Willie Collum bottles out of sending off James Tavernier

Willie Collum bottled out of showing James Tavernier a red card following a straight leg follow through on St Johnstone’s Ali McCann. 

No red card, yellow card or free kick was awarded as Scotland’s highest rated referee helped keep Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side in the SPFL title race. 

With Young Nathan Patterson sold to Everton in January, and still waiting to kick a ball for his new club, there is no back up right-back for the Ibrox skipper other than utility man James Sands. 

Last night van Bronckhorst showed that he has no faith in his squad by making no substitutions, against Motherwell on Sunday he waited until the 80th minute before sending Kemar Roofe on to replace Fashion Sakala. 

Looking in on the Sky Sports coverage of the Tavernier incident, The Sun reports: 

The incident went unpunished and play was waved on with no free kick given. 

Speaking on the incident, Boyd told Sky Sports: “I think it’s a yellow card. A yellow card would be for (it being) reckless, but I don’t think it’s excessive force. I think when you slow anything down it looks worse. Again, maybe if we get VAR the referee has a decision to make.” 

James McFadden wasn’t in agreement, saying: “I think he follows through there. The more I see it, I don’t think he needs to extend his leg.” 

While injured Saints star David Wotherspoon thought the tackle could have endangered his team-mate. 

He added: “There is follow through and there is a straight leg there. It looks a nasty one for Ali but hopefully he is alright because we need as many players fit as possible, obviously going through a bad spell with injuries. We want everyone fit and ready to go.” 

In season 2018/19 Collum went six months without refereeing the Ibrox club after upsetting Steven Gerrard. 

Over the last 26 months only one Ibrox player has been sent off in a domestic match, in 2021 Kemar Roofe, Leon Balogun, Glen Kamara and John Lundstram were sent off in UEFA matches.