Willie Collum doesn’t create the Laws of the Game, his job is to train and appoint the best match officials to apply the Laws.
After the best part of 20 years delivering baffling decisions and showing complete contempt for football players, managers and coaches it is no surprise that Collum is now Head of Refereeing at the SFA.
Last weekend the former Grade 1 official went on a charm offensive, speaking to media partners to deal with soft ball questions in an attempt to show what a decent regular guy he is.
Then the football started on Saturday at Tynecastle with business as usual with the most contrived interpretation of the Laws of the Game applied by Collum’s colleagues.
After Connor Goldson moved on to Cyprus Connor Barron has inherited the immunity from penalties being awarded against him that was a trademark of Goldson’s career at Ibrox.
Robbie McCrorie has also left Ibrox and enjoyed an Allan McGregor moment when he wiped out Kyogo Furuhashi with no action taken by Don Robertson or guid Ayrshire man Greg Aitken on VAR duty.
1)
Kyogo penalty v Kilmarnock.
No penalty for a Celtic and no card for the Kilmarnock keeper.2)
Joe Hart sent off v Livingston. https://t.co/brJxO7x7Ar pic.twitter.com/Aj2HwMqpp4— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) August 5, 2024
On Sky Sports Kris Boyd was the only pundit to offer a defence of Don Roberson’s decision not to award Celtic a penalty. Charlie Mulgrew, James McFadden and Chris Sutton called it out for what it was- ‘puzzling’. Robertson saw it clearly, Greg Aitken reviewed it but decided not to suggest a review.
A year ago Joe Hart didn’t enjoy the same ‘good fortune’ when Celtic travelled to Livingston.
Coming out of his penalty area to contest a ball with Mohammed Sangare the Celtic keeper got there first but collided with the Livingston forward.
With the match at 0-0 John Beaton was all over it as he sent off the Celtic keeper.
It was the only red card of Hart’s career covering almost 700 matches in England, Italy and at international level. His one sending off came from a member of the Lanarkshire Referee Association.
Despite Collum’s claims for transparency no explanation has yet been offered for the weekend decisions, Lithuanian official Donatas Rumsas will referee tomorrow’s Champions League tie involving Dinamo Kiev with the VAR officials from Poland.
They were Cheats with whistles, flags and monitors then…
They are Cheats with whistles, flags and monitors now…
And They’ll be Cheats with whistles, flags and monitors forever more…
T’was ever this in guid auld Scoddish Fitba !
And our Club said….??…Feck all as usual…We get what we deserve.
NOTHING NEW.. listening to My Grandfather.. WW1…
This is The custodians problem..
The keeper wiped out Kyogo in the first half too. Not one mention has been made of that.
Going back to Hart at Livingston, not only did he get there first, the Livingston player lead with his studs up. He is the one who should have been red carded.
It is Cheating.
Pure and simple!