Scottish Cup Final in May, where he seemingly did his best to allow the lower league side to lift the trophy. The red card to Hartley and the denial of the blatant penalty for the foul on Skacel still linger in the memory….as do his even worse attempts at trying to explain these decisions later on that week.

I know that there are many paranoid Jambos out there who think that McDonald has links to Hibs. He is from Edinburgh but I’m not sure if there’s any truth in this and even if there was, I’d like to think that he wouldn’t let this affect his judgement.

But even still, when all of these things add up it’s easy to see why Jefferies in not happy with the man due to be in charge of the CIS Cup Final. I certainly wouldn’t be, especially given Killie’s opponents…..Hibs!