Crawford Allan is facing an angry meeting with leading referees over the SFA’s handling of the Ibrox campaign against Willie Collum.
Three statements within five days after losing to Celtic issued to favoured media messengers finally led to the news that James Bisgrove has told the SFA that Willie Collum shouldn’t be involved in any future matches.
That request is generated from fan media leaders feeding off the hysteria over Collum’s job in teaching which is far from traditional.
Coming from Lanarkshire and mentored by Hugh Dallas Collum has rarely had any respect as a referee, loving attention and controversy as he goes out of his way to be in the spotlight.
A year ago at Ibrox he was on VAR duty when Connor Goldson used two hands to stop a shot from Carl Starfelt, no penalty was given but merry hell kicked off last Saturday when he refused to suggest a review which would have highlighted Abdallah Sima being offside earlier in the move.
That was missed by the linesman who rediscovered his sharpness to wrongly flag against David Turnbull when he was chopped in the penalty box by James Tavernier.
Referees tend to keep a very low profile away from matches but The Sun reports:
SCOTLAND’S referees will hold crisis talks with their SFA bosses next week as the Willie Collum storm rages on.
The country’s top-flight officials will meet with chiefs a week tomorrow with the fallout from Rangers’ complaint over Collum the main topic of discussion.
SFA Head of Referee Operations Crawford Allan faces a stormy showdown with some officials feeling let down by the association’s handling of the repercussions from the Old Firm game on December 30.
Sunsport understands there have been NO private discussions about a potential repeat of the refs’ strike of 2010 – but that the meeting is expected to be heated as Collum’s colleagues rally round him.
There is a widespread feeling of a requirement for collective solidarity around Scotland’s most experienced ref following his VAR role in the Celtic 2-1 win last weekend.
Furious Rangers initially demanded that the audio of the conversation over the handball flashpoint by Alistair Johnston between ref Nick Walsh and VAR Collum be made public.
Collum decided Walsh did NOT need to review the incident – and any penalty award would have been overruled anyway because Abdallah Sima was offside in the build-up.
But after Ibrox chief executive James Bisgrove and director of football operations Creag Robertson met with Allan earlier this week, Rangers issued a statement insisting: “There is no mention of a potential offside at the time of the handball decision.”
Gers accused the governing body of a “lack of transparency” and made “a number of specific requests,” including that Collum be removed from handling future games involving them.
SFA bosses are understood to strongly dispute Gers’ account of the meeting with Allan.
Next Tuesday the SFA will announce the officials for the matches at Dumbarton and Hibs for Philippe Clement’s side.
If Collum isn’t put in charge for either of those matches it will look like the SFA are going along with Bisgrove’s demand.
In season 2018/19 Collum was kept off Ibrox matches for more than six months after sending off Daniel Candeias which sparked a website statement and a slap on the wrist £6,000 fine from the SFA.
In December 2021 Allan broke off from a holiday to speak to Radio Scotland, admitting that Kyogo Furuhashi might have been offside after Kris Boyd and Robbie Neilson got upset and emotional.
Wullie was back on duty in the Championship last night, without much fuss. We all have our own opinions on his skill set as a referee but considering what the club across the city gets away with, I am surprised that they are causing such a fuss, I am glad his brethren is rallying round him and, I hope they continue without fear and prejudice.
Jesus if wullie collum doesn’t ref another huns games say in 2 months then the huns have won so thats means if loyalist beaton Robertson Muir Dickinson..walsh..few others all make a mistake at a celtic game our board can put in a complaint and they’ll be removed there will be no more officials left to ref our games because they are all rotten and they have got there own wee team who’ll get decisions that other clubs wont like penalties for diving in the box and freekicks outside the box because the hun player missed the box so Tavawanker has got a free shot at goal eh so anyway what is Crawford Allan gonnae do to his favourite club at liebrox just tell wullie collum togive them a few penalties and make up for something he never done bar tell the truth that sima was offside and it was never a penalty..HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL THE RAGING HUNS WHO ARE STILL GOING ON ABOUT WEE WULLIE COLLUM THE CATHOLIC THE HUNS HATE..
of course the sfa will obey them! dont expect to see Collum anywhere near a rangers game this season.
Vincent
If Collum wanted to referee a Rangers game, he’d have to travel back in time. That club no longer exists.
Hail Hail.
Wee Crawford Allan is in serious trouble when he meets his referees next week . Everyone knows he is an apologist and sympathiser for the tribute act 24/7 ,so how he is going to give his fellow employees the time of day with their gripes is going to be tough !
Plain and simple ‘Rangers’ should not be allowed to determine which referee’s officiate their games if this does happen then the conspiracy theorists are correct that the whole of Scottish football is rotten to it’s core it also gives every other club in all leagues the right to to have their say as to who cannot be in charge of their games Bring it on!
Joe , do you have any information on the special Covid payment , re when , and in what instalments it has to be paid back .
I believe sevco made themselves available to a double payment as Celtic decided against it .
Editor: I don’t think it is a big deal, Celtic opted out so that Lawwell and Nicholson can milk things in bonus payments.
The ‘hated/anti Rangers’ SNP Government provided interest free loans to all SPFL clubs, about £3m went to Ibrox to be repaid over 20 years, at £150,000 a year they should be able to afford the repayments.
Crawford “unicorn” Allan is between a rock and a hard place. Will he agree with the “outraged” referees against the lunatic demands of “the rangers” the team he loves. Or will he agree with the “the rangers” lunatic demands …… personally I have no sympathy for any of them. the referees have cheated for years to benefit “the rangers”.. Allan and the SFA/SPFL have turned a blind eye or made excuses for the cheating with the SMSM doing their bit to help them do it…. and now “the rangers” have turned on them….hell slap it into them