Scottish football braced for major refereeing change as Crawford Allan calls time on four-year role
Crawford Allan, the head of refereeing for Scottish football, has announced his decision to stand down from his position at the end of the season.
A former category one referee, the 56-year-old has been in post for four years and has overseen the introduction of VAR to the Scottish game. His departure comes on the back of a trying season for officials in Scotland this season, with many scrutinised and criticised for calls made during the course of the campaign. Allan will stay in post until the end of May and the Scottish Football Association say that work is under way already to find his successor amid a review of the existing role.
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Hide AdA statement from the SFA read: “The Scottish FA can confirm that Crawford Allan will leave his position as Head of Referee Operations at the end of this season. Crawford’s departure to pursue new opportunities will effect a review of the existing role and remit to reflect the demands placed on it by the introduction and optimisation of VAR. This will coincide with a planned review of the operational priorities of the department based on the insights to date from VAR implementation, as well as feedback from Category One Match Officials and VAR operators, the Scottish FA’s Professional Game Board, the SPFL’s Competitions Working Group and the Independent Review Panel. The recruitment process will begin immediately to ensure an experienced replacement will be in place for the new season.”
SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell commented: “Firstly, I would like to thank Crawford for his four years as Head of Referee Operations and especially his efforts in implementing VAR within Scottish football and guiding refereeing through the Covid-19 pandemic. In many ways, overseeing the introduction of VAR has been a thankless task. Yet it has been essential for Scottish football to remain at the forefront of on-field technology and in-step with the leading domestic competitions across Europe, as well as ensuring our match officials and VAR operators can continue to operate at FIFA and UEFA level.
“Crawford has been integral to that process – from feasibility, to training, to roll-out – for much of his tenure and we are grateful that he will remain in place and provide continuity until the end of the season. Whilst there is a recognition that, globally, the VAR processes need to improve, this is a challenge for all key stakeholders within Scottish football to work through in the context of our own domestic competition. This includes all key external stakeholders having a better understanding of the Laws of the Game, the lines of intervention for VAR, and the adopted guidance within Scottish football, especially in subjective areas such as the handball law.
“We must work together to alleviate the unsustainable pressure on match officials and VAR operators, to remove the convenient blame culture attached to subjective or unpopular decisions, and to ensure more focus is placed on the entertainers rather than the on-field facilitators. We will continue conversations and improvements with all stakeholders with this as a non-negotiable and unifying premise as we seek to improve the experience for all.”
On his decision to vacate his role, Allan saiid: “It has been an honour to lead Referee Operations in Scotland especially during such an historic period of change. Taking the role, after almost 30 years as a match official including 15 years in the top-flight, coincided not only with two years affected by the COVID pandemic, but also the inception and then introduction of VAR in Scottish football. While there are refinements and improvements to be made to VAR, as there are in leagues across the world, it has taken a monumental effort from my team at the Scottish FA and the match officials to have it embedded in the Premiership and cup matches at Hampden Park.
“VAR is only one aspect of the role, albeit one that can overshadow the positive strides we have taken forward. I am grateful to my team for their support. I would also like to thank the wider team in Referee Operations for their professionalism, often seven days a week, and the Referee Committee for their support and counsel. Above all, I would like to thank the match officials at all levels for their unwavering commitment to our national game.”