Know the Ref - Aberdeen away

Last updated : 15 September 2009 By Stuart Gillespie
Mr Thomson has been officiating league games for several years and, if the rumours are correct, is also a St. Mirren fan. However, this doesn't result in him giving decisions in our favour - although he could give us numerous dodgy free-kicks and we still wouldn't take advantage of them.

He did two of our games last season, which came in the Scottish Cup - the game against Motherwell and the replay. The latter we actually managed to win - and it was the first win at the new ground! The other ended in a draw on their minefield of a pitch.

In 2007/08 he did two of our games, both at home and both ending in 3-0 defeats. One was to Dundee United, where Hugh Murray was sent off for booting someone, and the other one was to Rangers. The consistency in results continues in 2006/07 when we lost both games he was in charge of 5-1 away from home to teams in green and white! Hibs gubbed us at Christmas time and Celtic hammered us shortly after, with Stephen McGinn bagging a goal on his debut.

Soccerbase doesn't show it, but I seem to remember Mr Thomson being the referee when we beat Morton in the League Challenge Cup at Love Street in 2005. The visitors had a number of questionable calls made against them and we won on penalties, so maybe he is a Saints fan after all!

The season may be in its infancy, but this official has already made a trip to Pittodrie - on the opening day when Aberdeen were soundly beaten by Celtic. He was handed two testing games involving the Dons last season as they faced Rangers, the matches seeing a home draw and an away defeat. There was also a draw in the Scottish Cup against Dunfermline, a tie Aberdeen eventually lost with current Saints goalie Paul Gallacher playing superbly.

You have to go back to December 2007 for the last time Aberdeen won a game when Mr Thomson was in charge, a 3-1 home win over Hibs. Other games that season were drubbings by Dundee United and Celtic and a narrow defeat at Motherwell. I seem to remember this last fixture being noteworthy as Aberdeen had a goal ruled out even though the ball had crossed the line.

Apart from that there is little of note from this official's games with Aberdeen, a trend that continues in 2006/07. A win over Rangers was impressive and there were also wins over Dundee United and Hibs as well as defeats to Celtic and Hibs. The previous season saw home draws with Hearts and Kilmarnock, the latter seeing not even a single caution.

Instead, you need to go as far back as March 2005 for an Aberdeen game where Mr Thomson sent someone off. The Dons won at Tannadice but each side finished with 10 men, Zander Diamond and Paul Ritchie receiving their marching orders. His other Aberdeen game that season saw them turn a 2-0 lead at Parkhead into a 3-2 defeat!

There are six other games from 2002/03 and 2003/04 but only two are interesting. A home defeat to Hearts in November 2003 saw him send off two Aberdeen players in the shape of Stevie Tosh and David Zdrilic. He also sent off Kevin Rutkiewicz in a home draw with Motherwell the previous December. This season he has already shown a red card when he sent off Rangers' Kevin Thomson at Tynecastle.

Overall though, ignoring the goal that never was at Fir Park, there don't seem to be too many controversial decisions involving Saints or Aberdeen and this ref. Let's hope it stays that way - unless we benefit.