(Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Traditionally, Celtic was considered to have the most paranoid fans in Scotland.
Memories are long in Scottish football, and generations of Celtic supporters have grown up on a rich and varied diet of the tales of corrupt and cheating referees of a blue hue.
The names are legendary: Mike McCurry follows in the footsteps of such luminaries as Bobby Davidson, Brian McGinlay, Bob Valentine, David Syme, Hugh Dallas, etc.
In recent years, even the linesmen have been carving a reputation for themselves. Gordon McBride, Andy Davis and others have unwittingly become household names through dubious decisions favouring Rangers or slighting Celtic.
To give those unfamiliar with the Scottish game a flavour of the Parkhead Paranoia, the following examples are fairly par for the course.
1) Rangers v. Kilmarnock, April 1998. As Rangers attempt to win a 10th title in a row, Grade 1 ref Bobby Tait asks for, and is given, one final match at Ibrox before he retires. With Rangers struggling to find a breakthrough, Tait adds on four minutes of stoppage time in the first half, and five minutes in the second. It backfires spectacularly on him, though, when Kilmarnock score what proves to be the winner in the fourth minute of added time.
A week later, Celtic clinch the title with a win over St. Johnstone.
Earlier in the season, Tait was the referee for two Celtic-Hearts matches. In the first, at Tynecastle, Celtic were 1-0 ahead in a match which had seen no significant stoppages. This did not prevent Tait from adding on five extra minutes, however.
With seconds remaining, Hearts scored a deflected equaliser. From the restart, Celtic played straight through the Hearts defence and with Morten Wieghorst about to shoot, Tait blew for full-time.
A month later, at Celtic Park, Celtic were being held 0-0 in a match that had seen several stoppages, mainly due to Hearts' rather robust approach, which Tait happily tolerated. He added on a measly 47 seconds of injury time.
2) Celtic v. Rangers, May 1999. Rangers can clinch the title with a win. Referee Hugh Dallas courts controversy, sending off Celtic's Stephane Mahe for a foul that barely merits a yellow card. This sparks mayhem inside the stadium as Mahe loses his cool and rants and raves at Dallas for what seems like several minutes. When play resumes, Dallas awards Rangers a corner. As Rangers' Giovanni van Bronkhorst runs to take the corner, Dallas shares a laugh and joke with the Dutchman, patting him on the ass as they pass each other.
From the corner, Celtic's Vidar Riseth jumps for the ball with a Rangers player, and Dallas amazingly points to the spot for a penalty no one else in the stadium could see. Dallas is pelted with coins from the crowd for his troubles and this diverts attention away from his series of quite incredible decisions, which alter the course of the match and allow Rangers to take the title.
3) Hearts v. Rangers, March 2005. With Rangers sitting six points ahead of Celtic (who had played two games fewer), they visit Hearts and with seconds remaining are being held 1-1. As a high ball is played into the Hearts goalmouth, Rangers defender Sotirios Kyrgiakos collapses theatrically after challenging for a header and referee Hugh Dallas (remember him?) signals for a Hearts goal kick.
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