GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - MARCH 30: Referee David Dickinson signals for a VAR check before awarding a penalty to Rangers during a cinch Premiership match between Rangers and Hibernian at Ibrox Stadium, on March 30, 2024, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
From out of the blue David Dickinson is back in the Scottish football spotlight.
Dickinson of course won’t be refereeing at the World Cup Finals this summer.
FIFA have selected 170 officials to cover their expanded tournament of 104 match. None of Willie Collum’s elite officials are included.
Dickinson has been selected to referee Celtic’s match away to Hibs on Sunday.
It is a match that Dickinson and his family have a keen interest in.
Before they made their Facebook profiles private the staunchness of the Dickinson family oozed out.
Especially Uncle David who now lives in Australia. He is so close to young David that he even calls him son.
Dickinson has already had a telling influence in the title race.
DICKINSON’S TELLING INFLUENCE ON THE SPFL TITLE RACE
Bizarrely Collum appointed Dickinson to take charge of four matches involving his favourite club between December 3 and February 4.
Highlighting how unusual that run was he hasn’t refereed any of Danny Rohl’s matches since then.
David Dickinson. This man is the ONLY reason rangers are even in the top 4 never mind a title race. 7 points he has won them this season between dodgy penalties and offside decisions. So don’t be surprised on Sunday when he does everything in his power to prevent a Celtic win. pic.twitter.com/qYMnqhAfUS
— Tam (@coybig6721) April 28, 2026
David Dickinson ?
Reffed 4 Hun games this season.
??Dun.Utd (A) 2-2 – Awards the Huns a 97th min pen.
?? M’well (H) 1-0 Denies M’well a stonewall pen.
?? Aberdeen (A) 2-0 Awards the Huns a soft pen.
?? Kilmarnock (H) Awards the Huns a 5th min pen. Red card for Killie 4mins pic.twitter.com/FVa2346xka
— Celtic Curio (@Celticcurio) February 4, 2026
Away to Dundee United Manny Fernandez raised his arm to control a long throw into the penalty box. United were leading 2-1 at the time, Dickinson saw nothing but did see a 97th minute penalty at the other end. Nedim Bajrami equalised with the penalty.
On December 27 at Ibrox Motherwell were denied a clear penalty late in the game while they were trailing 1-0. Manny Fernandez, again, chopped Lukas Fadinger but Dickinson didn’t see anything wrong with the challenge.
On January 11 at Pittodrie Dickinson wasn’t slow to award a penalty against Aberdeen when Djeidi Gassama launched himself into the air. Leading 1-0 at the time, James Tavernier’s 74th minute penalty sealed the match.
Dickinson was back at Ibrox on February 4, Neil McCann wasn’t spared. After just four minutes Dickinson awarded the home side a penalty with Dom Thompson sent off. Kilmarnock lost 5-1.
Hibs at Easter Road in recent seasons has been a very difficult fixture for Celtic. This Sunday, even more so.
Let’s go and put in another fine performance and show him up for the corrupt official he is.
The big games in Scotland are the ones that FIFA will send referee assessor’s too, it is unbelievable that they chose assisting their favourite new club over international recognition, the Euro’s are a few short years away and zero SPFL officials will be there either…….
HH