Scottish FA Supports Referee Don Robertson Amid Controversy

The Scottish FA has doubled down on its backing for referee Don Robertson, releasing audio and video that it says closes the door on any suggestion the controversial match was abandoned rather than completed.

Before that material came into the public domain, Lord Foulkes had already written to SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell asking for a review of the incident. He has since returned to the issue on X, hinting that the dispute is far from over, posting: “There’s more yet to be revealed regarding the SFA.”

The governing body sees it very differently.

In an earlier statement, the SFA was categorical that Robertson handled the finale correctly, stressing that he ended the game – he did not abandon it.

“It was made clear at that meeting that the match official, Don Robertson, took the correct action in ending the game,” the statement read.

The SFA also moved to knock down one of the central talking points: the absence of a traditional final whistle. They pointed straight at the Laws of the Game, noting that while the referee must signal full-time, there is no requirement for that signal to be a whistle blast.

“We note there has been speculation regarding the blowing of a final whistle. The Laws of the Game require the referee to signal the end of the match, but do not prescribe the method of that signal.

“In the context of what unfolded – which is verified by the footage and the Match Incident Report submitted to the Scottish FA – the match official clearly communicated that the match was ended and not abandoned.”

The SFA then leaned on the hard numbers. The match clock, they said, showed that the required time had been played when Robertson brought proceedings to a halt.

“The footage shows that when the match official confirms the game has ended, the clock is at 53.07 [98.07], more than the minimum additional time of eight minutes signalled,” the statement continued.

Another key detail emerged from the audio: Robertson did not act in isolation. His decision came after direct dialogue with the Heart of Midlothian technical area.

“It was also apparent from the audio that this decision was taken following dialogue with the Hearts Head Coach, who had intimated concerns over player safety.”

To close, the SFA reached for the ultimate authority in such matters – Law 5 of the IFAB Laws of the Game – and used it to draw a firm line.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Law 5 of the IFAB Laws of the Game state that ‘the decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play are final’.

“We fully support the decisive action taken by Don Robertson and his team to end the game.”

The SFA has nailed its colours to the mast. The next move, it seems, belongs to the critics who insist this story is not finished.