Chris Sutton says a needless SFA powerplay has poured petrol onto Old Firm flames and piled pressure on ref John Beaton.
The former Celtic striker believes the decision to appoint the whistler for Sunday’s crunch is an attempt from Hampden’s top brass to flex muscle. Beaton’s nomination came less than a week after Parkhead boss Brendan Rodgers was hit by an SFA ban for slating the official and colleague Don Robertson after their performances as VAR and match ref during last month’s game against Hearts at Tynecastle.
Sutton feels a subsequent effort from the corridors of power to display their strength has backfired to create two huge and unnecessary issues ahead of the showdown. The Record Sport columnist has seen the explosion of angst from both sets of supporters over the appointment. Sutton insists that has now placed Beaton under huge and unnecessary extra pressure going into the game and leaves him unable to put a foot wrong when it starts.
He said: “It seems to me that, after recent goings-on, this an attempt from the SFA to show they will not be dictated to or influenced when it comes to match officials. It’s a powerplay from the top brass and, in some respects, I get that. I also think that is a reasonable enough approach in a general sense.
“But for this weekend? This game? This ref? I don’t think that was clever or wise. Look at the reaction since. It’s blown up already and we’re days away from the game actually kicking off.
“You’ve got two sets of supporters now feeling as if they are going to be hard done-by or feeling uneasy about it. Some Celtic fans think Beaton is going to give Rangers every decision.
"Some Rangers fans think he’s going to give everything to Celtic because of the bashing he got from Rodgers. I’m not suggesting for a second that the SFA should, in the majority of cases, appoint referees on the basis of fans either being happy or losing their heads.
“But, on this one occasion, given there is enough tension in the air for these games, would it not have been better just to pick someone else? It seemed a needless decision and it’s like putting petrol onto flames.”
Sutton insists he has no prior issue with Beaton’s appointment as the referee should only be judged by his performance in the match. But, given the backdrop, he thinks the whistler is facing ridiculous levels of scrutiny and has been placed under intense pressure.
Sutton said: “Beaton cannot do anything wrong on Sunday now. It’s as simple as that. Everyone is going to be on his case, watching his every move, his every decision, his every movement.
“I’ve not done it myself, obviously. But I can only imagine how tough and stressful it is to referee an Old Firm match at the best of times. Goodness knows what it is going to be like for Beaton on Sunday and I don’t think this is a situation in which he needed to be placed by the SFA.
“Of course, he’ll want to referee the game. It’s the biggest game. But these circumstances are not ideal and surely this could have been avoided.
“Give him the next one at Celtic Park. And the Scottish Cup Final between the sides if they were both to get there if you want. But the timing of this appointment has caused, in my eyes, a highly unnecessary situation.”
