Uncertainty is the only certainty around when Willie Collum is in charge of any match.
Groomed by Hugh Dallas in the Lanarkshire Referee Association the school teacher was fast tracked through the ranks for reasons that weren’t related to his ability to apply the Laws of the Game.
Anyone requiring proof of his interpretation of the Laws only has to look up his first Glasgow derby in October 2010. With his back to play he pointed to the penalty spot when Kirk Broadfoot decided to fall to the ground.
Since then little has changed, Collum also has the incredible knack of obstructing play by getting too close to play. Most matches will see the game have to be restarted after striking the Lanarkshire based official.
Willie Collum
I mean, he has the one where he heard a penalty that didn’t happen in a Celtic v Rangers game.
At least pick your battles. https://t.co/k10qGNbDnD pic.twitter.com/p9GrX0KIFS— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) March 30, 2022
The fixture above was a classic example of how Collum applies the laws. The first penalty was awarded in near identical circumstances to one that he had overlooked featuring Kieran Tierney in the Betfred Cup semi-final against Hearts at Murrayfield two months earlier.
The second penalty is beyond a joke, Graeme Shinnie’s dive and handball is pathetic, whether he deserves pity or a yellow card is up for debate- what he didn’t deserve was a penalty.
Fortunately Celtic won that match 4-3 despite conceding penalties in the 24th and 83rd minutes, hopefully on Sunday the hoops don’t have to go that extra mile to overcome honest mistakes from the match referee.
Willie Collum said no penalty for Tierney a few weeks before giving a near identical one to Aberdeen.
Same position relative to incident in both.
Same Aberdeen game, Collum gave a second penalty to Aberdeen in the 83rd minute to make it 2-2. pic.twitter.com/zwq46AFTPb
— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) March 30, 2022
Listen sevco need the money so watch out for wullie collum sevco mistakes he loves sevco players going down but as soon green go down he sees different little rat needs a kick right in the baws he he costs celtic the title honest.
Just a Wankstain, An UGLY WEE BASTARD!!
Test
The papers already peddling the Collum favours Celtic agenda
I will be amazed if any bookie will give odds on a sevco pen
The best team will win on the day, same as last game, were we won 3-0. Celtic have only lost 1 derby, out of 8 that Colum has refereed. Our rivals are saying it’s us who have the advantage cos he referring it, and we are saying they have. So what is it joe ?
Editor: Most of those games were during the Rodgers years, winning by 4 or 5. His sending off of Jozo at Ibrox in collusion with his chubby pal Douglas Ross summed him up. In his career he has only sent off more Dundee United players than Celtic- we’ve not been a hard team since O’Neill days let alone dirty. Collum is from Lanarkshire Refereeing Association, no other explanation needed.
I just think personally Joe, that if we play to our capabilities we will win the match. Martin O’Neill says today, about going for the jugular, that is what to do. Our last match, was finished by half time, we play like that, we will end the title race on Sunday, that has to be the order of the day. 9 times out of 10, the best team will win the match. It just depends how we play in the day, and understand it will be a cauldron on Sunday, and it’s how our players react to that, which will define how the afternoon will play out.
Editor: Referee will be a huge factor, we’ve seen it many many times in this fixture. Madden’s first being an absolute classic- Miller on Armstrong and Holt on Roberts should both have been red, topped off by no penalty when Clint Hill chopped Griffiths. Draw.