Alan Stubbs wants fourth officials in Championship

Alan Stubbs has questioned the absence of fourth officials at all but televised Championship encounters.
Hibs manager Alan Stubbs wants fourth officials at key Championship matches.  Picture: Ross Parker/SNSHibs manager Alan Stubbs wants fourth officials at key Championship matches.  Picture: Ross Parker/SNS
Hibs manager Alan Stubbs wants fourth officials at key Championship matches. Picture: Ross Parker/SNS

The Hibernian manager recognises his team benefited from a wrong penalty call in the 1-0 win over Falkirk on Tuesday. However, in his desire to see referees get “the bigger calls right”, he wants to see officials given as much help as possible – and that means fourth officials at key Championship encounters.

“Fourth officials speak with the other officials as the game goes on. It may not look it, but they play a part,” Stubbs said. “If you look back, the fourth official had something to do in the [televised] Queen of the South-Rangers game [in August], when Derek Lyle was sent off, so they do aid decisions.

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“I don’t now how they are allocated and it is very rare that we have them. There was one at Ibrox on Tuesday [for the Petrofac Training Cup quarter-final], probably because it was on BBC Alba, but the reason we are normally given is that there is a full card of fixtures on and there are not enough officials.

“Well, on Tuesday there were two games on in Scotland and it was third playing fourth. I would have thought that would have been recognised as a big game.”

A spokesperson for the SFA said they provide the referees but it’s up to SPFL to determine their requirement.