HAMILTON, SCOTLAND - JANUARY 28: Head of Referee Operations Willie Collum during a William Hill Championship match between Hamilton Academical and Raith Rovers at the ZLX Stadium, on January 28, 2025, in Hamilton, Scotland. (Photo by Roddy Scott/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Celtic are up against one of the most formidable teams in football tonight with Matthew MacDermid and Grant Irvine in charge of the match with St Johnstone.
The same duo were in charge of one of the most ridiculously ‘controlled’ matches of last season when Celtic lost 2-1 at home to Hibs in March.
Clearly Willie Collum thinks that the partnership of MacDermid and Irvine work well together.
For added impact Ryan Lee who followed Don Robertson’s instruction to disallow Shim Mheuka’s ‘goal’ against St Mirren is the assistant VAR!
MacDermid on the pitch and Irvine on VAR duty after he finishes his day job at Boclair Academy working on the fitness of the Murray Park starlets.
MacDermid applies very subjective decision making. He is easily controlled from the VAR room as Irvine exerts his influence.
CELTIC V HIBS MARRED BY ‘MYSTERIOUS’ DECISIONS
The game against Hibs was a grim encounter with the match officials adding to the problems.
Kieran McGrath was constantly fouling and obstructing Auston Trusty at corner kicks. In the first half the Hibs midfielder was warned against his actions. He smiled and continued as normal.
In the second half MacDermid noticed Trusty strike back at McGrath and decided to book the Celtic defender.
In the VAR studio Irvine saw his opportunity. Following a pitchside VAR review the yellow card issued to Trusty was upgraded to red.
? “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
The match officials weren’t content to leave things at that. They had much more in store with the match tied at 1-1. They had only started.
From the resulting corner Liam Scales had his jersey pulled by Jack Iredale, the explanation given to Martin O’Neill defies logic. There is no time limit on shirt pulling.
Not content with denying Celtic a penalty the corner was headed behind by Warren O’Hora. Typically MacDermit restarted the match with a goal-kick to Hibs.
After the VAR shambles at St Mirren on Saturday Celtic know exactly what they are up against tonight. Not just St Johnstone.
Put the game to bed tonight by quickly going 3-0 up inside 20 minutes and then relax and start playing football !
That way the referee and his line assistants and VAR poodles become insignificant and unimportant as far as the outcome of the game is concerned ? Let’s hope VAR is in perfect working order tonight unlike the situation in Paisley ?
The officials’ communication system was knackered with a capital ‘F ‘and the lines could not be ‘used ‘properly too ! Methinks the entire VAR and system did not work for the entire second half for the St Mirren v Celtic game and they hoped nobody would notice ?
Something the SMSM disregarded altogether!
If the Celtic Fans Collective ever show they have any balls then the plc board would start bricking it and listen to our supporters. As ever, time will tell but the new CFC are, imho, very disappointing in just about everything to date.
NAP should be stepped up along with direct protests against the board and the arsehole, golfing, parasitic Irishman who runs OUR club like a wee family chippy.
It’s actually a PLC and there may well be a route citing the absolute lack of corporate governance and, e.g. time spent on the board in a Non-Exec capacity. I just wish I knew more and that there were more genuine Rebels in our support. I live in hope…………
If ya thought tonight was bad just fu**in wait until Sunday Bloody Sunday !