Celtic digital journalist CraigCelt has expressed his dissatisfaction with the quality of refereeing in following the appointment of Willie Collum for their upcoming clash on Sunday.
This weekend, the Bhoys travel to Ibrox in a clash that will no doubt have huge implications on the title race. As it stands, Celtic possess a three-point buffer over their city rivals with just seven games remaining, although the two sides will meet once more in the championship round before the campaign is out.
Will Celtic beat Rangers?
Yes
No
The decision to select Collum as the man in the middle for this clash is a controversial one. The 43-year-old has angered Rangers in the past, in particular, with the Gers receiving a £6,000 fine in 2018 for criticising the referee following a red card handed to Daniel Candeias, and he was even replaced by Bobby Madden prior to the fixture between the two Glasgow rivals in January.
Craig took somewhat of a diplomatic view when sharing his views on Twitter, saying: “On the topic of referees, there’s not a referee appointment the SFA could make that would satisfy one or both sets of supporters. Forget bullish tribalism and accusations, Willie Collum has shown himself to be utterly inept home and abroad. Things need to change at the SFA.”
TIF Thoughts on Craig’s comments…
Refereeing is a hot topic between Celtic and Rangers supporters. The quality of officiating has come under fire from both sets of fans, while pundits such as Chris Sutton, although partisan in favour of the Bhoys, have waded into the debate in recent weeks.
Decisions favouring either side have at times been questionable, but such is the nature of the rivalry, supporters are prone to exaggeration. Perhaps the hostility towards the men in black is having an impact on the overall quality of refereeing. Collum himself admitted in 2020 he came close to quitting the profession after receiving abuse while out shopping.
This is coming from a man who features on FIFA’s Elite Referees list – if such a senior figure is on the receiving end of scathing attacks, what message does that send to the younger, less-experienced generation?
Constructive criticism is always welcome, and the SFA does need to constantly look at the standard of refereeing, but perhaps supporters should look at the way they treat officials as well.