Oh No Hugh Don't, by Nick Sharpe, The Sun, January 8, 2011

Oh No Hugh Don't

By Nick Sharpe
The Sun
January 8, 2011

http://www.thesun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/3337429/Oh-no-Hugh-dont-Mr-Dallas.html

THE SFA has told three staff sacked over the Pope email row that they can return to their jobs - but there was no reprieve for refs' chief Hugh Dallas.

The trio successfully appealed against a controversial decision to axe them.

They were among five employees - including Dallas - given the boot in November for allegedly forwarding a photograph linking the Pope to child abuse on the same day the church leader visited Scotland.

Now the three backroom staff have been told they can go back to work later this month.

A fourth employee didn't contest the decision for "personal reasons".

But Dallas, 53, the SFA's head of referee development, was informed in writing on Christmas Eve he'd lost his appeal against dismissal.

Yet last night the former top whistler told of his JOY that his ex-workmates have been reinstated.

He said: "I'm delighted - just delighted for the people who have got their jobs back.

"I wish them all the best for the future. They're really good people and it's unfortunate they got caught up in the whole thing. I am very, very happy for them."

The former World Cup official, of Carfin, Lanarkshire, said he was still taking legal advice over his position.

It is believed he will have to decide within the next couple of months whether to take the SFA to an employment tribunal.

Dallas added: "Obviously I can't make any other comment because my situation is in the hands of my legal people."

Secretary Amanda Macdonald, audio-visual technician Tim Berridge and administrative assistant Marco McIntyre will all be back at their desks from January 26.

Mailroom manager Bob Bryan did not appeal against his sacking.

Last night GMB union rep Brian Johnstone told how he had helped the axed staff win their jobs back after appealing to Scottish Football Association President George Peat.

He said: "Three of those who were dismissed put in an appeal through myself.

"The verdicts were delivered on Wednesday morning. It was decided that all three would be reinstated as of January 26.

"I believe the results were well justified. The employees didn't have any union representation at the first disciplinary hearing.

"They didn't think at the time that they'd get sacked - and when that did happen, they thought, 'I wish we'd had Brian in with us'.

"I put several points to Mr Peat, and in my opinion he responded in the right fashion.

"I was very pleased with the outcome. Now, hopefully, these three can go back to their jobs and get on with their lives again."

Yesterday SFA supremo Peat said: "We've now completed the appeals process and, in keeping with our policy regarding internal disciplinary matters, we have no further comment to make."

The four backroom workers and Dallas were sacked over an email showing a road sign representing an adult holding a child's hand above the mocked-up slogan "Caution: The Pope is coming".

All five were accused of forwarding it from SFA email accounts.

It's believed the sacked workers also faced questions over a second deeply offensive email. It showed a spoof advert for a "priest repellent spray" called "Clergy Off", also formed part of the row.

Made by a US website, it shows a boy who is molested by a priest but is then protected by the spray.

The sacked workers were alleged to be planning to report that SFA top brass had LAUGHED at the email.

In November Dallas was already under pressure because of his role in a controversial decision by referee Dougie McDonald to award Celtic a penalty against Dundee United on October 17, then change his mind.

He later falsely claimed he'd been alerted to his error by his assistant, Steven Craven - who later quit.

The incident helped spark a revolt by top-level referees, who announced on November 21 that they would strike.

The SFA had to call in foreign officials to take charge of matches, including a number of SPL games.

This placed extra pressure on refs' supremo Dallas, who had earlier backed McDonald. And after the Pope email emerged on November 10, The Scottish Sun told how the Catholic Church media chief Peter Kearney had waded into the row.

Mr Kearney wrote to the SFA to claim 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 was said to have branded the probe into the email scandal "nothing short of a witch-hunt".

Contact: nicksharpe@the-sun.co.uk