Maxwell hits out after ref coin assault

SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell has strongly condemned the missile-throwing incident that left assistant referee Calum Spence with a bloodied head, insisting it must act as a ‘wakeup call’ about fan behaviour. Spence was struck by an object hurled from a stand housing Rangers supporters during their 1-0 defeat at Livingston on Sunday. The match official required medical treatment to a cut on the back of his head before the match was able to continue. Rangers security staff have sought CCTV footage from their counterparts in West Lothian to try to identify the culprit. Police Scotland are also investigating the incident, which they are treating as assault. Maxwell welcomed that swift response and made it clear Scottish football could not

tolerate such thuggery. ‘This kind of primitive act — whether something is thrown at players, staff or officials — should be driven out of the game,’ he said in a statement. ‘We all have a responsibility to behave in a responsible manner and respect the game we all love. ‘At a time when there is so much to be positive about with regards to Scottish football, hopefully this is a wake-up call for some that there are lines of basic decency that should not be crossed. ‘I welcome Rangers’ decisiveness in moving quickly to try to identify the individual involved. ‘I would also like to place on record my thanks to the Livingston medical staff for their assistance on the day. ‘More than anything, I would like to pay tribute to the commitment and professionalism of Calum, who dealt with everything in context and continued with his role.’ John Fleming, the SFA’s Head of Referee Operations, branded the perpetrator ‘cowardly’. ‘On Sunday, a competitive contest between Livingston and Rangers was marred by an unsavoury incident, in what should have been a great advert for the game in this country,’ said Fleming. ‘Instead, I was horrified to see one of our officials, Calum Spence, have to receive medical treatment after being struck by a missile thrown by a spectator. ‘It is completely unacceptable for someone contributing to the sport to be the subject of such a cowardly, reckless act. ‘I’m sure I speak for the vast majority of people when I say that it simply cannot be tolerated.’ Police are appealing for information from the public. Superintendent Craig Smith, event commander for the match, said: ‘This is a shocking incident and it is not the type of behaviour we have come to expect from football fans in Scotland. ‘We will not tolerate offences of this nature. With this in mind, we are eager to trace the person who was spotted throwing an object from the stand. ‘I would also ask anyone who has information that can assist our inquiries to get in touch with us immediately. I would also ask anyone who has any photos or footage of this incident to submit this to police.’ Meanwhile, a trade union which counts many top referees in Scotland among its members has called on the Scottish FA to carry out an ‘urgent full investigation’ of the safety measures in place at matches. Prospect, who have some 65 members in Scotland and negotiate with the FA on behalf of match officials in England, have expressed their concerns in a letter to Maxwell. The union’s negotiating officer in Scotland, Ian Perth, said: ‘We strongly condemn the unacceptable incident during Sunday’s game. This cannot be tolerated. ‘We call on the Scottish FA to carry out an urgent, full investigation of safety measures in place during matches. ‘Like any other worker, referees and officials are entitled to a safe workplace free of intimidation and violence. ‘We welcome the widespread condemnation of the incident by football supporters from all clubs across Scotland. ‘Given the SFA’s duty of care to match officials, Prospect have formally written to chief executive Ian Maxwell seeking to understand what steps he will be taking to ensure match officials feel protected and supported as they carry out their vital role.’