Neil Lennon won’t have to wait long to see more of Willie Collum with Hugh Dallas’ legacy being the fourth official at Saturday’s Hibs-Celtic clash at Easter Road.
After his inept display at the Hamilton-Celtic game last night Collum will be on the touchline at Easter Road ‘keeping the peace’.
Craig Thomson will referee Saturday’s match.
Lennon wasn’t slow to savage Collum after last night’s performance coming less than three months after his ‘eyes on the back on his head’ derby debut between Celtic and Rangers on Saturday.
Ironically Collum shouldn’t have been in charge of last night’s match with Mike Tumility listed for the original fixture on December 18.
Why someone then decided to bring in Collum AND appoint him as fourth official on Saturday really needs explaining from the SFA.
During the first half of last night’s match Collum was forced to have words with Lennon after having his attention alerted by fourth official Stevie O’Reilly.
Sitting a few rows behind the tunnel at New Douglas Park it was impossible not to notice the interfering role of the fourth official.
The dug-outs are an emotional area in a football ground- Lennon and Billy Reid are both under intense pressure as their club’s scrap for every point with every decision possibly match changing.
Rather than apply common sense to a high pressure situation O’Reilly sought to get involved in the match as much as possible with constant dialogue with both dug-outs.
With their jobs on the line and an attention seeking referee like Collum desperate to be the star of the show the last thing that managers want is to have a wise cracking fourth official constantly talking to them.
Collum on Saturday will no doubt seize the opportunity to spread his infamy through further run-in’s with Lennon. It’s a photo opportunity that the school teacher will be unable to resist.
With his appeal against a six match touchline ban coming up at Hampden next week the Celtic boss needs every support possible from within the club.
No stone should be left unturned to ensure that Lennon is given complete backing in his bid to be treated in the same manner as every other SPL manager.
As John Reid said at the club AGM: “We’re not looking for special treatment and never claimed to be better than anyone else but we won’t be treated as less than anyone else.”
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I wonder how many shame players Collum would have sent off in the recent Kilmarnock game ?
The young lad Forrest gets a straight red for a tackle that was no where near as bad as ‘SEVERAL’ of the hun players on the Kilmarnock players.
What is the consequences of a ‘SHAMBOLIC’ refereeing performance like that ?
Will he be downgraded to the 1st or 2nd Division for a month ?
It’s a ridiculous organisation and it’s not even trying to be subtle anymore, even BBC shortbreed struggling to make excuses for them recently.
The Motherwell, Berwick and last night’s Hamilton game has been some of the worst officiating I’ve seen in a very long time.
One incident in the Well game, Izzy gets scythed down, ref yellow cards ‘Well player for the challenge, but unbelievably turns round and gives Well a corner kick, ??
The message is loud and clear from the SFA, you only have to read between the lines of that fool Peat’s words, they can’t contain their hatred even in public.
What is Mr Regan doing about all this? he needs called out on this. It’s easy to talk about change, but if he watches these games and understands football he has to see what we are having to put up with.
I hope the CSA becomes successful in calling a Bhoycott of away games, time to start starving Scottish football of much needed cash.
Celtic should consider pulling out of the Scottish Cup, refuse to turn up at mordor, concede the game.
In the process starve them of the gate and tv revenue that no doubt will be a tool for them to get money in advance of the bank to buy a player, after all it’s the title that is the most important for us.
Seeltikbhoy67
I see Billy Reid has got no complaints against the ref, surprise surprise, but what I found very surprising was that a ‘top flight’ Scottish manager conveniently couldn’t comment on the entire last twenty minutes of the game because “there was to much going on”!
Yes Billy boy, I think you’ll find it’s called a ‘football game’, you should really be able to recognise one by now!!
But poor billy boy tells us all, again, rather conveniently, “it was all a blur”!!
Maybe you should make a wee visit to the doctors billy, you never know you might take one of these wee turns when something important is happening, eh?
I wonder if collum will be making the same excuse!!