MacPherson fury at honest mistake and Smith loses his cool

The aftermath to Rangers 3-1 win over St Mirren today proved unusually lively as both managers joined in the 'great' refereeing debate.

St Mirren boss Gus MacPherson was incensed by a fourth minute decision from Charlie Richmond not to book Davie Weir for a foul on Michael Higdon which under some interpretations of the laws could have been an ordering off offence.

MacPherson said: "There are certain aspects of the game that were disapointing which as usual we are not allowed to talk about. We've got to accept it.

"We're made to go to meetings at the start of the season, it's not optional. We are set down guidelines then during the course of the season these guidelines change.

"A different set of rules are applied, none more so than when we're come here.

"There was a massive decision for the referee to make in the fourth minute where Michael Higdon has been pulled back in the process of shooting.

"We get the free kick but no card. I'm not wanting players booked or red carded but there are laws to the game and David Weir has impeded Michael Higdon in the process of shooting.

"He has effected how he is shooting- now there is a decision to be made there and no decision was made.

"He (Higdon) actually gets his shot away but he is impeded in the process. There is a clear pull and there is no arguments yet no decision is made.

"We get a free kick but there has got to be a decision made. It's easy, it's in the rules. We are actually shown clips at the start of the season by Mr Dallas showing incidents of what is important and what the new guidelines are.

"Yet when the games come along, when there are decisions to be made they don't get made.

"It's compulsory (to meet with Dallas) we must go, it's not even optional, you go there and see a set of rules. A lot of football people at the meeting were actually questioning and arguing which is healthy, that's what the game is all about.

"But when the games come along and you are looking for them (the laws) to be applied in the correct manner and it's not being done."

Straight after a match managers are always at their most emotional with the St Mirren boss clearly feeling angry throughout the remaining 86minutes of the match.

His outburst could bring about a charge of bringing the game into disrepute with the SFA who would then have to look into the matter.

Rangers boss Walter Smith couldn't contain his anger in the aftermatch conference when he was questioned about another refereeing matter.

He said: "Everybody wants people ordered off and everyone wants penalties against us. Everybody wants everything against us at the present moment.

"I don't know what road we are going down in that respect.

"We seem to be reaching a ridiculous stage where refereeing decisions are actually becoming far more important than the game itself.

"Everybody starts talking about refereeing decisions, referees this... it's a game of football and refereeing decisions, good, bad or indifferent have been part of the game for years.

"When I started Jim McLean, Alex Ferguson and Jock Stein all moaned about refereeing decisions. I moan about them, everybody moans about them but now in Scotland they seem to be taking far greater significance.

"Your team has got to be good enough to overcome them. 

"This aspect that has been brought up recently, yes we might have a gap in referees but they make their decisions and we have to get on with it.

"Referees in every league in the world are under scrutiny; now with ours it's every weekend. It's becoming the referees decisions that are influencing games.

"It should be players and managers that influence games. The better the job that we do then the better our team does.

"That's where we are, I moan about referees decisions but I think that it's reaching a ridiculous proportion in Scotland at the present moment.

"It's not giving referees the proper opportunity to do their job. There's a rant for you!"

Loan Celt Graham Carey scored St Mirren's goal.