Scotland’s Senior Referees have issued a statement about Michael Stewart.
If ever there was a case of growing a mountain out of a molehill it is this.
The story went public on Friday with the news that the SFA had banned Stewart from Hampden for upsetting referees with his comments.
At the Dunfermline v Falkirk match on Saturday Premier Sports made light of the issue by having Stewart in a van in the car park assessing the match.
Rather than let that blow over Premier Sports were informed that the ban extended to the Hampden footprint!
It isn’t known if stewards were searching vans going into the car park for the Celtic v St Mirren match.
STEWART TAKES TO THE HAMPDEN CAR PARK
Premier Sports announced that the ban on Stewart had been extended. They also stated that they hoped that it would be resolved soon.
That seems unlikely with the body representing John Beaton, Andrew Dallas and David Dickinson deciding to get involved!
The Scottish Senior Football Referees’ Association (SSFRA) have released a statement aligning themselves with the SFA’s view that Michael Stewart’s commentary has “at times extended beyond fair and legitimate criticism, including personal remarks that call into question the… https://t.co/xhCrfXwmOw pic.twitter.com/wksbd7HUIe
— Scotland’s Coefficient (@scotlandscoeff1) April 20, 2026
Scottish referees are horrific. Hardly surprising when the head of refereeing is Willie Collum.
FIFA have acknowledged that by ignoring every Scottish official in their list of 170 selected to cover 104 matches at the World Cup Finals.
Collum and his cronies could easily go on the front foot and dispute the claims being made by Stewart.
Collum has made a point of strengthening relationships across legacy media. Every month there is an interview with the former schoolteacher showing what a great regular guy he is.
Collum has no passion or interest in football. It is all about self projection, now there is a generation of referees emerging modelled on Collum. Like Matthew MacDermid who mishandled the Celtic v St Mirren match.
With five matches left in the SPFL Premiership the spotlight is now firmly on the decisions of referees and VAR officials.
The actions of the SFA with Michael Stewart have ensured that.
Having imposed their authority on Premier Sports the SFA need to be very careful with the exclusive broadcaster and sponsor of the SPFL League Cup.
Scottish referees have no credibility so are in no position to lecture anybody especially a ex pro and a very fine football analysis, Micheal must of hit a nerve…..Willie probably doesn’t want anyone to know he’s in charge of a bunch of cheating bigoted masonic useless bastards. Well done Mr Stewart you must be doing something ?????
Scottish referees, indeed the LRA alone, could fill an entire Spittin’ Image type parody programme every time they embarrass themselves with their antics and that’s every week.
Many will remember that Gollum was known for the fact that after almost every game he ever reffed there was more talk of HIM and his blunders and weird decisions than there was about the match. That has long been widely recognised as drastic reffing and that’s exactly what Gollum brought to fitba.
How then can he POSSIBLY be put in charge of other refs? It’s simple, simple as a,b,c. Anyone bar Celtic. To quote a famous international commentator “…..Willie probably doesn’t want anyone to know he’s in charge of a bunch of cheating bigoted masonic useless bastards.” I rest my case, m’lud!
It’s no coincidence.
They don’t want him party to VAR conversations in the tightest of run ins where they need to ensure a league win for Sevco when automatic CL qualification is at stake.
Stewart would be the very man to highlight any form of shithousery, so he’s gone.
Hopefully the wee flowers go on strike and then we can look to bin the lot of them. Zero accountability + a limited gene pool selection process = Fuds
I’m not Stewart’s biggest fan but if there’s one thing that unites Scottish football fans it the atrocious refereeing. Even the mad hun hordes feel aggrieved for some reason. Premier Sports should call the SFA and the cheating referees out and rip up the contract very publicly, they are a media company after all and have the means to bring them all down with one highlight show.
Mikey will be broadcasting live from The Beechwood or The Montford for the final at this rate!
As for the refs, what can we say? If you don’t like being criticised for being inept, incompetent or biased, you could always try not interpreting the laws of the game in an entirely arbitrary manner….
Are they gonna ban Sevco and all the clubs that are invited to Govan to discuss how shit refereeing is ?
What’s the difference between that and Stewart?
Bhoy4life @ 4.04pm…
MAGNIFICENT point there buddy !
And there will be enough done in dishonesty to swing the title the way of Sevco…
They have had EVERYTHING since their fantastic (yet incredibly hated) CEO screamed from the rooftops about their young swifts educator Nick Walsh’s performance in The League Cup Semi Final…
Where the f*ck was Maximatoesas Maxwell then !
This is another example which reaffirms just how unqualified Maxwell is, as CEO.
First, he decided to bar a pundit – and signed the letter in his own name (allegedly).
And, as far as I know, the Referees’ Association are service providers to the SFA.
If SFA customers (e.g. pundits, supporters), complain about the low standard of that service provided, it’s not for the Referees ‘ Association to respond publicly, but it’s for the SFA to investigate and take suitable action, as necessary.
Maxwell is being publicly undermined, but is probably unaware.
A proper CEO would kick the Referees Association up the arse, and tell them to wind their necks in: the SFA alone will issue any public statements.
But, then again Maxwell has been ineffectual / incompetent to allow this match officiating crisis to develop in recent seasons.
Whatever the SFA does – if anything – will be typically unsatisfactory.
The incident involving O’Hara catching the ball on the pitch on Sunday and then throwing it off the pitch, NO yellow card (tho he received one later), NO free kick…… Referee’s decision “a shy”.
Michael’s recent comments have been complimentary compared to the officiating standards we watch weekly…..
HH