Dougie McDonald to learn of fate over penalty incident

REFEREE Dougie McDonald will discover tomorrow if he is to be punished for his part in the controversial penalty incident at Tannadice last week which provoked an official protest from Celtic and prompted the resignation earlier this week of assistant referee Steven Craven.

Recently appointed SFA chief executive Stewart Regan, who has pledged to bring greater transparency and speed to the organisation's disciplinary procedures, announced last night that he has completed his inquiry into the penalty awarded and then rescinded by McDonald during Celtic's 2-1 SPL victory away to Dundee United on 17 October.

McDonald, who had pointed to the spot after Celtic striker Gary Hooper went down under a challenge from United goalkeeper Dusas Pernis with the scores level at 1-1, changed his mind after consultation with Craven. It is understood Craven, who was the subject of verbal abuse in the days after the match, was unhappy with the initial interpretation of events which suggested he drew McDonald's attention to his error in awarding the penalty.

Celtic wrote to the SFA seeking clarification, as they have done again this week following referee Willie Collum's contentious award of a penalty to Rangers in Sunday's Old Firm match which the SPL champions won 3-1.

Regan has now interviewed all of the principals involved in the Tannadice controversy, but will not make any formal announcement until his findings are discussed by the SFA Referee Committee at their next meeting at Hampden tomorrow.

"I can confirm I have concluded my investigation into the events during the recent Clydesdale Bank Premier League match between Dundee United and Celtic," said Regan in an official statement released by the SFA last night.

"During this investigation, I spoke to the match referee, Dougie McDonald, his assistant, Steven Craven, Hugh Dallas, the head of referee development, and Jim McBurney, the referee observer.

"On concluding my own investigation, and adopting due process, the matter has now been referred to the Referee Committee for consideration at their next scheduled meeting, which will be held on Friday, 29 October. It would therefore not be appropriate to comment any further until the committee has met."

The eight-man SFA Referee Committee is chaired by SFA vice-president Alan McRae with David Dowling, a director of Brora Rangers, as vice-chairman. The remaining six committee members are all former Grade One referees - Willie Young, Alan Freeland, Jim McCluskey, Ian Fyfe, Donald McVicar and Sandy Roy.

If McDonald is found to have significantly failed in his duties, he could be demoted from the Grade One list.