Hooper calls for McDonald to go

Pressure on referee Dougie McDonald to resign will intensify after the player at the heart of the Tannadice penalty controversy claimed he should not officiate in the top-flight again. Celtic striker Gary Hooper was awarded a spot-kick by McDonald in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League game against Dundee United at Tannadice over two weeks ago following a challenge by keeper Dusan Pernis only for the referee to change his mind. McDonald admitted lying to Celtic manager Neil Lennon after the game and Hooper said: "I do not think he (McDonald) should referee in the SPL again if he is lying and he came out and said he has." He added: "He said in the paper that he lied to the gaffer and lied to everyone else. "Maybe we won't trust him because he might make another decision that will be everywhere three weeks after the match again. "I am shocked it is still going on. I have never seen the like of it before, everybody is still talking about it. "We have had the Old Firm match and we are still talking about the penalty from Dundee. "And it was a penalty. I admit he got the ball but he got me first. "But it won't affect us, you've just got to get on with it and play your football. If we worry about that, our game slips and we lose points. "Referees are not perfect, some of them will make mistakes during the game but we have to deal with it and play our football."

Source: PA