Cumming is a former SFA development director for referees

Former head of world refereeing George Cumming believes the Scottish Football Association is to blame for the extent of its match officials crisis.

Category one officials went on strike on Saturday, while referee Dougie McDonald resigned and his boss, Hugh Dallas, has been sacked.

"I think the SFA could have taken stronger action earlier," former Fifa refs' boss Cumming told BBC Scotland.

"If they had acted two months ago, this wouldn't have happened."

SFA head of referee development Dallas left on Friday following an investigation by chief executive Stewart Regan after the former World Cup official was accused of sending an e-mail deemed to be offensive about the Pope.

That came a day before category one referees went on strike, complaining about criticism of recent performances and decisions - leading to foreign officials at Scottish Premier League games and the postponement of all other senior fixtures.

There are no conspiracies. I've been there Former Celtic striker Frank McGarvey

Then, on Sunday, McDonald retired from refereeing as a result of mounting pressure after initially giving a misleading account of why he overturned his own decision to award Celtic a penalty against Dundee United on 17 October.

"Dougie McDonald is one situation," said Cumming. "But, before Dougie McDonald, you also have the Willie Collum thing a few weeks earlier.

"That was the time when you wanted someone to come out and say this has gone too far.

"Celtic had to be addressed face on, but what's happened is that people go round in circles not mentioning Celtic, but Celtic were the prime movers in what has happened in the last few months."

Celtic had written to the SFA seeking clarification of a penalty awarded by Collum to Rangers during their Old Firm defeat and Cumming believes it was then that the governing body had to act.

Cumming, now a senior consultant with the Asian Football Federation, recalled his time as a referee in Scotland when SFA chiefs Jim Farry and predecessor Ernie Walker would firmly back their referees.

"This crisis could have been avoided with some earlier support from the SFA," he said while admitting that McDonald's departure was inevitable.

"Stewart Regan is new in the position, but I think you have got to be up front here.

"In a position like that, you have to lead and lead from the moment you walk in the front door and I don't think he has done that.

"I am talking about the support for the referees. I think the referees feel isolated."

Meanwhile, former Celtic striker Frank McGarvey urged Celtic supporters to reduce the pressure on officials by ending claims of bias against their club.

"It's time for Celtic fans to move on for the sake of Scottish football," he said.

"People at Celtic should be talking about how they will win the league, not about conspiracies. There are no conspiracies. I've been there.

"I played for Celtic at Ibrox when we were 2-0 down at half-time and got two penalties in the second half, one when one of our players hadn't been touched.

"I always thought that decisions evened themselves out over the course of the season and, if anything, the big teams got the calls against the smaller teams."

McGarvey believes that managers should be banned from criticising referees in the heat of the media spotlight immediately after games - and that referees should be willing to publicly explain controversial decisions.

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