Former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie believes there is "no way back" for Dougie McDonald.

The referee admitted lying over the reason he reversed his decision to award a penalty to Celtic.

McDonald will officiate at the First Division clash between Falkirk and Ross County this weekend, but McAvennie says his position is untenable.

"He wants to referee an Old Firm game again. He's having a laugh. It'll not happen," said McAvennie.

"Referees are going to make mistakes, but when you try to cover up, I don't think there is any way back.

"Somebody has told lies there and they are blaming each other.

"Because of that, I don't think Dougie can referee again."

McAvennie thinks his old club have been on the end of too many bad decisions lately but does not believe there is any deliberate bias against the Glasgow club.

Celtic striker Gary Hooper intensified the debate about refereeing standards in Scotland when he claimed a disproportionate amount of decisions had gone against his team this season.

When you're playing against the big teams, you don't get the decisions Frank McAvennie

The 22-year-old summer signing argued that referees might give awards against Celtic because they can tell people they gave a bad decision against one of the biggest clubs in the world.

However, McAvennie says he endured much more frustration with referees while playing for St Mirren than he did with Celtic.

"I'm not going to call people cheats and say refs are against Celtic, but there an awful lot of mistakes being made against Celtic and they have got to look into it," added the former Scotland international.

"But they are highlighted. When you're playing against the big teams, you don't get the decisions.

"When I was at St Mirren, we didn't get some of the decisions we should have got. It used to all work itself out, but we never got any against the Old Firm.

"There are a lot of mistakes being made, but it's just being highlighted with Celtic at the moment.

"We have all of these conspiracy theories that everyone has laughed at, it's giving them fuel for their fire. I just think people make mistakes."

McAvennie also urged leniency towards Hooper, whose comments may land him in hot water with the game's authorities.

"He is new to Scottish football and he has come out and said something," he said.

"He is an honest lad, I've seen him a few times down at Scunthorpe and he just wants to score goals and play football.

"If he has said that, he obviously feels that and that's the way it has gone in the first quarter of the season.

"Celtic writing to the SFA looking for inquiries doesn't help the fact."

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