sport news For all his faults, it's only right that Willie Collum is the man in the middle ... trends now
WHATEVER anyone cares to think about Willie Collum’s appointment as the match referee for the final Old Firm clash of this season’s Premiership on Saturday, they cannot be surprised by it.
This has nothing to do with the SFA being seen to back their man after his controversial role as VAR when the sides clashed at Celtic Park in December. It’s purely on account of how conspicuous the 45-year-old has been in these derbies across 14 years now.
Collum handled his first such tussle in 2010-11. Aside from the four years when Rangers’ absence from the top-flight put the famous fixture into cold storage, he’s officiated at least one per season ever since.
Given that Don Robertson, Nick Walsh and John Beaton have taken charge of the three prior clashes in the league this season, Collum’s appointment might be said to be far more conventional than it is controversial.
Which is not to say that the prospect of him taking charge of a game which has the potential to decide the outcome of this title race doesn’t add an extra layer of intrigue to the day.
Collum may be the blue-eyed boy of the SFA. Yet, for supporters the length and breadth of the country, he’s the cause of their persecution complex.
Willie Collum has never been far from controversy throughout his refereeing career
Collum's failure to refer Johnston's handball to a VAR review enraged Rangers
While the part the official played from afar in that festive clash at Parkhead understandably got Rangers’ dander up, the idea that the Ibrox club are the only one in the country to harbour a sense of injustice at one of his calls is faintly ridiculous.
Graeme Shinnie’s handball in the penalty box late in Aberdeen’s 1-0 win at Motherwell on March 16 was clearly seen by Collum from a matter of a few yards yet remarkably went unpunished.
Fir Park manager Stuart Kettlewell publicly expressed his dismay at the (non) decision but that was as far as the matter went. And rightly so.
Collum has demonstrated a predilection to erratic decision making at all Scottish grounds down the years. Any club taking it personally would do well to remove the blinkers.
December 30 just happened to be Rangers’ turn to feel miffed at Collum’s performance as he watched the pictures of that festive clash from his seat in Clydesdale House.
When referee Walsh failed to spot Alistair Johnston’s handball, Collum should immediately have alerted him to a potential penalty. That an offside against Abdallah Sima would have negated any spot-kick award did not excuse the fact that there should have been a full review of the attacking phase of play.
Collum sends off Rangers midfielder John Lundstram during a game against Hibs
Celtic midfielder Callum McGregor is firmly put in his place by the Glaswegian official
Although understandably disappointed to have lost the game, Rangers’ response — immediately after it and in the days that followed — crossed a line.
To make it known that one of ‘a number of specific requests’ included Collum not being involved in any future Rangers games was wildly off the mark and wholly irresponsible.
To be
