Barry Robson wants referee 'support' with Aberdeen boss hoping Kevin Clancy abuse doesn’t 'put off' officials

Aberdeen boss Barry Robson insists referees need support as he slammed the abuse and threats aimed at Kevin Clancy following the Old Firm fallout.

Robson joined the condemnation of the hate-filled messages sent to the whistler which were revealed by the SFA earlier this week and says he hopes it doesn’t put future generations off refereeing. Clancy controversially disallowed an Alfredo Morelos goal with Saturday’s game level at 0-0 before Celtic went on to beat Rangers 3-2.

Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin took aim at the perpetrators yesterday - condemning the abuse as “disgraceful” and backing Clancy as “one of the best referees in the country”. And Robson said: “I hope it doesn’t put off referees. It’s not right. The referees have a really difficult job. It’s not like they’re not trying. I think it’s hard for them. We have to try and be as supportive as we can to the refs. They’re trying to make decisions as the game gets quicker and faster. We can’t have people having a go at different people’s private lives. It’s not right. We all know that.

“They’re just trying to do their job on the football pitch. We’ve got to try and bring a good product and they’re trying their best to make sure the games flow and they don’t have to make wrong decisions.

“We are all humans and will make wrong decisions.”

Meanwhile, Robson admits he was shocked when Hearts sacked Robbie Neilson just a day after his Aberdeen side leapfrogged them into third. The absorbing battle for that lucrative ‘best of the rest’ spot took a major twist this week when, hot on the heels of the Dons overturning a huge deficit, the Jambos pulled the trigger on their boss.

Given that Aberdeen trailed the Tynecastle side by nine points when Robson took interim charge