Alan Stubbs reveals the Celtic penalty conversation he had with Glasgow Derby referee

Alan Stubbs has half spilled the beans by revealing that a referee told him that Celtic would never get a penalty against Rangers.

The former Celtic and Everton defender was speaking on a podcast by William Hill which discussed the recent controversy in England where Mike Dean admitted that he didn’t referee Anthony Taylor to review a decision in a Chelsea v Spurs match because it would create grief for a mate.

Referees are well known for sticking together and backing each other up, the only surprise about the Stamford Bridge incident is that it has been revealed a year after it happened.

Stubs played for Celtic between 1996 and 2001 when Hugh Dallas was in his pomp, surrounded by ‘characters’ like Kenny Clarke, Willie Young and Jim McCluskey with all three good friends with True Blue Bobby Tait who was just too out there to be given a Glasgow Derby. Tait used his influence in other fixtures.

With nine-in-a-row at stake in his first season at Celtic Stubbs witnessed plenty of bizarre decisions, long before Tom Boyd described them as Honest Mistakes.

Don Robertson will referee Sunday’s Glasgow Derby with Alan Muir on VAR, both have plenty of previous in Celtic matches, the most recent was when roles were reversed away to Kilmarnock two weeks ago in the Viaplay Cup.