Firm guardian relishes role

Hugh Dallas will doubtless enjoy his Christmas dinner but some think he should eat it with the same sense of foreboding as someone tucking into his last meal on Death Row. Whatever the case the referee's festivities will come to a halt at 1 p.m. on Monday as he trots out to take charge of the last meeting of Celtic and Rangers this millennium.

Actually the official will probably have a hearty appetite for his turkey. He will have risen early and taken a five-mile run. On St Stephen's Day he will have a gentle swim. All the time he will be concentrating on the Old Firm match because "I start thinking about my next game as soon as I have blown the whistle in the last one".

Dallas is a prophet without honour in his own country, the fate of all referees. But UEFA thinks highly enough of him to have awarded him four Champions League games, a UEFA Cup tie and two internationals already this season. The 60,000 who gather at Celtic Park early next week, however, will leave convinced that his blood runs either green or blue, depending on the decisions he hands out.

In most other countries the fact that the biggest game in the calendar is to be refereed by the nation's top official would be taken for granted, but not in Scotland, awash with conspiracy theories.

To make matters worse, he also has a bit of "previous". In a highly charged league match last May, he sent off Celtic's French full back Stephane Mahe, along with Vidar Riseth and Rangers' Rod Wallace. Rangers went on to win the game and the championship.

That all ended with fans on the pitch, Dallas being struck on the head by a coin for which stitches were needed and a Sunday night in Glasgow that was boisterous to say the least. When the dust settled, the neutral view was that Dallas had put in another convincing shift but the problem in the city is that it is almost impossible to find a neutral.

For the record Dallas also sent off Mahe again this season, showing a fine consistency on matters regarding proper behaviour on a football field.

The fires were also stoked earlier this month when Celtic wrote to the Scottish Premier League doubting its wisdom in appointing him to this match. They did not, of course, find him wanting in the skills of his trade but still he could inflame the situation. Those looking kindly on that request regarded it as no more than a pre-emptive strike in case matters got out of hand - but it was still a silly move.

It allowed the Rangers manager Dick Advocaat to reply: "We have every respect for him. This is the big match and he's the top official." It was as easy a way as any to gain the moral high ground.

But Dallas is good. He refereed the Old Firm Scottish Cup final just weeks after that league fracas and there was an incident in that match which proved his credibility. Towards the end the Rangers captain Lorenzo Amoruso appeared to handle the ball and the Celtic team surrounded the referee demanding a penalty.

Their supporters were not exactly quiet either and the neutral consensus, initially, was that the official was wrong to deny the claim; but replays showed he had got it right. There was no prolonged post mortem, thanks to technology which Dallas is prepared to embrace - although with reservations.

"Obviously something like cameras to decide whether a ball is over the line is worth trying and that will probably happen. Cost is the only thing against it. But the use of TV is fraught. For example, I could do a Dundee derby which is on terrestrial channel and there might only be five cameras there. There will be 23 for a Sky Game. There's an element of unfairness in that because the results are just as important to all the clubs.

"The other problem is this. Suppose you bring in a rule which allows the ref to stop the game to see a replay of an incident he might be uncertain about. No harm in that, just as long as the ball goes out of play.

"But suppose a goal is scored, you stop the game and give a decision which means the goal doesn't stand. That wouldn't help the situation at all."

In an Old Firm context that is a huge understatement and Dallas will be on his own on Monday.

"You have to take each game equally but of course there are elements in this fixture which are different. Because I referee them more than some of the smaller teams, you get to know the players, build relationships.

"You would know the ones who like to talk to you, for example, and the others who don't want a word said. But I'm looking forward to it. Always do."

It takes all sorts.