Ex-top flight referees choke back tears as they lose legal battle with SFA
TWO ex-top flight footie referees have lost an age discrimination fight against the SFA.
Barry Cook and Alan Newlands sued Hampden chiefs, claiming they were demoted from Premiership matches because they were “too old”.
Mr Cook, 44, and Mr Newlands, 43, choked back tears as they told an employment tribunal how they were being relegated down the leagues “to make way for younger referees”.
But judges, in a majority ruling, accepted the SFA’s position that the match performance of both men was not up to scratch.
They noted that other refs of a similar age were promoted.
The panel did, however, accept the veteran whistlers’ claims that refs chiefs asked them to “step aside and make way for the younger ones”.
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Mr Cook and Mr Newlands said it came after a Fifa audit in March 2023 showed Scotland had the oldest refs in Europe.
Their ranking went from Premiership status to League Two.
We told in September how both men were “devastated” at the demotion.
SFA counsel Nathaniel Caiden said they were told they were at risk because others had “greater potential for progression”.
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The judges said: “The majority view is that the respondent has, on the balance of probabilities, proved age was not the reason for the decision.”
The tribunal ruled: “We accept that the reason was related to performance in the main, but also progress and promotion.”