Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Official Report 850KB pdf

---

Euro 2016 (Scottish Match Officials)

The final item of business today is a members’ business debate on motion S5M-00362, in the name of Douglas Ross, on the Scottish team at Euro 2016. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.

Motion debated,

That the Parliament congratulates the Scottish referees who have been selected by UEFA as one of the 18 teams of match officials at the Euro 2016 finals in France; notes that the team will be led by the referee, William Collum, who will be assisted by Damien MacGraith, who is from the Republic of Ireland, and fellow Scottish officials, Frankie Connor, Bobby Madden and John Beaton; considers this to be a huge honour for all of the officials and follows a successful season, which started with the team taking charge of the UEFA Super Cup final between Barcelona and Sevilla; believes that the appointment of William and his team will be a boost to Scottish refereeing as it demonstrates to current and potential match officials the fantastic opportunities that are available in the Highlands and Islands and across the country through involvement at the highest level of football, and wishes William, Damien, Frankie, Bobby and John all the best for a successful tournament.

17:35  

Often, members’ business is an opportunity to discuss something totally different. After the turbulent events since Thursday and the debate we held in Parliament earlier today, my motion is about Scotland and about Europe. I apologise about that—but I do not think that we need to repeat some of the arguments that we had earlier on.

I begin by referring members to my entry in the register of members’ interests as a football referee with the Scottish Football Association. I thank everyone who has supported my motion and who has stayed behind to discuss it tonight.

Every football fan supports a domestic team—that is understandable. There are often arguments about why someone supports a certain team, and who they support. However, when it comes to a person’s national team, they are born with it: there is no choice. We, as Scots, follow the Scottish national team through their highs and their lows.

Sometimes, I struggle to think that, the last time I supported a Scottish national team at major finals, I was still at school. I was watching France 98 while I was in school and I looked forward to the next major tournament—the next world cup and European championships—so that I could continue my support for our national team. However, that never came.

We can lament the fact that the national team has not qualified since 1998 and we can put our faith in those who are involved with the Scottish national team that that wait will not last too much longer.

I want to give the Parliament an opportunity to congratulate a Scottish team who did qualify for the Euros. In this rather surreal week, it is strange but I think quite nice, too, that I become the first member to lead a debate on refereeing since the Scottish Parliament was established in 1999. There is a saying that, if a referee goes about unnoticed, they have done a good job. However, I think that, when they have done a good job, they should also be noticed and recognised. That is why I am very proud to put forward this motion recognising the significant achievements of Willie Collum and his team.

Just as teams have to qualify for great tournaments, so do referees—they are not just selected to go out there. It is only because of consistent, high-quality performances by Willie; his assistant from Ireland, Damien MacGraith; and his fellow Scottish officials, Frankie Connor, Bobby Madden and John Beaton, that they were able to fly out to France and be one of only 18 teams to be entrusted to referee the second-biggest football tournament in the world.

Willie has a very strong pedigree to do that: a referee with over 150 international appointments to his credit. If he were a player we would be shouting from the rooftops but, because he is a referee, we just ignore it. However, because we have a referee in Parliament now, there will be no more ignoring things like that.

The selection process has been a long time in coming. William has had top appointments with his team throughout Europe this year. He has been entrusted with high-profile champions league, Europa league and Euro qualifier matches and, as I say in my motion, at the start of this season he was entrusted with the UEFA super cup final between Barcelona and Seville—the winners of the champions league and the Europa league.

William will be the first to admit that his season is not unblemished: there have been mistakes. He has made mistakes; I have made mistakes; every referee in Scotland has made mistakes this season. However, we only improve because we learn from our mistakes.

We should not always just think that it is only the referees who make mistakes. Sometimes—and I am not mentioning anything in particular—the goalkeeper makes mistakes. I am glad that my colleague Adam Tomkins has left the chamber, because that could be slightly hard for him to hear after last night’s result.

Everyone does make mistakes but it is to William’s credit and, indeed, Scottish refereeing’s credit that we learn from them. There is the support of our national association and John Fleming in the referee department. At Union of European Football Associations level, there is the expert guidance that he and his colleagues have from Hugh Dallas, Pierluigi Collina, Marc Batta and others on the UEFA referee committee.

William Collum and his team officiated at two games in the European championships, and those were no ordinary games. He refereed Czech Republic v Turkey, which was a very tough—and crucial—match, but his first appointment was even more special: he refereed France v Albania. Anyone who knows anything about football will recognise that, if an official is given the home nation in an international tournament, that is a big feather in their cap. The fact that William came through it with no one talking about the refereeing team shows how well he performed in front of the world’s eyes. That is a great credit to him.

That is a personal achievement for William, Frankie, Bobby, John and Damien, and I think that they would like me to mention that it is a significant investment of time from not only them but their families. We in refereeing do what we do only because of the strong support of our families, and I know that the pride that the guys will have taken from their appointment will be shared by their families. The Parliament should recognise their achievement and welcome the inspiration that their involvement in the Euros could give to new referees coming through.

That moves me on to the second point in my motion. Whatever we think about referees, we need them. Whatever we think, from our own team’s perspective or otherwise, there is no game without them. Everyone gets into refereeing for different reasons; I did so because of my distinct lack of ability as a player. I used to joke that I was so bad that I could not even get into a pub team—now, I joke that I am so bad that I cannot even get into the Parliament team. Brian Whittle, Finlay Carson, the Presiding Officer, Mark Griffin and others can get into the team, but I was not good enough for it, so I was left to referee. I was happy to referee the recent match between MSPs and the Royal Air Force.

As I have said, there are many different reasons for people to get into refereeing. I never thought, when I started more than a decade ago, that I would go on to referee and officiate at some of the top games around the world and around Europe: to referee a league cup final, a Scottish cup final and an old firm match, and to be part of William’s team as a standby assistant to go to the Euros if anything had happened to his two assistant referees. There are great opportunities, and we must use the appointment of William and his team as an opportunity to encourage young or old ex-footballers to take up refereeing.

We should also encourage women, as there is a significant push to get more female referees in Scotland. A lot of work has been done, and people such as Morag Pirie and Lorraine Clark have done a great job in highlighting the game to ensure that we get more females coming into it.

This may be the first and only time that we ever discuss refereeing in the chamber, but I thought that it was right that we recognise the achievements of Willie and his team. If their performances on an international stage, representing Scotland at a flagship European football event this summer, encourage just one person to take up the whistle and get involved, they will have been as successful off the pitch as they have been on it.

For all we know, in one of our communities somewhere in Scotland, a future Euro final or world cup final referee may have been watching, and they may have taken inspiration from the performances of Willie and his team and decided to get involved. Local referee associations will be delighted to hear from any constituents who have watched the tournament and heard about Scottish officials being at a tournament for which our Scottish team could not qualify.

I hope the people will take inspiration from that and look at the opportunities that are available to them locally, nationally and internationally. Those opportunities are there to be taken, and I hope that we get more people involved in what is a great tradition in Scottish football.

17:43  

I congratulate Douglas Ross on bringing the debate to the chamber, and I thank Willie Collum and his team for ensuring that Scotland did not miss out on Euro 2016.

Of course, it would be good to have our own football team there as well, rather than relying on our near neighbours to give us an interest in the outcome of matters, but sadly on this occasion a bad night out in Georgia meant that that was not possible. However, now that the tournament has reached the quarter-final stage, I am sure that colleagues across the chamber all have teams that we want to wish well.

As an Aberdeen supporter, I wish Wales the best of luck. In particular, I hope that we will see more of Simon Church and Danny Ward—once a Don, always a Don—when Wales take on their next challenge and beyond. It is great that Scottish match officials have been selected to take part, and it is a reflection of the standing of Scottish refereeing that our officials are consistently involved in major tournaments even if, sadly, our teams are not.

Of course, football fans will not admit in the heat of the game that our match officials achieve such high standards. I have already shared with Douglas Ross my subjective assessment of his last visit to Pittodrie, although the fact that Aberdeen lost heavily to Ross County at the end of the last season in no way coloured my view of the assistant referee’s performance, notwithstanding the coincidence of his surname or the fact that he had just been elected as a Highlands and Islands MSP.

I am glad that our refereeing team did so well at Euro 2016 and I am sure that they, at least, will be invited back.

Mr Ross also rightly highlights the importance of local and grassroots football, which needs not only pitches and coaches but referees and assistants if it is to continue to happen. In my area, Aberdeen and District Referees Association is typical of many others in relying on the voluntary efforts of men and women who come forward to be referees and assistants.

The challenge for Sandy Roy and his colleagues at the association is to find those volunteers. They run three training courses every year and work hard in local schools to encourage young people to take up refereeing. Of course, the attractions of playing the game are always up in lights, but those games can happen only if there are referees as well. I am delighted that some young players whose skills are perhaps greater than those to which Mr Ross admits have made a positive choice to take up refereeing even quite early in their 20s because they realise that it will be with them for many years.

Aberdeen and District Referees Association has also highlighted the recruitment of women. It is good to see women officiating at the highest level in the professional game now. We need to see more of that to provide a role model for young women who, at a local and grass-roots level, may also choose to become involved in the game.

Having seen what referees can do at a local and national level, I hope that we will get even more input in the future. Without those inputs from volunteers, we would not be able to have the number of games that are held every year.

I, too, have had my moments on the pitch, not as a referee but as a player in the Sunday league. Therefore, my experience of disputing matters with referees goes back quite a long way. Like Mr Ross, I failed in my efforts to enter the Parliament team. That was some years ago, it must be said, but I know that, at that level as at every other, the willingness of people to volunteer to be officials allows everyone else the opportunities to play the game.

17:47  

I congratulate Douglas Ross on securing time in the chamber to discuss this important topic. However I commiserate with him and Lewis Macdonald on their inability as yet to secure places on the Parliament’s football team. I wonder what criteria have been applied. I would like a more inclusive approach, because I believe in sport for all.

As has been highlighted in the debate, referees give an incredible commitment to the sport that they love. They often take on the responsibility, as Douglas Ross will know, of maintaining calm in a volatile situation, when passions on the pitch and in the stands can run high. All the while, they know that they are likely to end up facing the fury of at least some supporters.

As we have heard, although Scotland’s men’s football team missed out—again—on the prestigious events that many people are desperate to attend, it is a truly tremendous achievement for the team of Scottish officials to have been selected to represent the country at Euro 2016. It clearly says much about how European football authorities view the standards of officiating in Scotland. I, too, pass on my congratulations to the team.

In preparing for the debate, I was pleased to learn about the Scottish Qualifications Authority referee development award, which provides an opportunity for secondary school pupils to get involved in refereeing. It has been in operation since 2011. Last year, it had the involvement of 30 schools throughout Scotland and nearly 500 candidates. As well as being an important educational scheme, it widens access for women and girls and for candidates from more disadvantaged backgrounds. The award, which is initially subsidised by the Scottish FA with no cost to schools, is described as

“a core part of the Scottish FA Referee Development Department’s strategy to encourage and increase participation in football refereeing.”

It is really encouraging to see a serious grass-roots approach to developing our young people.

We all know that sport improves our mental and physical health and can improve our quality of life and, potentially, our life expectancy. It can be a tool in national health service prescribing—more and more general practitioners are prescribing leisure activities. In addition, sportscotland tells us that a 1 per cent increase in physical activity rates can save the NHS some £3.5 million a year and reduce admissions for coronary heart disease, stroke and colon cancer.

Obviously, a lot of people do not want to get involved in competitive sport, but many of us do. If we want to compete in those situations, it is absolutely essential that we have referees and officials. Coaches are often overlooked but I would say that officials are even more greatly overlooked. We forget about what a good job they do quietly on the sidelines, sometimes in absolutely appalling weather.

I take the opportunity to make special mention of someone I know, Barry Craighead—I am sure that Brian Whittle knows him, too. He is a starter and one of the best-known, most liked and most respected figures in Scottish athletics. He began to start races at a track in Newhaven in this city and has gone on to start races at local, Scottish, British, European, Commonwealth and Olympic events. He really is a great example of the kind of people who day in, day out make it possible for others to compete in the sports that they love. Doing that takes time, commitment, finance, a sense of duty and discipline, so I am pleased that we have had this opportunity to thank everyone who makes it possible for us to participate in games and play within their laws. I appreciate that refereeing might not be for the fainthearted, and I put on record my support for everyone who spends their time in such a positive way.

17:51  

I am delighted to support the motion in the name of my colleague, and UEFA referee, Douglas Ross, especially as he decided not to send me off in the recent parliamentary football match against the Royal Air Force after I endeavoured to explain the offside rule to him. Apparently, he is fully aware of the complexities of the rule and did not need my input. However, Presiding Officer, I was yards onside.

My football career was tragically cut short due to a severe lack of talent but, putting that issue to one side for the moment, I take this opportunity to highlight the steady stream of world-class football referees and coaches that Scotland has produced consistently for decades. The sportscotland Inverclyde sports facility in Largs in Ayrshire is a Mecca for coach and referee education, attracting people from around Europe, and we are without doubt a world leader in this area. The fact that four Scottish referees are attending and excelling in the current European championships is a case in point.

In a wider context, the motion allows me to recognise the incredible contribution that referees, coaches, administrators, officials and medical staff—professional and voluntary—make to our communities, allowing millions to participate in the sports that we love. They are often taken for granted or, in my colleague’s case, abused by self-centred, opinionated, has-been know-it-alls who forget that they are the enablers and facilitators of all of Scottish sport. In my sport of track and field, an army of coaches and officials turn up week in, week out in all weathers to ensure that our athletes get the opportunity to compete in events from local league matches to international competitions. Of course, that is replicated across the country in every sport, and I encourage every parent of young competitors and every participant to recognise that and to remember to respect and thank those people at every opportunity.

They have made a decision to give of their time to train and qualify in their chosen discipline, often over a number of years and at their own expense. It takes a serious level of commitment and discipline to achieve those qualifications, and that continuing thirst for knowledge and drive for self-betterment is the reason behind any individual or team success. Behind every podium finish, there are unsung heroes who are happy to take their place behind the scenes and allow the sportsmen and sportswomen their place in the spotlight.

Take the Olympic track and field trials last weekend. Not since 1972 have so many Scottish athletes made the plane to an Olympics. Twelve Scottish athletes will achieve the pinnacle of their sport by pulling on their country’s colours in the biggest and greatest sports event in the world. That is no accident—sportscotland, Scottish Athletics, personal coaches, clubs and medical support have been planning meticulously for it for years.

The motion has allowed me to demonstrate the wide variety of opportunities that are available in Scottish sport and the importance of the support network that is required to keep our sports ticking. Not only can we participate in sport but we can coach or referee, we can be administrators and officials and, failing that, we can be taxi drivers—or, as they are sometimes called, parents.

We whole-heartedly applaud the contribution that our referees are currently making at the highest level out in France and we wish them ever more success. We also recognise the incredible contribution that they and their colleagues make day after day, often unheralded, in our communities. I encourage us all not only to recognise that contribution but to make sure that they always know how much we appreciate their dedication.

17:55  

I am pleased to respond to the motion on behalf of the Scottish Government.

Like other members, I congratulate Douglas Ross on securing the debate and for his clear passion to shout loudly for our referees. Douglas also spoke about his refereeing route being through a lack of ability on the pitch. I played for my university football team—this was not because of any ability that I had. Looking back, I think that it was because I was the only one who could drive the team bus, so I am clearly adding to our collective sense of failure at football across the party divide.

Like all football fans, I have been enjoying the 2016 European championships in France. It has been a great tournament so far, with lots of skill, excitement and goals, as well as a few surprises. The newly expanded format has been really positive, particularly for smaller nations, and the latter stages are shaping up nicely.

However, like all Scotland fans—and as Lewis Macdonald said—my enjoyment has been tempered by the fact that Scotland is not there. It is nice to see our British neighbours at the big football party. I have immensely enjoyed their contribution, and I wish Wales all the very best as the last home nation left in the tournament. We all know, though, that it is just not the same without Scotland.

Our fans—the famous tartan army—would have been welcomed with open arms by the French, with their good nature and impeccable behaviour always being a credit to Scotland. Likewise, I am sure that Gordon Strachan, Stewart Regan and everyone at the Scottish FA would have been determined to make as positive an impact on the field. It has been too long—approaching 20 years—since our last appearance at an international tournament. Like Douglas Ross, I was at school during the last tournament that we qualified for, so I very much hope that my son will experience a tournament with Scotland in it sometime soon.

On the horizon, however, there are some positives, as Hampden park will be hosting the European championship fixtures in 2020. I am sure that everyone across the chamber will join me in wishing Scotland every success in reaching that tournament—and, indeed, the 2018 world cup in Russia before that.

Douglas Ross’s motion recognises that, despite our disappointment at not being at the Euros, Scotland has been excellently represented in France. I know that Douglas Ross has first-hand experience of this as a qualified referee who has officiated in the premiership, at internationals and even at the 2015 Scottish cup final, just missing out by a year on the glorious spectacle of St Johnstone lifting the cup for the very first time in their history. However, I have no doubt that the skills that he deploys on match days will occasionally come in handy in the chamber.

Scottish referees were selected by UEFA to make up one of the 18 teams of match officials. As Alison Johnstone said, that is a great credit to their expertise and experience, as well as to the work of the Scottish FA to support them and to develop the next generation of top-class referees.

Our top referee William Collum has been in the middle, along with his fellow Scots Frankie Connor, Bobby Madden and John Beaton, and assistant Damien MacGraith from the Republic of Ireland. William refereed the France v Albania game. As Douglas noted, it was very special indeed to have been awarded the home nation’s game. William then officiated at the Turkey v Czech Republic match. He and his team have performed excellently—like Douglas, the highest praise that I can offer is that the discussion afterwards was all about the football and not about any refereeing decisions. It caps a fine season for Willie Collum, who took charge of the UEFA super cup final between Barcelona and Sevilla last year.

It is really pleasing to see Scots excelling at international tournaments. I agree with Douglas Ross that that highlights the opportunities that are available to current and potential match officials. We have almost 3,400 registered referees in Scotland, almost 2,500 of whom are active. That is a remarkable number, but the Scottish FA is always looking to identify and develop more to come into the system. It is regrettable that referees do not always receive the best press, but there is no doubt that it is a hugely rewarding role. Willie Collum and his team underline the huge opportunities that exist for Scottish officials to make their mark at the very highest level, as they have done for many years.

Refereeing is a phenomenal opportunity to play a positive role within a sport. Through dedication, hard work and commitment, the pathway is available to everyone to reach the elite level, aided by positive role models such as Willie Collum. Other benefits of officiating in sport include developing leadership, communication and management skills. Refereeing is a fantastic way to lead a healthy lifestyle through the benefits of regular physical activity coupled with a balanced diet to assist preparation for athletic performance. Having more referees at all levels also allows for more participation in sport by our children and the wider benefit of sport in their physical and mental development.

It can be difficult for young referees to overcome the negativity of parents, players and coaches who challenge inexperienced referees who are still developing and honing their skills, but it is always good to see young talent coming through at all levels. I was impressed by what I saw when I watched Forth Wanderers play in my constituency. The referee officiated really well in that game just before Forth Wanderers clinched the central league 2 title this season and gained a well-earned promotion.

As others have noted, referees are important for our enjoyment of the game, and it is important that we educate all parties to be more understanding of each other’s roles within sport. We must support them in a positive manner to improve performances and the enjoyment of sport for all who are involved. That is not to say that decisions will always go our way, and passions run high when people watch their team, but tolerance, respect and openness must prevail. That point was well made by Brian Whittle.

The work that is being done by the Scottish FA to develop our referees and to identify and develop the next generation is welcome. As Alison Johnstone mentioned, the SQA’s refereeing professional development award, which is supported through funding from Specsavers and the Government’s cashback programme, goes from strength to strength. Last year, the Scottish centre of refereeing excellence was launched, providing a pathway for up-and-coming referees to reach the upper echelons of the game.

That good work is just one of the reasons why Scotland is punching above its weight. Scotland has two elite referees—Craig Thomson and William Collum—which is the same number as, or more than, significantly bigger nations such as England, France, Germany and Turkey have. That is a stunning achievement for a nation of our size.

It is not just men who can be referees. As Lewis Macdonald said, women like football, too. Women’s football is growing and we should do all that we can to encourage women and girls to think about the opportunities to pursue refereeing. We already have many female referees, and we have several female elite and international referees. Those women should be held up as role models for girls who enjoy the beautiful game.

The Scottish Government supports the motion and applauds the dedicated and talented Scottish referees at the European championships. We recognise their strong performance to date and we support the work of the SFA to develop the next generation of referees. I again put on record our thanks to Douglas Ross for bringing the subject for debate.

Meeting closed at 18:03.