Meeting of the Parliament 14 January 2026
Of course—we have another qualified referee here, in the Deputy Presiding Officer.
Christine Grahame asked why I chose to be a referee. It was not so much a choice, but a decision that I could take only because I had no ability whatsoever to play football. My skills are extremely limited, and no club would ever have me, down to the lowest leagues—I was so poor that I could not get involved. I am very encouraged now that my two boys are involved in a mini dribblers group and are practising far earlier than I did; I hope that they will have more opportunities to play. Given my complete lack of talent at playing football, I had to look for an opportunity to still be involved in the game.
There was a small article at the back of The Press and Journal—I have mentioned the P and J in the chamber already today—looking for recruits to come on board and take refereeing classes. I did those classes in Elgin and I refereed my first matches down in Ayrshire, where I was at college; those were under-14s and under-15s school matches.
I went from there to officiating—as I still do—in the premiership in Scotland and going to world cup and European qualifiers and champions league matches, officiating with players such as Ronaldo and Messi. My sons now ask me about those players, and I can say that I have shared a pitch with them. I was on the pitch on Sunday, at the match between Dundee and Heart of Midlothian, where fans of football across the clubs say that Craig Gordon made one of the best saves ever seen in Scottish football. I was lucky enough to be on the pitch to see that.
I say that by way of encouraging future referees, and to highlight that, apart from playing, there are other opportunities to get involved in and see football at the highest levels, including some of the greatest sporting achievements by individuals and clubs. It is a great opportunity.