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Scotland: Church calls on SFA to investigate alleged sectarian email


In a letter from the Director of the Catholic Media Office, Peter Kearney, the Chief Executive of the Scottish Football Association has been urged to act urgently to maintain the SFA's integrity by concluding an investigation into the allegation that the Head of Referee Development at the SFA, Hugh Dallas, sent a sectarian and offensive email to colleagues on the day of the Pope's visit to Scotland.

In his letter, Mr Kearney who is Spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland, also asks for confirmation that " Should the allegation be proved against Mr Dallas he will be removed from his post"

The full text of the letter is shown below.

Mr Stewart Regan
Chief Executive
The Scottish Football Association Ltd
Hampden Park
Glasgow
G42 9AY
 
24 November 2010
 
Dear Mr Regan,
 
I am writing to you to express my concern at an allegation made recently against a senior official of the SFA, Mr Hugh Dallas, the Head of Referee development. He has been accused of sending an email from his SFA email account on the day of the Pope’s visit to Scotland, which was totally unprofessional, gratuitously insulting to the
Pope, deeply offensive to the Catholic community of Scotland, and an incitement to anti-Catholic sectarianism.
 
You will no doubt be well aware of the matter and I do appreciate it is one which is rightly the responsibility of the SFA. I understand that an internal investigation has been launched by the SFA into the allegation.
 
However in view of the alleged content of the email it is clearly a matter of some concern to the Catholic Church in Scotland. Accordingly, I would welcome your confirmation of the following:
 
* That once concluded the results of this investigation will be made public.
* The SFA will treat the matter with some urgency in order to maintain the Association’s integrity and credibility in opposing sectarianism.
* Should the allegation be proved against Mr Dallas he will be removed from his post.
 
I look forward to hearing from you.
 
Yours sincerely
 
 
Peter Kearney
Director

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