DOUGLAS Ross has been paid more than £15,000 for his role as an assistant referee in the space of a year, The National can reveal.
The Scottish Tory leader returned to running the line in 2022 after taking time out for injury, and we previously revealed that during the 2022-2023 season he earned over £11,000 from his third job.
And now, from analysing Ross’s register of interest entries from the past year, we discovered that he has been paid £15,430.10 for his role as a linesman at 36 matches in the space of a year.
As both an MP and MSP, Ross is required to lodge his outside earnings with both Westminster and Holyrood.
READ MORE: See the full list of matches refereed by Douglas Ross in 2023
Ross’s highest earning gig was a St Mirren vs Livingston match on April 1 where he was paid £725.90, a combination of a £445 match fee and £280.90 in expenses.
Other high earners included a Motherwell vs Rangers game on March 18 where he was paid a £445 match fee and £270.55 in expenses, totalling £715.55, Celtic vs St Mirren on February 11 where he was paid £649.20, a £380 match fee and £268.20 in expenses, and Kilmarnock vs Motherwell where he was paid £640.75, a £445 match fee and £195.75 in expenses.
Ross refereed matches in almost every month last year, except for June.
His smallest earners were Cove Rangers vs Montrose in September where he was paid £164.30, a £95 match fee and £69.30 in expenses, and Inverness CT vs Hamilton Academicals in February, where he made £211.70, a £173 match fee and £38.70 in expenses.
There are also three matches registered on Ross’s Commons interests which do not provide an additional breakdown of expenses, only the match fee. This includes Cove Rangers vs Alloa Athletic (£108), Hearts vs St Mirren (£450) and Kilmarnock vs Dundee (£450).
SNP MSP Kevin Stewart said: "The upcoming General Election will allow Scotland to show the Tories the red card - but it looks like Douglas Ross has already given up hope of his future in elected politics.
“He should instead be focussing on standing up for his constituents who continue to suffer from the Westminster-accelerated cost of living crisis."
Ross is set to stand down as an MP at the next General Election.
READ MORE: Covid Inquiry: Jason Leitch called Nicola Sturgeon 'ridiculous'
Overall, the Scottish Tory leader was paid £10,774.50 and £4655.60 in expenses in 2023.
The majority of payments came from the Scottish Football Association (SFA), but Ross was also paid £275 to run the line at a Ross County vs Queens Park by Ross County FC.
A Scottish Conservative spokesperson said: “The SNP have some cheek commenting on this when several of their own MPs have earnings from second jobs.”
Ross has previously been criticised for his additional work as a linesman, and has had to apologise in the past for missing a VJ Day memorial to officiate a Kilmarnock vs St Johnstone march in 2020.
He has also been targeted by fans during matches, with the Green Brigade unfurling a huge banner during a clash between Celtic and St Mirren that read: "VAR DECISION: DOUGLAS ROSS IS A C***".
We told how Ross was paid £6454 in match fees and £4147.65 in expenses by the SFA during the 2022-23 season.
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