Wick Academy manager sees red after dugout disagreement
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Gary Manson hit out at the "bizarre" way new guidance is being interpreted by match officials after he was red-carded in Wick Academy's goalless draw with Rothes.
The Scorries' manager watched most of the match from the top of a stairway in the main stand at Harmsworth Park after being sent off by referee Scott Donohoe towards the end of the first half on Saturday.
The 38th-minute flashpoint followed an exchange of words in which assistant referee Chris Taylor challenged Manson over the number of people standing up in the Academy dugout.
"The game was in full flow," Manson said later. "He [the assistant referee] was about 15 yards away from the dugout where I was and all our subs were standing up in the dugout.
"They were right next to their seats – they weren't in the technical area. They were actually standing in the dugout.
"There are six or seven seats in the dugout. We had seven subs. We had me, Gordon McDonald [first-team coach] and James More [goalkeeping coach], so 10 people for six or seven seats.
"So he shouted at me, while the game was ongoing, quite aggressively, 'Manson, get your subs to sit down.' I looked around and I said 'f*** off, there's not enough seats', or something along those lines.
"I spoke [to the match officials] after the game and I hold my hands up, maybe I shouldn't have said 'f*** off'. But it wasn't aggressive, it was a throwaway comment, as if to say 'you're kidding me on'.
"They were standing in the dugout. They weren't in the technical area.
"He [the referee] said after the game UEFA are clamping down on people in the technical area because it looks untidy. I completely agree – if we were all standing on the edge of the technical area it would look untidy. But they were in the dugout.
"I just said 'f*** off' and, without hesitation, a red card. I said to him after the game, 'look, a quiet word saying don't swear, if you say that again I'm going to have to send you off', I could understand that.
"It was not an aggressive comment – it wasn't in your face.
"It's very frustrating. It was one of a number of bizarre things that happened from the officials today.
"There were bookings for absolutely no reason. He [the referee] said to me after the game, coming from UEFA, they've got to show more bookings, especially for dissent.
"I said if you're going to send someone off for swearing, like I did, there will be no-one left on the pitch."
Manson added: "There were six players booked in the first half and I don't think there was even a bad tackle.
"The ref was blaming UEFA for regulations that they've taken in this year. It's quite ridiculous, utter madness."
Ross Jack left his role as Rothes manager after four-and-a-half years following Saturday's 0-0 draw at Wick.
The Mackessack Park club released a statement on Monday confirming Jack had stood down after an "amicable and mutual agreement".
Saturday's stalemate at Harmsworth Park left Rothes 10th in the Highland League.
After taking over in 2019, Jack delivered the Speysiders' first Highland League Cup in 2020.
He also oversaw the club's third North of Scotland Cup success. Third and fifth-placed finishes in the Highland League were the second and third best in their history.
A club statement said: "Rothes Football Club can confirm that Ross Jack will be leaving his position of team manager having reached an amicable and mutual agreement.
"Ross has led us through the most successful period in our club's history since signing in September 2019.
"The club extend our best wishes to Ross for his future in and away from football and we will be eternally grateful for his significant contribution to elevating the status of our club in the Highland League.
"We thank him for his unwavering dedication and commitment to the role over the past four-and-a-half years.
"Our ambition remains strong to progress our club on and off the field and our existing club coaching staff will take charge of the team for the immediate future until a new manager is appointed."
Speaking immediately after the match at Wick, Jack said: "I think both teams could have been here until midnight and still not troubled either goalie – it was that kind of game.
"There was no real quality played there today. You could see both teams were keen to get a clean sheet and move on.
"The officials didn't endear themselves to the players, fans or anybody else. There were some strange decisions out there.
"There would be no game without them, but I just felt some of the decisions were a bit strange – for both teams."
Ben Williamson was sent off after 82 minutes for a foul on Wick forward Ross Gunn.
Jack added: "We had 10 men for the last 10 or 15 minutes, but we probably looked more threatening then than we did in the whole game.
"I'm disappointed with the overall performance, but we needed a reaction from last week [a 3-0 home defeat to Nairn County] and I know that Wick would have felt the same, so we did that.
"We just need to take the positives – no goals against. But apart from that, there wasn't much to build on.
"We need to improve performances, we need to get better from week to week, and we need to get a few more bodies in.
"We've had a horrendous time with injuries and now that's another one missing with the sending off. We just need to add to the squad."
He added: "It's a great league. There are no guarantees and there are no easy games. You've got to work your socks off to get any points."
