Soccer Football - Scottish Premiership - Rangers v Celtic - Ibrox, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - September 3, 2023 Referee Don Robertson reacts REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
Once upon a time, the best part of 40 years ago, the biggest threat that Hearts carried against Celtic was from John Robertson. Now it is Don.
He doesn’t score goals but like John, tomorrow’s referee is a master of winning free-kicks, time wasting and other dark arts. Don delivered a masterclass of that template in September when Hibs spoiled their way to a 0-0 draw.
So far this season 14 different referees have been in charge of Premiership matches.
Dan McFarlane has only had two Premiership matches, at the top of the table is John Beaton and Steven McLean with 10 each. Robertson will reach 10 today, at Celtic Park. It will be his fifth Celtic match of the season- 50% of his appointment have been for Celtic matches.
ROBERTSON STATS
Today is Celtic’s 15th Premiership match- 33% of them refereed by Robertson. No other referee has been in charge of two Celtic matches, Robertson is on five and counting.
Absolutely no one inside football or in legacy media outlets thinks that this is an issue.
Willie Collum appoints Robertson almost by default with Michael Nicholson smiling and accepting a ridiculous anomaly.
Every Celtic fan knows what Robertson brings. He breaks up Celtic’s play better than any defensive midfielder. Not just by positioning himself along an imaginary line 25 yards from goal when the hoops are trying to break down defences.
You don’t need to look too far to pick up a pattern of how Robertson dictates matches.
Against St Mirren in August Celtic had 76% possession. Robertson awarded 10 fouls against the hoops and just 6 against St Mirren. A strange combination, if the foul count was reversed it would be in line with expectations, perhaps falling a little short. 11 v 5 would have been fairer.
ROBERTSON MASTERCLASS
On September 27 Robertson went completely overboard. Hibs players dropped like flies with free-kicks delivered on request. Equally David Gray’s players could charge into Celtic players with immunity.
Robertson was incredibly obliging. Celtic had 77% possession. The free kick count? 16-1 against Celtic. Celtic had three quarters of possession but managed to boot lumps out of Hibs, giving away 16 times as many free kicks. The one free kick awarded against Hibs came in the 88th minute, maybe Robertson remembered.
In many countries stats like that might prompt an enquiry into betting patterns. It certainly isn’t normal.
Between the St Mirren and Hibs matches Robertson also refereed Celtic’s end of August visit to Ibrox.
Collum is relentless in appointing Robertson for Celtic matches, it is as if his unique style of refereeing is being selected to shackle the 4-in-a-row champions. Clearly, CEO Nicholson doesn’t question the repeat appointments, mind you unless it involves those ghastly customers in the Standing Section Nicholson doesn’t really say anything about anything.
WHAT TO EXPECT TODAY
Today the top two clubs in the Premiership meet with the match live on Sky Sports.
Anyone looking at recent stats would expect Celtic to have over 60% possession of the ball, maybe around 65%.
Derek McInnes doesn’t need Jamestown Analytics to work out that in three matches at Celtic Park this season Robertson has awarded Celtic 11 free kicks. Opponents have been given 40 free kicks. Almost four times as many despite having on average 24% possession!
Hearts players will drop easily today and can expect free kicks to break up Celtic’s play.
Celtic players will barely get a free kick no matter what sort of ‘challenges’ Cammy Devlin and his team-mates put in.
Ian Crocker loves his stats. On Sky Sports duty he will be able to chime off anything related to Celtic v Hearts over the last 25 years.
It will be something of a shock if he references how often Robertson referees Celtic matches. He won’t go anywhere near the ‘bizarre’ stats that Robertson throws up in Celtic matches.
Look out for Hearts getting four times as many free kicks as Celtic- unless the man with the whistle has been spooked…
Martin O’Neill also got a taste of Robertson’s style of refereeing.
Last night Sevco had 60% possession and 17 fouls against them whilst only committing 11.
In fact, EVERY game in the spl yesterday the team with the LEAST possession committed the MOST fouls.
Lets see how that compares to todays game.
We already know that stat tho don’t we.
There can be no argument about this accusation as every other stat in said games are comparable to similar games in other leagues across Europe apart from the foul count…….
HH
Watch Hearts go in to tackles like lions. Fall down like kids when tackled!
Genuinely amazed this is not been noticed or highlighted by uefa , the Specsavers logos on the refs shirts are definitely an in house joke at Celtic fans expense, scandalous.
Do the Custodians in the Celtic Boardroom ever Question these facts.
Editor: Nicholson’s silence or ‘penalty to Rangers’ gags encourages it.
He’s nothing but a dirty hun bastards just like the rest of the Masonic cheats who referee games in this bigoted little country
Utterly appalling stats – Shameful CEO Lucan will say the square root of fuck all either !