The SFA has gone all-in with his choice of match officials for Sunday’s match between Hearts and Celtic.
Generally Willie Collum tries to balance things out with officials for the bigger matches, most folk know the background and preferences of the match officials on the circuit.
Almost all are drawn from the Lanarkshire and Glasgow Referee Associations.
The selection for Sunday’s match is the most staunch line up in the history of Scottish football. When Ibrox fans call for their club to include more ‘Scottish’ players they have a certain type in mind.
Collum has selected five of them to manage Sunday’s action from Tynecastle.
The match will be shown live on Sky Sports. Hearts go into the match five points clear of Celtic at the top of the Premiership.
Steven McLean
has a well earned reputation dating back to the 2015 Scottish Cup semi-final between Celtic and Inverness Caley Thistle.
The Josh Meekings decision was bad enough, it is entirely on the Celtic board that McLean is still influencing matches a decade later. In 2016 he was rewarded with being appointed to referee the Scottish Cup Final.
McLean’s brother Brian was a Murray Park starlet but failed to make a first team appearance for Rangers. He did play twice for the Northern Ireland u-21 side before discovering that he was ineligible to play.
Graeme Stewart resigned from Police Scotland in 2017 after being fined £500 for assaulting Charles O’Donnell while on duty.
Stewart from Glenboig, Lanarkshire found the SFA very sympathetic to his plight, since his conviction he has been given almost a full time gig on the flag waving circuit.
David Roome
is a close friend of Bobby Madden, the man who encouraged him into refereeing. Almost everyone in East Kilbride knows the connections between the two men.
In February 2021 Roome tested positive after a UEFA jolly to Athens. Madden should have self isolated but decided to rack up the mileage to take charge of a match between Ross County and Celtic.
Fortunately a newspaper was tipped off. The SFA were informed with Madden prevented from refereeing the match. Stewart was on duty at Hibs v Kilmarnock the previous day when he should have been isolating
Andrew Dallas
needs no introduction, his entire career is down to the influence of his father Hugh. In 2010 Dallas Senior stpped down as the Head of Refereeing at the SFA due to sending on anti-Catholic emails from his SFA account.
When Andrew declared himself unfit to continue refereeing the SFA created two posts of full time VAR officials. Andrew and Greg Stewart were appointed.
David Dickinson is from the Renfrew Refereeing Association, his family affiliations are well known on Facebook, his Uncle David in Australia has a particular dislike for Celtic and Ireland.
He has turned in some incredible performances in Celtic matches matched only by his displays in front of family at Ibrox where his Mum is a Main Stand regular. Dickinson enjoyed a very strong relationship with Phil Clement. Caught on camera enjoying a goal at Hampden hasn’t hampered his career.
Who should be removed first from Celtic?
Nicholson- a void of leadership
Rodgers- delivering success against the odds
Aye, it’s all so bloody obvious and Lawwell has done, and will do, NOTHING!
But they’ll need to be at their sleekit best vs the Jambos as they now know we’re watching them and recording them. That is if we actually turn up at Tynecastle.
This is just another reason we need Tims on our board. A VOICE for good!
Gotta be honest, it’ll be the first time ever the officials line up isn’t gonna make a blind bit of difference, Hearts will do us well and proper without their help.
Could this be an opportunity for the board,Nicholson in particular to challenge these appointments to a massive game for Celtic,it’s obvious and they will DO NOTHING OR SAY ANYTHING THE CELTIC BOARD WAY
That is Astounding!……….
This is just the beginning ! Watch how the SMSM focus’ it’s attention to Hearts all season long as their pet project is out of the equation ? Hearts , McInnes , Bloom , every player from Tynecastle every single week , with a side order of how rank Celtic is . It’s all now a confidence ploy and the scoops will be giving it ‘ attaboys and back slapping ‘right up the end . Hearts …or now to be known as theRangers light !
All very fair observations,Joe. Obviously it’s a concern,but my immediate thoughts are that in trying so desperately hard to win,some of our players will go too hard (wrecklessly) while others will step off too much and not be combative enough.
We’re loaded with players who commit stupid,naive fouls as it is…and defensive players who get caught out of position and do desperate things to recover.
I’m going for a needlessly conceded penalty and a wreckless red card.
Sincerely hope I’m wrong of course….but controlled aggression and mentality are vital on Sunday. Thursday should be used as a rehearsal for Tynecastle.
Like Bhoy4life said it’ll make no difference as we’re on for a hammering anyway…
The time to shout about these things is when we narrowly beat them and the cheats could’ve influenced the result…
Anything else is really just sour grapes and will be painted as that by The Scummy’s of The Scottish Football Media as well as The Scumbos of Swinecastle as well !
Yet another consequence from having a silent CEO,
who won’t challenge the SFA about – historically poor – match officiating standards?
Any dodgy decisions against us in the Hearts game will just be ignored by the SFA & SMSM, as per.
But to be fair, the way we are playing Hearts might not need any ref / VAR assistance…?
🙁
I think we could go and get 3 pts with a new approach to selection.
For me there are too many who HAVE been big for us but are not performing yet still being picked. If I saw what I’m about to propose as a starting 11 run out at Tynecastle I’d probably think Brendan had quit but here goes for a very fresh approach.
4,1,2,3. Sinisalo, Donovan, Murray, Trusty, Sarachi,
Engels (in his best position) McCowan and Bernardo.
Nygren, Maeda, Tounekti.
Propose your own 11 but you get my point?
Regardless of WHO starts, we should have enough for Tynecastle and I think we’ll do the necessary.
Go on Bhoys, show the diet huns who’s boss!
Now where did I leave that Lanny?? 🙂
So the usual breaking up play when Celtic are going forward, a foul every time to hertz when players come together and an overall clinical VAR scrutiny if Celtic score , whereas hertz scoring will be done in seconds by VAR , perfectly ok to foul and use of hands….so business as usual then , meanwhile Nicholson will sit on his hands and sook up the SFA soup .
Exactly why I’m glad that I don’t pay through a turnstile any more Jim m !