Motherwell boss: Full-time referees would help reduce mistakes

Stephen Robinson has suggested Scottish football could benefit from full-time referees. Picture: SNS Group

The Motherwell boss saw Rangers awarded a controversial penalty in their 2-2 draw with the Steelmen at Fir Park on Saturday, while two weeks ago defender Cedric Kipre was wrongly sent off after a tussle with Celtic’s Scott Brown.

Robinson believes whistlers should be allowed to go full time so they can improve.

Proclaiming himself to be a “strong believer that referees should be full-time”, Robinson told the Daily Mail: “It should be their sole job and they should be given more help. They’re only human, so they will make mistakes.

“Until they get that help and support - and until they treat it as a full-time job and spend every minute of their day trying to improve - we’re going to have those mistakes.

“The decisions they make affect the livelihoods of players and managers who are doing the full-time. Every decision is made wit integrity but you look at how quick the game is. The human eye doesn’t take in everything.”

Robinson, who has seen both Kipre and Charles Dunne successfully contest red cards this season, believes that full-time officials is “something that needs looked at”.

He continued: “In England, they have been using the VAR system. It’s been controversial at times but it’s helped.

“I’m not saying that turning our refs full-time will rectify all of the mistakes but I’m sure the officials would love to be in that situation.

• READ MORE - Why the referee was wrong to send off Cedric Kipre against Celtic

“Would referees makes fewer mistakes if they were full-time and more up to speed? Perhaps. I’m open to any ideas which will help to erase the current frustration.”

“Part-time footballers can’t make the same decisions as full-time ones, so I imagine it would improve referees’ decision-making as well if they went full-time,” he added.