Kevin Kyle on refereeing attitudes

Kevin Kyle has spoken out about the attitude of referee's and their lack of understanding for the game.

The former Sunderland striker is one of the most physical strikers in the SPL but fears that the aloof attitude of refs could drive him over the edge.

Kilmarnock against St Mirren is hardly one of the toughest fixtures in the game but Kyle felt that referee Alan Muir managed to dominate and spoil Saturday's match.

Muir hasn't yet hogged many headlines but Kyle's comments illustrate the frustrations that professionals feel when an official is attempting to tone down the natural physical aspects of the game.

The Killie striker said: "It got heated because the referee made it that way. There's 22 grown men out there and surely you can nudge each other now and again and be physical without being dirty?

"The referee stopped it for everything. It was almost as if the referee was blowing up for a foul before the ball even got to the player it was aimed at."

Kyle added: "I praise referees when they have done well but he was shocking on Saturday. I don't know why I was booked, it wasn't even a foul.

"Not everybody in football is friends but you still talk to players on the pitch at times when the ball's out. So I was saying to Lee Mair and John Potter 'you tell me that's a free-kick?' and they were turning back to me and saying 'it's never been a free kick'.

"I just don't know what referees see. I know we're at home and the crowd are in our favour but can 5,000 people and the players really be all wrong?

The gaffer told me at half time to calm down and I know I've got anger-management problems but that would send a guy crazy!"