SportUnited boss in fury at referee Mike McCurryLevein: We might as well not turn up By Ron Scott THE SPL title race took another dramatic twist yesterday. Rangers closed to within a point of Celtic with a 3-1 win at home to Dundee United. But visiting manager Craig Levein later blasted the match officials and claimed his side would have been as well not turning up. He was convinced referee Mike McCurry and assistant Stuart Macaulay robbed United of a result by disallowing a perfectly good goal and rejecting a blatant penalty claim when Noel Hunt went down under David Weir’s challenge. He also insisted two of his players had been seriously assaulted, stating that skipper Lee Wilkie had been head-butted by Daniel Cousin and striker Hunt punched by Kirk Broadfoot. Raged “It’s impossible to win at Ibrox for a team like United,” Levein raged. “In a game as important as this for Rangers, who gives a toss about United? “I know I’ll be in front of a Hampden committee over this, but some things have to be said. “Regarding the penalty, the referee knew he would have to send off Davie Weir. To make matters worse, his assistant had an even better view — but there’s no way he’s going to put his head above the parapet. “After all, Rangers are going for the title and we can’t have United winning. “This was such a big game for Rangers, we were never going to get a penalty.” Levein reckons that if United had got back to 2-1 against 10 men, they would have gone on to win. “Instead, all that will happen is that I’ll be punished for speaking my mind,” he continued. “We would have been as well staying at home. In fact, Mike McCurry should have phoned me and said, ‘Look, Rangers are going to collect all three points. “After the game, he did say he’d phone me, but I’m not holding my breath.” “Furious” Levein pointed out he went out of his way not to criticise Kenny Clark when United had another “If you add that to what happened here, I have every right to be furious,” he continued. “At least McCurry won’t referee another United game this season.” Sixteen minutes after failing to win a penalty, United then had a goal disallowed for offside when it clearly went in off Weir. But Macaulay flagged for offside, thinking the ball had gone in off United’s David Robertson. Levein also insisted, “Cousin head-butted Lee Wilkie and Broadfoot punched Noel Hunt, but nothing happened when the referee should have disciplined the Rangers players. “The only thing that will happen is that I’ll get hammered. “Imagine this happening the other way round? McCurry would never referee another game.” Rangers manager Walter Smith, now looking ahead to the UEFA Cup Final, refused to enter the controversy, although he did say, “No-one asked last Wednesday about the two penalties we should have had against Motherwell.” |
© All copyright D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd., 2008 |
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