BY ALAN TEMPLE – Capital City Press
Scottish referee Craig Thomson has been appointed to take charge of a game involving Romania for the first time since being branded useless on his last visit to Bucharest.
With Romania’s Euro 2016 qualification hanging in the balance, Thomson will oversee their Group F clash against Finland tomorrow evening.
A win will see Romania overtake Northern Ireland at the summit of the section, should Michael O’Neill’s men fail to beat Greece. However, Hungary could still catch them if they slip up.
Thomson’s appointment for the crucial clash is likely to be an unpopular one among the home fans after he was panned for his handling of Holland’s 4-1 victory in Bucharest in 2012.
Thomson turned down two strong penalty appeals from the hosts before awarding a contentious spot-kick to Louis van Gaal’s side.
Respected former Romanian referee Ian Craciunescu slammed: “He was useless, had no personality and no sense of fair play.”
Thomson will be assisted by compatriots David McGeachie and Willie Conquer, with Doug Ross serving as fourth official. Steven McLean and Andrew Dallas will serve as additional assistant referees.
