{{Short description|Scottish football referee}} {{for|other people with similar names|Steven MacLean (disambiguation){{!}}Steven MacLean}} {{Infobox football official | name = Steven McLean | fullname = Steven McLean | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1981|4|1}} | otheroccupation = | years1 = 1997– | league1 = Scottish Football Association | role1 = Referee | years2 = 2007–2013 | league2 = SFL / SPL | role2 = Referee | years3 = 2013– | league3 = SPFL | role3 = Referee | internationalyears1 = 2010–2017 | confederation1 = FIFA listed | internationalrole1 = Referee }} '''Steven McLean''' (born 1 April 1981) is a Scottish football referee.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_football_referees.cfm?page=720&startrow=19&currentPage=4 | title=SFA Profile | access-date=March 29, 2011}}</ref> He became a FIFA referee in 2010<ref>FIFA. [https://web.archive.org/web/20070606232736/http://www.fifa.com/associations/association=sco/footballofficials/referees/peoplekind=ref.html "Scotland: Referees"]. Retrieved on 6 June 2013.</ref> and was selected to officiate at the 2011 UEFA U17 European Championship.

== Career == In October 2011 McLean was in charge of a 2013 European Under-21 qualifier involving Spain and Croatia.<ref>{{cite news|title=Rab Douglas back to face Raith Rovers after Dundee win red card appeal|url=http://www.thecourier.co.uk/sport/football/rab-douglas-back-to-face-raith-rovers-after-dundee-win-red-card-appeal-1.33025|publisher=The Courier|date=4 November 2011|access-date=1 June 2013}}</ref>

In January 2012 McLean was the referee for a Scottish League Cup semi-final<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.glasgowreferees.co.uk/2012/01/league-cup-semi-final-date-for-mclean/|title=League Cup Semi Final date for McLean|date=25 January 2012|access-date=13 May 2017|publisher=Glasgow Referees' Association}}</ref> - an Ayrshire derby between Kilmarnock and Ayr United, won by the former who went on to lift the trophy.

In March 2014 McLean refereed his first major national final, the 2014 Scottish League Cup Final between Aberdeen and Inverness Caledonian Thistle which Aberdeen won in a penalty shoot-out. However at the end of the league season he angered Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes by failing to award a foul in the last minute of their match with Motherwell, permitting Motherwell to score the winning goal and thereby overtake Aberdeen in the standings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aberdeen-boss-derek-mcinnes-tears-3529817|title=Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes tears into blunder ref: You cost us second spot|date=12 May 2014|access-date=20 February 2017|publisher=Daily Record}}</ref>

In 2015, McLean took charge of a League Cup semi-final between Aberdeen and Dundee United, and a Scottish Cup semi-final between Inverness CT and Celtic; he and his assistants came in for criticism for their performance in the latter match, where they missed an apparent deliberate handball by an Inverness defender in his own penalty area at a pivotal point in the game.<ref name=caley>{{cite news|last1=Lindsay|first1=Clive|title=Inverness CT 3-2 Celtic|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/32089585|access-date=20 February 2017|work=BBC Sport|date=19 April 2015}}</ref><ref name=pinnacle>{{cite news|url=http://www.skysports.com/football/news/13869/10286098/steven-mclean-says-scottish-cup-final-is-pinnacle-of-referees-career|title=Steven McLean says Scottish Cup final is pinnacle of referee's career |date=17 May 2016|access-date=13 May 2017|publisher=Sky Sports}}</ref>

McLean was in-charge of another semi-final in January 2016 when Hibernian met St Johnstone in the League Cup.

In May 2016 McLean was selected to officiate his first Scottish Cup final, the 2016 edition at Hampden Park involving Rangers and Hibernian,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.glasgowreferees.co.uk/2016/05/new-zealand-dollar-steven-mclean-appointed-scottish-cup-final-referee/|title=New Zealand Dollar – Steven McLean Appointed Scottish Cup Final Referee|date=14 May 2016|access-date=13 May 2017|publisher=Glasgow Referees' Association}}</ref><ref name=pinnacle/> and was also chosen for Scottish football's most high-profile domestic league fixture, the Old Firm derby, on Hogmanay 2016 - both matches passed with no controversy on the part of the officials.

McLean was not selected on the SFA's list of international FIFA officials for 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=1962&newsCategoryID=2&newsID=16651|title=FIFA Nominations for 2017 Confirmed|date=25 November 2016|access-date=13 May 2017|publisher=Scottish Football Association}}</ref> He was appointed fourth official for the Scottish Cup final in 2018 and 2024 and the League Cup final in 2024. He was also the first-ever Video Assistant Referee deployed at a Scottish Cup final, in 2023. He was appointed as a FIFA VAR official in 2025.<ref>[https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/news/fifa-international-list-for-2025-confirmed/ FIFA International List for 2025 Confirmed], Scottish FA, 10 January 2025. Retrieved 16 May 2025</ref>

==Other work== As of 2016, McLean was employed full-time by the SFA as a recruitment and education officer for referees<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=1962&newsCategoryID=2&newsID=16651|title=FIFA Nominations for 2017 Confirmed|date=25 November 2016|access-date=13 May 2017|publisher=Scottish Football Association}}</ref> and is also a qualified fitness instructor and physiotherapist (member of CSP).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.optimalphysio.co.uk/our-physios/|title=Our physios|access-date=13 May 2017|publisher=Optimal Physio}}</ref> He left his role with Scottish FA in 2019 has since operated two physiotherapy clinics in the West of Scotland.<ref>[https://optimalphysio.co.uk/our-team/#stevenmclean Our Team], Optimal Physio. Retrieved 16 May 2025</ref>

==Personal life== He is the son of former Kilmarnock player Stuart McLean<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/local-sport/kilmarnock-fc-no-rub-green-2407394|title=No rub of the green for unlucky Killie|date=21 September 2012|access-date=20 February 2017|publisher=Daily Record}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48000052|title=Kilmarnock 0-1 Aberdeen: Steven McLean should not referee Kilmarnock games - Steve Clarke|date=20 April 2019|access-date=21 April 2019|publisher=BBC Sport}}</ref> and the brother of footballer Brian McLean.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/referee-steven-mclean-i-booked-my-brother-1489042 |title=Referee Steven McLean: I booked my brother and threatened to tell our mum |first=Nick |last=Hanlon |work=Daily Record |publisher=Trinity Mirror |date=14 December 2012 |access-date=2 January 2013}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.soccerbase.com/referees/referee.sd?referee_id=1220 SoccerBase] *[http://worldreferee.com/site/copy.php?linkID=4242&linkType=referee&contextType=stats Profile and stats at ''WorldReferee.com'']

{{DEFAULTSORT:McLean, Steven}} Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:Scottish football referees Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Scottish Football League referees Category:Scottish Premier League referees Category:Scottish Professional Football League referees