SFA name referee for Glasgow Derby- despite Celtic’s January 2019 statement

John Beaton will referee Sunday’s Glasgow Derby. 

The Lanarkshire based whistler has been overlooked for the four previous clashes this season, with Bobby Madden taking charge of two of the last three, but Beaton be the man in the middle for Sunday’s clash. 

Beaton’s most recent Celtic match was on March 14 in the Scottish Cup away to Dundee United when he wrongly disallowed a ‘goal’ from Daizen Maeda claiming handball by Giorgos Giakoumakis, instantly on Premier Sports Stephen Craigan was able to quote the rule and why the referee had got it wrong.

Later in the match he missed a handball in the Dundee United penalty area as Matt Riley prepared to shoot. 

On April 10 Beaton was in charge for St Mirren’s 4-0 home defeat to Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side. 

Frank Connor and former Police Officer Graeme Stewart will be on the lines with Don Robertson looking on as fourth official. Strangely Connor was also an assistant referee at Sunday’s match away to Ross County.

In January 2019 Celtic issued a statement highly critical of Beaton’s performance in a match at Ibrox, no explanation was ever made public.

With four matches left to play Celtic go into Sunday’s match with a six point lead in the race for the SPFL Premiership.