Final Whistle?, by Iain King, Scottish Sun, November 26, 2010

Final Whistle?

By Iain King
Scottish Sun
November 26, 2010

http://www.thesun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/3246787/Final-whistle-for-Hugh-Dallas.html

Under fire ... Hugh Dallas

SOCCER chiefs are poised to axe SFA referees' supremo Hugh Dallas as new email allegations surfaced last night.

The ex-World Cup whistler yesterday faced a disciplinary hearing over claims he sent a tasteless message ridiculing the Catholic Church's child abuse scandal during the Pope's visit to Scotland.

He was among officials hauled in and grilled by SFA top brass over possible bombshell emails - including a SECOND controversial message.

But it's understood Dallas, 53, is NOT involved with the second email.

An insider said: "The pressure is mounting because it seems there are now other matters - aside from the first email - that could prove embarrassing for the SFA."

They added: "This whole story is not going to go away."

Last night, there was speculation that Dallas, right, was already heading for the Hampden exit door. Those claims were initially denied - but it is understood he has now sought legal advice on his future.

Yesterday, The Scottish Sun revealed the Catholic Church in Scotland had called on the SFA to sack Dallas if the initial email allegations were found to be true.

A storm erupted when it emerged a message supposedly forwarded from Dallas's SFA email address showed a fake road sign indicating a danger to children and the words, 'The Pope is coming'. It is alleged to have been sent on the day Pope Benedict XVI visited Scotland in September.

Catholic Press chief Peter Kearney wrote to the SFA and said the email was "totally unprofessional, gratuitously insulting to the Pope, deeply offensive to the Catholic community of Scotland and an incitement to anti-Catholic sectarianism".

Dallas - the SFA's Head of Refereeing Development - had also been at the centre of a row since ref Dougie McDonald lied to Celtic manager Neil Lennon over an overturned penalty decision at Dundee United.

It comes as Scotland's striking refs were handed a huge snub last night as overseas whistlers jetted in to defy their walkout. All six of this weekend's SPL games, one Division One match, three Scottish Cup replays and Sunday's Alba Challenge Cup final WILL now go ahead as planned.

It comes after Israeli and Polish officials confirmed they're taking charge of matches - while men in black from Malta, Luxembourg and Portugal are also understood to be arriving.

Last night a Scots refs insider said: "It is not something our referees would do in similar circumstances."

The SFA was forced to scour Europe to hire referees to cover top-level games after Scotland's whistlers said they'd strike over recent criticism of their handling of matches.

SFA chief exec Stewart Regan said: "Fans will have no worries that they are getting top officials." A statement from Scotland's referees' association said: "After this weekend, referees will return to the field and continue dialogue with the governing body."