THE EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS REPORTS
BILL LOTHIAN ([email protected])
EDINBURGH ACCIES coach Ian Barnes today laughed off a possible misconduct charge from Scottish Rugby bosses after being accused of criticising a match referee.

Barnes today confirmed Accies had been contacted regarding comments he had made about referee Rob McKinnon after a last-gasp 14-12 defeat by Boroughmuir a fortnight ago in which he criticised the official, saying: "... the referee allowed them to kill the ball the whole game. It was atrocious. He didn't seem to have a clue. He was the worst I have seen. Boroughmuir didn't beat us, he did."

Today an unrepentant Barnes said: "I have been advised by Roddy Dunlop, the QC who represented me the last time I was called to account by the SRU, that I should not expect to be disciplined this time either."

Under the terms of the letter sent out by SRU disciplinary manager Iain Goodall, Accies are requested to investigate along with three other clubs whose coaches are deemed to have made inappropriate remarks.

The others are Jim Hay (Hawick), Craig Redpath (Ayr) and David Wilson (Glasgow Hawks).

"I am confident the club will not be taking action against me," said Barnes who also acknowledged criticism last weekend of referee David Jack when Accies lost at Hawick. Then, Barnes told Scottish Rugby Radio: "Hawick deserved to win but it is a nonsense that yellow cards are deciding games.

"There was a ruck in the middle of the park which Hawick had won and you get a yellow card, what are they (refs) doing to the game?"

Barnes added: "There is no way that it should be a yellow-card offence for a player to come in from the side of a ruck the way things happened at Hawick.

"I have concerns about standards. While some people will say what they think about a referee's performance off the record after first giving a public 'no comment', I have always tried to say what I think. I won't be losing any sleep and the energy that is being put into this matter would be better channelled into improving refereeing standards."

The letter from Goodall states: "I would ask that the club carry out an investigation and advise me as soon as possible what actions have been taken ... to resolve this."

It adds that all persons should be willing to accept and observe the authority of match officials.

It was in April 2005 that ex-internationalist Barnes was effectively cleared of a charge that he criticised the SRU in an article in a match programme.

This article was posted on 27-Nov-2007, 22:50 by Hugh Barrow.