Kenny Clark Confirms Refs’ Blind Spot With Fergie

How interesting to see former referee Kenny Clark spouting off in the press about the poor on-field behaviour of Rangers’ Barry Ferguson over the past few years.

In case you’ve been taking a break somewhere in the Antartica region over the past fortnight or so, you will be more than aware of the media hysteria in relation to Ferguson and his Ibrox team-mate Allan MacGregor’s indiscretions following Scotland’s 3-0 defeat by Holland in Amsterdam last week. Both players deserve to be criticised of course, but when the press decide to make examples of people in this country they really do give it both barrels, so much so that they’re wheeling out anyone with any remote link to the game who has the same view as theirs and giving them airtime. Step forward Mr Clark….

What really hacks me off about Clark’s comments, which basically say that Ferguson had it coming to him after years of on-field moaning and arrogance, was that he and his cronies had the power to do something about it but quite pathetically elected not to. It’s all very well for him to start slagging off Ferguson right now while everyone else is at it, but I’d be much more interested in hearing his explanation for the Rangers captain, on paper at least, appearing to be one of the cleanest players in this country, if his on-field behaviour was indeed so bad. Anything to do with lack of bottle where certain officials are concerned, Mr Clark?

Most of us already know that there are certain players in this country who literally are ‘untouchable’ in the eyes of match officials, and Barry Ferguson would most certainly be right up there on most people’s lists. All Clark’s comments do is confirm this, but I’ve no doubt whatsoever that no-one will carry out an investigation as a result – even though Clark is in some ways, pretty much admitting that ‘cheating’ of a certain degree does go on within the Scottish game.

The very suggestion of the dreaded ‘c’ word here consistently has scorn poured over it from the very same hysterical hacks who are currently hanging on the word of anyone who wants to stick the knife into Ferguson and MacGregor. It’s just a pity that they won’t turn their attentions to some of the real problems that exist in the Scottish game and give it the necessary coverage to get something done about them.

As for Clark, well, perhaps he and his refereeing buddies should be more readily associated with another well-known and slightly taboo ‘c’ word……