McDonald must go - Celtic chairman

18 November 2010 19:30

Celtic chairman John Reid has called for referee Dougie McDonald to resign - or be forced to stand down by the Scottish Football Association.

Hoops manager Neil Lennon is still awaiting an apology from McDonald, who admitted lying to the Irishman after reversing a penalty award in Celtic's Clydesdale Bank Premier League clash with Dundee United at Tannadice in October and was handed a warning but allowed him to continue.

"We need a fundamental review and restructure of the Scottish Football Association," said Reid. "We have seen instances recently where, in the case of a referee, his position ought to be completely untenable. No-one who has admitted to lying to our manager over important decisions at a game should remain in post."

He added: "He (McDonald) should go and if he didn't resign he should have been removed from post.

"I believe his position is untenable and I believe the position of the SFA is untenable in protecting him.

"There cannot be integrity in a system that allows a referee to lie and allegedly to try and get others to lie on a crucial decision affecting a game.

"Now that we have new chief executive who appears to me to be determined to look at these things afresh, he needs the support of all of us.

"This game is bigger than any one club."

Source: PA