‘SFA POURING FUEL ON OLD FIRM FLAMES’

CHRIS SUTTON says a needless SFA power play has poured petrol onto Old Firm flames and piled pressure on match referee John Beaton.

The former Celtic striker believes the decision to appoint the whistler for Sunday’s crunch is an attempt from Hampden’s top brass to flex their muscles.

The appointment came less than a week after Parkhead boss Brendan Rodgers was hit with an SFA ban for slating Beaton and colleague Don Robertson after last month’s loss to Hearts at Tynecastle.

And Sutton insists that has now placed Beaton under huge and unnecessary extra scrutiny going into the derby.

He said: “It seems to me that, after recent goings-on, this an attempt from the SFA to show they will not be dictated to or influenced when it comes to match officials.

“It’s a power play from the top brass and, in some respects, I get that.

“I also think that is a reasonable enough approach in a general sense. But for this weekend? This game? This ref? I don’t think that was clever or wise.

“Look at the reaction since. It’s blown up already and we’re days away from the game kicking off.

“You’ve got two sets of supporters now feeling as if they are going to be hard done-by or feeling uneasy about it.

“Some Celtic fans think

Beaton is going to give Rangers every decision.

“Some Rangers fans think he’s going to give everything to Celtic because of the bashing he got from Rodgers.

Happy

“I’m not saying for a second that the SFA should, in most cases, appoint referees on the basis of fans either being happy or losing their heads.

“But, on this one occasion, given there is enough tension in the air for these games, would it not have been better just to pick someone else?

“It seemed a needless decision and it’s like putting petrol onto flames.”

Sutton (above) has no prior issue with Beaton’s appointment as the referee should only be judged by his match performance.

But, given the backdrop, he thinks the whistler is facing ridiculous levels of scrutiny and has been placed under pressure.

Sutton said: “Beaton cannot do anything wrong on Sunday now.

“Everyone is going to be on his case, watching his every move, every decision, every movement. I don’t think this is a situation in which he needed to be placed by the SFA.”