REFS MUST STOP TREATING BOSSES LIKE NAUGHTY KIDS SAYS JIM JEFFERIES

KILLIE boss Jim Jefferies has urged fourth officials to lighten up and stop treating gaffers like KIDS.

The Rugby Park boss insists he has a laugh and a joke with most of the touchline refs at games.

But after last Sunday's controversial spat at Tynecastle between Celtic boss Gordon Strachan and Hearts assistant John McGlynn, Jeff says a few of the men in black must change.

He said: "I'm not in favour of forcing managers to sit in the stand, we should have the option of sitting in the dugout.

"I like to be involved down there and show passion because I find it difficult to get messages down from the stand. "It depends on the fourth official. I've had great banter with some of them.

"There are one or two who need to change their attitude - if they did that we'd have less trouble down there.

"Some of them can have a laugh with you but some treat you like a schoolkid.

"If they had a bit more common-sense we'd be better off.

"But most of them will have a joke in the tunnel before the game when I ask who is the fourth official.

"They'll usually say 'aye, it's me who has drawn the short straw!

"Tony Mowbray says he doesn't see a need for them and I can see his point.

"Football went on for years without them and I don't remember too much trouble on the touchline.

"I'd like to see a report on how many incidents there has actually been in the dugouts since fourth officials were brought in - it would be interesting to find out."

Jefferies had sympathy for Strachan and McGlynn last week as their bust-up was about putting the ball out of play when a player is injured.

He believes there has to be some sort of clarification from the refs about that type of incident BEFORE a game.

Jim said: "There's a lot of grey areas. You can't just say you MUST put the ball out of play when someone is down.

"Players would go down all the time, like when someone was in on goal.

"Then there was the incredible act of sportsmanship from Paolo Di Canio when he caught the ball instead of scoring when the keeper was injured.

"But if a player is down and it's the correct circumstances then of course the ball should be put out."

Meanwhile, the Killie boss has revealed regular keeper Alan Combe faces a fierce battle with deputy Graeme Smith for the number one jersey.

Jeff said: "I've always said Alan is my number one and that if he missed a few games he'd come straight back in.

"But it's a different story if Graeme dislodges him out on merit. Alan's had no preseason and no games so far so Graeme will be in for the foreseeable future.

"I'll need to make a good but hard decision when Alan comes back."

Taken from the Sunday Mail