Matthew MacDermid- Not Fit For Purpose

At Hampden Matthew MacDermid demonstrated why he shouldn’t be refereeing anywhere near important football matches.

There were no game changing howlers, just a series of baffling decisions that contradicted the Laws of the Game.

Just like at Tynecastle the previous week when he awarded Hearts an 87th minute penalty.

Landry Kabore was sitting on the ground when he back-headed the ball as Welsh attempted to kick the ball clear.

Bullied by Steven McLean on VAR duty MacDermid watched a replay and awarded a penalty. He should have awarded Motherwell a free kick for dangerous play by Kabore.

There are three reasons why MacDermid refereed at Hampden on Sunday.

WHY IS MACDERMID REFEREEING TOP LEVEL MATCHES?

He is a school-teacher from Lanarkshire and his Dad Findlay was also a referee.

The criteria that tick boxes for Willie Collum. Another Collum clone.

If MacDermid was a 34-year-old plumber/joiner/taxi driver from Aberdeen/Edinburgh/Dundee he’d be refereeing Junior matches for extra pocket money.

Under Collum he is being accelerated through the ranks when he is clearly out of his depth doing big boys football.

Eleven minutes into yesterday’s match a nervous Mark O’Hara threw up both hands to catch the ball near the touchline.

MacDermid and his assistant were near by, they both had a perfect view. There was no doubting what had happened, O’Hara is over six foot tall and was at full stretch.

MacDermid was panic struck. He knew what he should do but knew the consequences.

What if in extra-time O’Hara is being skinned by James Forrest and hacks him to the ground? He’d need to send off the St Mirren skipper.

MacDermid choked. He didn’t book O’Hara, he didn’t even award Celtic a free kick.

From then on he went through the SFA refereeing playbook.

St Mirren players hit the deck at every challenge. Free kick and the chance to launch the ball into the Celtic penalty box.

Celtic players were routinely knocked off the ball, MacDermid would play on.

Worst of all there are other MacDermid’s in Collum’s pipeline. All crafted by the master.

And Collum owes his entire career to Hugh Dallas.

If he had been a plumber from Peterhead he’d never have got near refereeing a proper football match.

Now he is in charge of the whole circus.

NOTE: O’Hara was booked in the 95th minute for a brutal kick at James Forrest