Police have been called in after referee Kevin Clancy received “threatening and abusive” messages in the wake of Saturday’s clash between Celtic and Rangers.
Rangers manager Michael Beale claimed Clancy had got two major decisions wrong during his side’s 3-2 defeat, which left Celtic 12 points clear in the cinch Premiership.
The Ibrox club subsequently wrote to the Scottish Football Association seeking an explanation for one of them, an early goal from Alfredo Morelos which was disallowed.
The SFA revealed on Monday that it had “referred a significant volume of threatening and abusive emails to Police Scotland after personal and professional contact details” of Clancy were published online following the game.
A statement added: “The association’s security and integrity manager has been liaising with Kevin and Police Scotland following a series of unacceptable messages being sent via email and phone over the holiday weekend.
“We offer our full support to Kevin and reiterate our wider support to the referee community.”
SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell added: “The nature of the messages goes way beyond criticism of performance and perceived decision-making – some are potentially criminal in nature and include threats and abuse towards Kevin and his family.
“We have referred the correspondence to the police and condemn this behaviour in the strongest possible terms, as well as the posting of a referee’s personal details online with the sole purpose of causing distress.
“Football is our national game. It improves and saves lives. Without referees, there is no game, and while decisions will always be debated with or without the use of VAR, we cannot allow a situation to develop where a referee’s privacy and safety, and those of his family, are compromised.
“We all have a responsibility to protect our game and those essential to it.”
The SFA also confirmed that its referee operations team had responded to Rangers’ request for an explanation for the Morelos decision.
The body that represents match officials, the Scottish Senior Football Referees’ Association, condemned the “wholly unacceptable level of abuse” directed towards Clancy.
A statement added: “Referees are not immune from criticism and accept there will always be legitimate debate on subjective decision-making.
“However, when this becomes targeted threats and abuse, impacting on their personal and professional lives, this clearly crosses the line.
“We continue to offer our full support to Kevin and all our members, many of whom have experienced an increase in abuse this season.
“We welcome the Scottish FA’s strong support to protect referees and the wider image of the game.”
Former English top-flight referee Dermot Gallagher claimed Celtic were fortunate not to fall behind when Morelos netted following a corner with the game still goalless. The Rangers striker was penalised for a push on Alistair Johnston.
Reviewing the incident on Sky Sports, Gallagher said: “I think Celtic got very, very lucky. Both players are grappling. For me, best let it go.”
Video assistant referee Nick Walsh did not call Clancy to his monitor and former Scottish top-flight official Stuart Dougal claimed there was no basis for intervention from Clydesdale House.
Dougal told BBC Scotland: “VAR can’t intervene here because it’s not seen as a clear and obvious error.
“If there is something much more blatant, if there is no contact whatsoever, then of course VAR can step in and ask the referee to have a look at it again.
“But where they are looking at that clip and it’s a bit 50-50, 60-40, depending on which side of the fence you’re on, VAR under the current protocols can’t get involved.”
Dougal dismissed suggestions Clancy could have allowed the goal to stand to allow the VAR official to have a closer look.
“By not making a decision, you can still be wrong,” he said. “It’s important that the referee team call the shots as they see them and if they need VAR to ‘rescue’ them, then that’s what can happen.”
Beale had also argued that Celtic winger Jota should have been penalised for handball immediately before the champions’ second goal.
Rangers previously wrote to the SFA over Clancy’s performance last year following a 1-1 draw with Aberdeen at Pittodrie, a game in which the Dons felt they should have had a penalty for Allan McGregor’s challenge on Ryan Hedges and Ryan Kent was sent off for the visitors.
