Bleating Celtic supporting ref confesses over his Glasgow Derby demise

Sixteen years after the event Steve Conroy is still feeling sorry for himself.

At the end of 2009 he was informed that he would be refereeing the opening Glasgow derby of 2010.

Struggling Tony Mowbray’s Celtic side badly needed a win in the fixture, earlier in the season they had been subjected to an incredible performance from Craig Thomson at Ibrox.

The hoops had two clear cut penalties denied in the opening 20 minutes in front of the Copland Road Stand. Thomson wanted to prolong his career.

Watching from the Copland Stand that day were two aspiring referees, one was called Dickinson and the other was Beaton from Bellshill.

With the homeside leading 2-0 Thomson relented by awarding Celtic a penalty in the 25th minute. Aiden McGeady scored.

Topping off an incredible performance Thomson opted out of punishing Kyle Lafferty for a Kung-Fu assault on Zheng Zhi.

Four Celtic players were booked, two for the home team. Exactly what was expected.

Thomson continued to referee that fixture until he retired in 2019.

CONROY APOINTED- CELTIC UP AGAINST THE ODDS

Conroy was selected to referee the next Glasgow Derby.

Apparently he was a known Celtic supporter. He knew what was expected of him on the day, what to deliver to ensure a future at the top level.

More Glasgow Derbies, cup finals and semis and a place on the lucrative international set up.

All aspiring referees aim for the European trips, the first class travel, UEFA payments, give star hotels and very generous expenses. And of course exceptional hospitality from the home club.

This is Steve Conroy. Steve Conroy is intimating that Fernandez didn’t commit a foul.

The video is also Steve Conroy. Steve Conroy is intimating that Fortune committed a foul by interfering with the keepers arms as he jumped.

Steve Conroy is at it. Don’t be like Steve Conroy. https://t.co/DbPHaUQFWM pic.twitter.com/XSfvMrZPG5

— The Celtic Way (@TheCelticWay3) January 12, 2026

Conroy had all that and more in front of him on 3 January 2010.

Unfortunately he blew it. He went overboard, he over compensated.

Two names dominated dominated the aftermath of the game. Marco Fortune and Kyle Lafferty.

Conroy disallowed a headed goal from Fortune to open the scoring for no reason.

Conroy was terrified to send off Kyle for a brutal studs up attack on Andreas Hinkel.

3 JANUARY 2010

To this day Conroy still bleats about that match.

Today he is feeling sorry for himself in the Daily Record:

There’s no maybe about Lafferty, that should have been a red card.

Absolutely no doubt whatsoever. I’ve watched it back hundreds of times and I was just caught out of position.

I was in a position I should never have been in and the only excuse I give myself is that I must have been so nervous. I shouldn’t have been able to get into the position that I was in.

It meant that I saw Lafferty’s straight leg on Andreas Hinkel from behind rather than side on where I should have been.

Lafferty would have been sent off if there had been VAR. Without a shadow of a doubt.

Every single person from every angle in the stadium knew that it was a red card. Conroy knew that going down to 10 men would pile the pressure on Rangers.

He feared the wrath of Walter Smith and the impact on his future refereeing prospects.

Conroy booked Lafferty, Rangers retained 11 men and drew the match 1-1.

Turning to the other incident the former ref added:

I’m standing by the Fortune one though. Again I’ve watched that hundreds of times and I still think it’s a foul.

Lafferty would have been sent off if there had been VAR. Without a shadow of a doubt.

I’m standing by the Fortune one though.

Again I’ve watched that hundreds of times and I still think it’s a foul.

Conroy brought scrutiny on himself.

GOODBYE CONROY, HELLO HELLO COLLUM

There was another emerging referee coming through from Lanarkshire.

In October 2010 Willie Collum, a teacher of RE was put in charge of Celtic v Rangers.

Collum awarded Rangers a penalty for a squeal from Kirk Broadfoot. Collum had his back to the incident. He awarded a penalty that he didn’t see.

Collum enjoyed another 13 years on the refereeing gravy train. He knew what was expected.

After going overboard the glamour fixtures dried up for Conroy. When he found himself in League One away from the cameras he spat out the dummy.

Today Collum has appointed two of his closest pals for the key positions in the Glasgow Derby.

John Beaton as referee, Steven McLean on VAR.

BEATON AND MCLEAN COMBO

No legacy media outlets have gone anywhere near profiling Beaton and McLean.

The boyhood Rangers fan being in charge of a visit to Ibrox from Celtic.

The brother of a Rangers reserve being on VAR for the fixture, crucial for both side’s title prospects.

McLean’s brother Brian was so staunch that he won two u-21 caps for ‘Northern Ireland’ before finding out that he was ineligible.

Conroy now runs a podcast with Des Roache where he constantly trips himself up with conflicting views.

He’d never go near how the second best team in Scotland went through runs of 75 and 64 SPFL matches without conceding a penalty.

Beaton, McLean, Collum, David Dickinson, Don Robertson and Bobby Madden were heavily involved in those runs.

Since the first SPFL derby in 2016 only members of the Lanarkshire and Glasgow Refereeing Associations have been appointed for the Glasgow Derby.

Conroy and Roache will be primed to justify decisions taken in today’s match for legacy outlets.