Willie Collum has asked ‘where do you draw the line’ when it comes to referees declaring an interest with a connection to a particular club.
In Scotland the officials given the top matches all tend to come from Glasgow or Lanarkshire, anyone that knows the territory realises that men from that area tend to support either of the two major Glasgow clubs or work in environments alongside their supporters.
In England match officials declare the club that they grew up supporting and any other connection with the FA ensuring that they avoid any fixtures in which they might be seen to be conflicted.
Officials from London and the south are given matches in the north and midlands but no such arrangement operates in Scotland.
Matches involving the two major Glasgow clubs regularly involve officials from within a 20 mile radius with match referee John Beaton plus VAR officials Andrew Dallas and Graeme Stewart from the Lanarkshire Refereeing Association all involved in the Celtic Park Derby match at the start of the month.
Listening to Collum explaining why the current system is right on Super Scoreboard the Daily Record reports the SFA’s Head of Refereeing saying
First off all, referees need to declare an interest. We had a top assistant a couple of years ago and his son was playing for a senior club, even though he was playing for an under-19 club he declared that as an interest. Also, if somebody is working for a company that sponsors a particular club, these are the things we would expect the referee to declare an interest in.
In terms of a team that somebody might support or a connection with a family member, where do we draw the line? We want to encourage people into refereeing and say you can referee the top games – you can referee the top games. We would put a blocker on that, and I keep saying where do you draw the line?
If somebody’s third relative had a connection somewhere, or had a season ticket to support somebody – what I would say is, and I want to be really honest with people, when you are refereeing at the top level of the game you have a passion for it, you want to achieve well. Refereeing took me places as a young kid that I never dreamed I would go to. Why would I jeopardise or risk that to say ‘I want this team to win or affect this’ – I want people to trust me that it’s not the case.
We are barraged by comments in the west of Scotland towards one club or the other – that is not the case. People make genuine decisions, genuine errors and we are honest.
If referees weren’t honest we would have a problem. It’s 2024, I think we need to move away from that. I would ask people to shift that narrative, let’s get behind referees rather than try to pick a fault because a person is associated with that or that. They are top referees for a reason and it’s been a long journey to get there. And when they get there they want to stay there.
They might be top referees in the eyes of the SFA but they clearly aren’t rated by UEFA, even with the European Championships expanded to 24 nations no Scottish referee has been involved in the last two competitions.
Removing suspicions about certain officials would surely be a step forward to allow them to control matches without rumours or fans looking for additional reasons why decisions are taken.
Full time VAR official Greg Aitken has Kilmarnock stamped all over his Facebook profile, surely it is common sense not to involve him in matches affecting that club?
” If referees weren’t honest we would have a problem “.
We DO have a problem and you are ignoring it despite weekly evidence to the contrary.
The statistics going back decades confirm that one club in this country is treated differently and more favourably by the officials than any other, year after year.
Explain that.
Willie Collum has just made things worse. This so called explaining is just trolling. There is an example in the Record today where the ref tells the Sevco player not to tackle as he is coming from behind. He ignores him and takes the Ross County player out and before he hits the ground the ref’s shouting “he played the ball, he played the ball”.
Sevco literally have 15 on their side, inc players and officials.
No other business in the world would put up with it.
This is the same official that gave oldco a penalty with his back turned away from the ball and we have to believe him thats his refs aren’t cheats get a grip wullie collum you should give up being a official ive watch football for years and yous rats in black are biased bastards towards my club celtic thats afact..
The Celtic board.
The sound of silence.
Gollums appearance on Schnide is just an example of HOW Thik these CLOWNS think we are! Graham & Hank Marvin nodding their heeds like the Churchill Dug means it must be true lol!! Their will be Tons more ‘Honest’ Mistake b4 the Season ends but we can TRUST their INTEGRITY SAYS OOR WULLIE BAWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
The Celtic board.
The sound of silence.
The supercomputer says that it’s all wrong and corrupt from the 6th floor at Hampden down to the ground . Collum says that some of the criticism at officials is ‘ insulting ‘ ? How does he think the fans feel ? From giving a certain clumpany 4 penalties in one game ,to ‘ advising ‘ players not to make a tackle prior to doing so ….that’s insulting ! Insulting to anyone who has an interest in the game of football in Scotland ! When not one official was deemed good enough to be called up for Euro duties in the Summer and for the referee chief to defend his staff”s ineptitude and incompetence, regardless , sums up nicely the complete inadequacies of the cabal who run Scottish football
Unless I missed it…
did Collum mention about how he was going
to improve the standards of match officiating?
A simple, clear validation of progress would
be Scottish match officials being invited back to
Euros and WC Finals?
The Scottish Referee’s Association – just like the SFA – is an
inherently biased organisation, and needs a culture change,
if not disbanded entirely – and replaced with a new structure.
But, many have been saying that since at least 2012?
🙁
No Orange Order Members officiating Celtic games; ever.
They oppose The Good Friday Agreement. They carry a banner
with the image of Oliver Cromwell; a war criminal. That’s just a small
part of their repulsive and offensive nature. Thankfully they are dying away.
No Orange Order members officiating Celtic games ever…
Nice thought John, but if only, If only…