By Lucy Ashton
A Dumbarton-raised referee and his wife have received death threats after Saturday’s Glasgow derby match between Celtic and Rangers, BBC Scotland is reporting today.
The Scottish Football Association said Kevin Clancy, who was brought up in Castlehill, was targeted after his contact details were published online following the game.
Abusive messages sent to Mr Clancy, who is a solicitor advocate, were also directed at his children.
The SFA has referred the matter to Police Scotland, but a force spokesman said it had yet to receive the correspondence.
During the Scottish Premiership match, which Celtic won 3-2, the referee disallowed a first half goal by Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos.
A spokesperson for the Ibrox club said: “Rangers condemns in the strongest terms any abuse of match officials.
“We are all passionate about our game, but targeted, personal abuse of referees cannot be tolerated.”
The statement went on to say that Rangers were “astonished” by the decision to chalk off Morelos’ goal.
Former top flight referee Steve Conroy said the abuse directed at Mr Clancy was “absolutely appalling”.
He told BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland programme: “It is disgusting that anybody personally and anybody’s family can be targeted over the course of a game of football. It is unfathomable.”
Mr Conroy said the abuse of match officials was not new but added the problem had intensified since he retired due to social media.
He also said anyone convicted of sending death threats should be banned from attending football grounds for life.
On Monday the SFA confirmed Mr Clancy had received a series of “unacceptable” messages via email and phone.
Chief executive Ian Maxwell said some of the contact was “potentially criminal in nature”.
The SFA said a “significant volume of threatening and abusive emails” had been referred to Police Scotland, but the force said it had not received the complaint.
As a result, officers have yet to launch a formal investigation.
The SFA confirmed the association’s security and integrity manager had been liaising with Mr Clancy and the force following the messages over the Easter weekend.
Mr Maxwell said: “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.”
He added everyone had a responsibility to “protect our game and those essential to it”.
In February a former top Scottish referee, Kenny Clark, a solicitor who worked from offices in Castle Street and Dumbarton Sheriff Court, warned match officials were being subjected to an unacceptable level of verbal and physical abuse.
Mr Clark spoke out after hundreds of grassroots referees in England told the BBC they fear for their safety when refereeing. Some respondents described being punched, headbutted and spat at.
The Referees’ Association in England has even warned an official will one day “lose his or her life”.
Meanwhile, an SFA referee shouted and swore at police and security staff after forming part of a mob who stormed a football ground after the Scottish Cup Final.
Match official Evan Punton has admitted being part of an unruly group of St Johnstone fans who tried to reach the team after they won the trophy in 2021.
Perth Sheriff Court was told that Punton was at the back of the mob as flares were hurled towards police and fencing was pulled apart at McDiarmid Park, Perth.
Punton, 22, from Almondbank, Perthshire, was fined £450 but narrowly avoided being made subject to a football banning order.
The court heard that the qualified referee has been banned from attending St Johnstone matches since July 2021 as a condition of his bail order.
Punton was due to go on trial when he admitted the reduced charge of breach of the peace at McDiarmid Park on May 22, 2021.
He admitted acting with others, forming part of a disorderly crowd and shouting and swearing at police and security staff.
Top picture: Celtic Park in Glasgow where the derby match took place.