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This day 2008, the full story (thread)
It's a Saturday, Rangers V Dundee United is an early kick off live on Setanta. It's the season's penultimate league game with United looking for a Uefa Cup place & Rangers looking to be SPL champions. Mike McCurry was the referee, a jaw-dropping spectacle ensued.
- A stonewall penalty for United was turned down. Had it been given, David Weir would've been sent off
- A deflected Danny Swanson goal was ruled out for offside despite coming off David Weir
- Daniel Cousin headbutted Lee Wilkie
- Noel Hunt was punched by Kirk Broadfoot
- A deflected Danny Swanson goal was ruled out for offside despite coming off David Weir
- Daniel Cousin headbutted Lee Wilkie
- Noel Hunt was punched by Kirk Broadfoot
- Mark de Vries scored & was then yellowed for sarcasm
- Neil Alexander jumped into the Broomloan Stand crowd celebrating a goal, no card
Two days later, McCurry admitted that he'd made mistakes. United lodged a formal complaint with SFA.
- Neil Alexander jumped into the Broomloan Stand crowd celebrating a goal, no card
Two days later, McCurry admitted that he'd made mistakes. United lodged a formal complaint with SFA.
Craig Levein, the future Scotland manager, said, "We'd have been as well leaving, really. Mike could have phoned me this morning & said 'Rangers are going to get three points today, just tell your lads to stay in the house.'
"It's impossible to win here in important games, impossible to win. The referee has bottled it. He bottled it because he knew that if he's given the penalty he would have to send Davie Weir off. In this game who gives a toss about Dundee United, eh? Who cares?
"What will happen now is I'll get my wrists slapped. But he knew it was a penalty but knew the game was so important to Rangers that he couldn't give it. His assistant probably had a better view of it but he's not going to put his head above the parapet.
"It's Rangers, it's Ibrox, you can't win. An important game going for a title decider? You can't have United winning that game. I'll be sitting in front of some disciplinary committee in a few weeks time getting a fine, that's what will happen now.
"After the CIS Cup Final, I did my absolute best not to have a go at Kenny Clark for denying us a blatant penalty. Maybe some people have mistaken kindness for weakness on my part. There is no doubt if you add what happened today I have every right to be furious. Every right.
"These decisions add up. It might be that an extra £125,000 for a league place is added to my budget. It might mean an extra place for me next season. It might mean when I get an injury I could put a good player on rather than a kid. But it is all about the pressure on Rangers."
United director Derek Robertson said, "It's widely thought that there is a bias shown against 'provincial' clubs when visiting Glasgow. Saturday's game is highlighted as a prime example of this. This is damaging to the game as a whole."
"Dundee United believes that this situation should not be allowed to continue without careful examination & constructive proposals & dialogue between the clubs & the authorities. For the record, the club will be backing the manager on all the important issues raised."
Noel Hunt said, "It just seems to be Rangers & Celtic's league. But it's not just about them, we don't care about them. We were pushing for Europe. You can't get more of a stonewall penalty. You can't beat 12 men, to be honest. Whatever the excuse they have got away with it."
Gordon Smith, SFA Chief Executive, said, "To impinge on a man's integrity in this way is extremely unfair. To suggest that there was any kind of agenda behind the decisions made on the day does a massive disservice to the game &, quite frankly, is completely unfair."
Craig Levein was later fined £5,000. It would emerge years later that Rangers had fielded 5 improperly registered players that day (Sasa Papac, Carlos Cuellar, Barry Ferguson, Nacho Novo, Kris Boyd). Mike McCurry would never again referee in the top flight | #DUFC
