Police investigate threats to ref after Celtic-Rangers game

MANCHESTER, England — Police in Scotland are investigating “threatening” messages sent to referee Kevin Clancy as another British soccer official is thrust into the headlines for the wrong reasons.

Clancy was criticized for his performance in Celtic's 3-2 win against Rangers in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday, leading to a host of abusive messages.

The Scottish Football Association said it had “referred a significant volume of threatening and abusive emails to Police Scotland after personal and professional contact details” of the referee were published online.

“We are investigating alleged threatening communications which were reported to us by the SFA today,” Police Scotland said in a statement posted on Twitter on Tuesday.

It is the latest high-profile incident involving match officials in recent days.

Assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis was involved in a clash with Liverpool defender Andy Robertson on Sunday. Hatzidakis appeared to raise his arm and make contact with the face of the Scotland international during Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Arsenal at Anfield.

That followed referees body, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), having to apologize to Brighton for the failure to award a penalty in the south coast club's 2-1 loss to Tottenham a day earlier, which could have an impact on the fight for the European qualifying spots. The video assistant referee for that match, Michael Salisbury, has not been appointed for any games in the next round of Premier League fixtures.

Hatzidakis has been taken off duty while the English Football Association looks into the incident with Robertson, who looked incensed in the immediate aftermath and appeared to complain that he had been hit. The collision, which was caught by television cameras, overshadowed a thrilling game that blew the Premier League title race wide open.

"I know it happened but I didn’t watch it,” Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said Sunday. “If it happened the pictures will speak for themselves.”

On-pitch referee Stuart Attwell, who did not give Brighton a spot-kick in real time after Kaoru Mitoma was tripped by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, will be the VAR official for Wolverhampton's Premier League game with Brentford on Saturday. He will also be the fourth official when West Ham hosts Arsenal on Sunday.

Clancy was criticized after Celtic's win moved the Scottish league leaders 12 points clear at the top of the standings.

Rangers manager Michael Beale complained afterward that the referee got two major decisions wrong.

Rangers wrote to the SFA seeking an explanation for why an early goal from Alfredo Morelos was disallowed. But the club condemned the threats made to Clancy.

“We are all passionate about our game, but targeted, personal abuse of referees cannot be tolerated," it said.

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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson