http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/sport/Celtic-1--0-Aberdeen.4000955.jp

 

Diamond can't get handle on referee's handball decision

ZANDER DIAMOND slammed referee Iain Brines after his last-gasp goal was chalked off by the official. The "goal" would have given Aberdeen a share of the points and plunged Celtic into despair but the defender was controversially penalised for a handball.

 

"From what I'm hearing, the goal should have stood, so I'm disappointed in that," said the Aberdeen defender. "I don't know what Brines is looking at, I don't know if he turned away at that moment in time. How he's said I've gone up with my hand is just an absolute joke. That sums him up.

 

"I turned round to Barry (Nicholson] after it had gone in, and I thought (the free-kick] had been given against him because it was close to Barry's hand. The decision is unbelievable. If he's one of Scotland's top officials, I think were in trouble."

 

Diamond even ventured to suggest that it could have been a case of retribution for an exchange of views when the player was told to leave the field to receive treatment for a bloody lip. "He's saying to me to get off the park, but if as a referee you can see blood coming, surely you've got to stop it yourself, not get me to go to the side while the game's going on. I'm sure that's the rules of the game, so I wonder what ones he's reading."

 

He said he tried to speak to the referee after the match to seek an explanation but that simply proved another cause for complaint. "Its just the usual, 'get away from me'. You can't really talk to him about the decision. He just says 'go away', when you're just politely going there to ask to clear the decision up. No doubt I'll be up in front of the SFA shortly.

 

"It's big decisions in big games. If were challenging to get into third place again, we might look back and say that point at Celtic Park could have done us. He goes away to his job from Monday to Friday but we need to pick up the pieces."

 

"It's big decisions in big games. If were challenging to get into third place again, we might look back and say that point at Celtic Park could have done us. He goes away to his job from Monday to Friday but we need to pick up the pieces."

 

Let's play Devil's Advocate Zander, we may look back on the two howlers you made in the Cup Semi Final that cost us a Cup Final, and resultantly, a European place.

resultantly??

 

izzata wurdmin?

So Zander gets hauled over the coals for what he said. Probably right of the clowns at the top to do so. His words may have been a little strongly worded for the SPL hierarchy to stomach. He isn't the first player to do so and won't be the last.

 

What isn't fair is that bampot ref Brines gets off Scot free despite it being a glaring mistake. Down south and in other countries he would be demoted for his blunder.

 

If Zander gets slapped then Brines has to be slapped too. Incompetent buffoon!