GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 27: Referee Don Robertson during a William Hill Premiership match between Celtic and Hibernian at Celtic Park, on September 27, 2025, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Don Robertson will referee Sunday’s match between Celtic and Kilmarnock in the SPFL Premiership.
It will be Celtic’s 11th match in the competition, the fourth time that they will have to overcome Robertson’s unique interpretation of the Laws of the Game.
The Eastwood based official has long been known for ‘allowing the game to flow’ especially when opponents are booting lumps out of Celtic players.
BACKGROUND
Back in 2017 Kieran Tierney had stud marks on his thigh from Motherwell’s Ryan Bowman. Robertson opted for a yellow card. Two months later Alex Schalk of Ross County was awarded a penalty for an outrageous dive against Celtic. Robertson was follow following Willie Collum up the ladder at the SFA.
There have been numerous examples of Robertson’s strange interpretation of the Laws of the Game, recently at home to Hibs his intentions were made clear.
THE DISADVANGE RULE
Under any sort of contact an opponent cam fall to the ground and be almost assured of a free kick. Equally the Hibs players had license to knock lumps out of Celtic players without punishment.
Craig Thomson introduced that manner of refereeing to the Scottish game. You don’t need to send players off or award penalties to influence matches.
With VAR checking the big calls they can be overturned. It is easier to control and influence a match by dictating free kicks. Additionally it slows the game up, three or four minutes stoppage time and you can generally get away with it.
Celtic v Hibs, 27 September
Of course Celtic say nothing of these strange patterns. It is as if they accept levelling up as a means of keeping the Scottish game competitive.
SILENT CELTS
In over four years as CEO Michael Nicholson hasn’t made a single comment in public about refereeing matters. Pushed about John Beaton at the 2023 AGM he gave the hilarious ‘penalty to Rangers’ reply. His boardroom colleague chortled and slapped their things at Mick’s cutting edge humour.
So far this season 13 referees have taken charge of SPFL matches. After 11 rounds of fixtures there is no justification for Robertson being put in charge of four Celtic games. Someone suggested that he’ll have been to more Celtic fixtures that Chairman Peter Lawwell.
The Kilmarnock game on Sunday will be Robertson’s eighth SPLF Premiership matches of the season. HALF of them involving Celtic.
Only Willie Collum can explain this pattern, he certainly won’t be asked any questions by the CEO mentored by Lawwell.
What’s the chances of the governing bodies asking theRangers for permission to allow certain referees to officiate at Celtic matches ? I can’t believe that I posed that question ,but that’s the way the game is currently being perceived by myself and no doubt plenty of other fans out there . Until they make it compulsory for referees and VAR poodles to declare their football team of allegiance in wee Scotland , then people will continue to think the worst of football governance decisions . What’s that old adage …oh yes ‘ as bent as an Arab’s dagger !
In addition to giving the opposition carte blanche to assault Celtic players, Robertson’s party piece is bringing back play to award Celtic a soft free kick exactly when allowing play to flow would see Celtic in a very advantageous position. It has been going on for years and gets conveniently blanked by commentators.
With regard to pretty much ALL our troubles as Celtic FC supporters, we can look to the current board for answers.
They never improve the team but regularly weaken it. Transfer shambles.
They fail miserably to call out refs and other officials. Moral cowards.
They never stand up for our players as they regularly get assaulted. Moral cowards.
They never stand up for our supporters; they don’t even appear to like our supporters.
They behave like accountants except when it’s their incomes.
They add NOTHING to OUR club.
They’ll come out with various ‘jam tomorrow’ shit as they aim to get the AGM over with and then carry on as ‘normal’.
DON’T LET THEM AWAY WITH IT, GET THEM OUT NOW!
Not another penny! Not another AGM!
Still believe that this cheating eejit is possibly the worst of a very bad bunch, that continue to be allowed to make a mockery of the Scottish game.
Walsh ran him close on Sunday in fairness.
Despite him doing his best to effect the flow of the game, to our disadvantage, still believe that with our more direct style of play in operation, we can and should hopefully make him less relevant imo?
All referees are only allowed to officiate six games per season per club,I understand this is don Robertsons fifth with Celtic including league cup,watch this space!
Editor: That’s a new rule on me, I’m sure we had Madden more than six times in his farewell season of 22/23.
One thing is for sure…
If Assgaurd had committed that assault on Ralston in front of Robertson he would have had a yellow atbthe very worst…
Robertson lets a fuckin disgusting amount of thuggery go unpunished in guid old Scottish Football !
More likely booked Ralston Clach for blocking him!
I don’t think Refereeing is an easy job, but they get paid for it, so they should be constantly driving up standards!
No laughing at the back there please. But they do!
They are quite happy to setlle for mediocrity. There is no culture to motivate them, so you get just that. Mediocrity!
But what often happens is that late in a game or in extra-time they effectively throw in the towel, down tools or whatever you want to call it and sevco very often take advantage of it to the full.
E.g. in the March 2025 2-3 game at Celtic Park the Ref McLean just let the sevco players do what they liked and they ran amock, Igamane scoring late on to win the game. BR called Robertson
“Incompetent”.
I think that’s the most motivating thing Robertson has experienced in his Refereeing career!