Scottish referee John Beaton 'stronger' for Saudi experience

A Scottish referee who was head-butted while taking charge of the Saudi Arabian derby says he already feels stronger and more rounded for the experience.

John Beaton, 33, was officiating a league decider between Al Hilal and Al Nasr in the King Fahd Stadium in Riyadh on Sunday when Hilal defender Salem Al Dawsari squared up and then thrust his head into the referee’s face in the closing minutes of the game.

Beaton immediately brandished a red card, making Al Dawsari the third player from the home team to be sent off. The official booked 10 more as the powder-keg contest erupted into chaos towards the end.

The qualified journalist and his assistants had to be ushered from the stadium by armed guard to ensure their safety as the fall-out from the ill-tempered match spilled over onto the touchlines.

After arriving back in Glasgow, Beaton told Sky Sports News HQ: "I can barely remember what happened, to be honest. It was only when I watched it back on DVD afterwards that I appreciated the severity of the incident.

"It all happened so quickly. I had already cautioned the player for dissent a few minutes earlier. When he ran towards me, I was already considering whether or not to send him off and that was when he head-butted me.

"I am content with the way I reacted. It was just instinct to brandish the red card straight away. I couldn’t understand what he was saying but it was clear that the emotion of the derby had got to him.

"After he had left the field, it was all about getting through the closing minutes of added time and getting out of the stadium safely."

Beaton has officiated for 18 years, from boys club football to Scottish Premiership and Champions League, but Sunday’s incident was a first for the whistler.

The Motherwell-born official added: "I’ve never experienced anything like that before, at any level of football.  But despite the severity of the action at no stage did I feel unsafe or intimidated.

"We had about 10 security guards lead us off the pitch, but I have to say, though, that for all the tension during the game – and you have to factor in that this was effectively a title-decider between two teams who have a history of intense rivalry - there were zero issues afterwards.

"The Saudi Football Federation could not have done any more to make us feel safer on the way back to the hotel and then the airport. When we got to the airport the only attention I got was a wee guy who supported Al Nasr wanting a selfie with me!

"I actually feel I will be a better referee for the experience and actually enjoyed the game. But I’ve returned home and seen the storm and reaction the incident has caused.

"It has been getting a lot of media attention and having watched it back a couple of times I probably feel it now looks worse than it felt at the time. At the time I just went into auto-pilot."

Beaton and assistants Stuart Stevenson and Douglas Ross were sent to Riyadh to take charge of the derby match at the expense of local officials.

James Bee, chairman of the Scottish Senior Football Referees Association, has demanded action, saying Saudi officials must make an example of Al Dawsari by throwing the book at him.

He said: "This type of behaviour is unacceptable in any country and no referee should be treated this way. Assaults or attempted assaults on match officials should be met with zero tolerance.

"John Beaton dealt with the incident correctly and the appropriate authorities should deal with the matter correctly off it. The most important thing for us, though is that, thankfully, John does not appear to have been physically harmed in the incident."

Now back on home soil, Beaton is dusting himself down and preparing for the short trip to Firhill to take charge of Partick Thistle v Kilmarnock this weekend.