GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - AUGUST 17: Referee Matthew MacDermid during a Premier Sports Cup last sixteen match between Rangers and St Johnstone at Hampden Park, on August 17, 2024, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Martin O’Neill has called out the strange decision making of Matthew MacDermid.
The Lanarkshire based official was in charge for Celtic’s defeat from Hibs and is most definitely of the Willie Collum breed.
Self centred and determined to be the star of the show, MacDermid was all that and more.
As is standard with Scottish referees despite Celtic having 61.1% possession more free kicks were awarded against the hoops.
Basically opponents, despite a minority of time on the ball are more likely to be awarded free kicks. Or Celtic are much less likely to be awarded free kicks.
Opposing players use that to their advantage. Managers study opponents, they get the analysis, they know how referees operate.
DOUBLE STANDARDS FROM MACDERMID
In the 72nd minute MacDermid was sent to the pitchside monitor by VAR official Grant Irvine. When he returned the Celtic defender was sent off.
When the corner was taken MacDermid and Irvine were much more lax with their application of the rules.
Jack Iredale started off pushing Liam Scales then pulled his shirt for a few seconds as the Celtic defender tried to connect with a corner kick.
After a brief pause play restarted with a goal kick to Hibs despite Warren O’Hara clearly heading behind his own goal.
? “The referee’s words were he didn’t hold on to him long enough, but it seems a wee bit strange.”
Celtic manager Martin O’Neill felt he got a “strange” explanation for why his team did not get a penalty during their 2-1 defeat by Hibernian. ??https://t.co/oXtwLcnOUl pic.twitter.com/2m1Xc9vQhG
— Clyde 1 Superscoreboard (@ClydeSSB) February 22, 2026
Well, the referee said, I think his words were that he didn’t hold on to him long enough. But it seems a wee bit strange. You know, if you’re grabbing somebody’s shirt and he’s making a move to try and get the ball, and you’re holding on to his shirt, I thought that was… it was some years ago, it was a penalty some years ago, but I don’t know.
Throughout the match MacDermid constantly placed himself in the way of the Celtic midfielders as they pressed the ball forward.
As well as a bank of seven or eight Hibs players the home side had to play around the match referee.
Despite the sending off of Trusty, the Scales penalty claim and lots of time wasting MacDermid only added five minutes of stoppage time.
Celtic haven’t issued their template ‘surprised and disappointed’ statement on referees since January 2019 following the Beaton & Morelos Show at Ibrox.
Penalty to Rangers
Ha ha ha
£800,000 pa
Ha ha
Why were CELTIC not given another corner when a hibs player heads the ball out and all the “grade 1” referees both on the park and on VAR agreed it wasn’t a penalty…i thought VAR was looking at a possible penalty NOT a previous incident as the reason not to give a penalty…Trusty was sent off for reacting to being FOULED was that foul also looked at by VAR while making the decision to send a player off
Aye, and the Hibs guy then drops down like he’s been shot!
Trusty was fukkin stupid but a fair outcome would’ve been to book BOTH of them, Trusty for being fukkin stupid and the Hibs guy for acting……’simulation’ as it’s referred to. FFS.
BUT, we’re paying for the board’s failures and unless/until they’re removed I don’t see much changing.
Picket CP and picket their homes, especially the leafy, suburban wan in Dublin.
That would effect change.