One in the eye for Celtic, paradise lost and amid the maelstrom, a coin in the head for Hugh Dallas. Dallas officiated in various regions before retiring, including a role as fourth official at the 2002 World Cup final in Yokohama, but he will never forget the day his head spewed blood in Glasgow.
The Old Firm game on May 2, 1999 was a particularly venomous occasion, with 113 fans arrested. On a day doused in vitriol, a drunken fan fell from the top of a giant stand at Celtic Park and when asked by a medic where he came from, was heard to reply "the top tier". There was no black comedy attached to Dallas's day. With Celtic losing the title to their Glasgow foes, Dallas was hit on his head.
The outcome saw Old Firm matches moved to an earlier kick-off time. In the climate enveloping referees in Scotland, Dougie McDonald would be advised to stay fresh for this afternoon's first Glasgow derby of the season at Celtic Park. The Dundee United manager Craig Levein accused Mike McCurry of cheating his side in a 3-1 defeat at Ibrox in May. An ill wind continues to blow. Levein himself said yesterday that it has been "three weeks of moans, gripes, mistakes and a lot of bad feeling".
On the first day of the season, the St Mirren manager Gus MacPherson felt Eddie Smith "winked" at him when awarding Celtic a penalty in their 1-0 defeat. The Falkirk manager John Hughes and Hibernian boss Mixu Paatelainen were both unhappy last week about the standard of Iain Brines. The striker Michael Higdon also claimed Brines was a "Celtic fan" for failing to disallow the Glasgow club's opening goal in their 3-0 win over Falkirk last week.
A meeting was staged between managers and officials at Hampden Park to try to discover an element of trust in a setting of mistrust. The Rangers striker Kenny Miller may play today less than a year after he represented Celtic, but McDonald's appearance is likely to attract as much interest. A good referee is usually one who is rarely noticed. @Email:dkane@thenational.ae