The job of referee has a kind of inverse relationship between popularity and career progress. Willie Collum has been at the centre of this season’s three major controversies. He was referee on two occasions when his assistants failed to notice Celtic conceded a goal in crucial league games against Rangers and Hearts (on each occasion the ball crossed the line by inches and remained there for a small fraction of a second).
There is very little a ref can do when his assistant doesn’t flag when the ball crosses the goal line, as we all know, but Collum still suffered reputational damage from some who simply blamed him for being in charge when ‘goals’ against Celtic were not awarded by assistant referees.
It takes a brave decision for a ref to award an injury time penalty for a team losing by a goal in a cup final. As we noted yesterday, Anthony Stokes clearly had his ankle clipped when clean through with Cammy Bell to beat on Sunday while the Kilmarnock defender never came close to the ball. This was a foul any day of the week, but having been in charge when Celtic benefited from assistant referee decisions, Collum booked Stokes instead of awarding a penalty.
This incident was almost identical to Collum’s decision not to award Celtic a penalty in the infamous game away to Hamilton Accies in 2011. With five minutes of the game remaining Niall McGinn was tripped inside the box but Collum booked the player.
The offside rule was subject to a new and unique interpretation that day. Hamilton ‘scored’ from a set piece with a player alone inside the six yard box who jumped over the ball. He was in an offside position by several yards and stood in front of Fraser Forster before allowing the ball to pass under him. Collum also sent off James Forrest for blocking a clearance in an incident which caused a Hamilton player to kick his boot.
All of this followed the infamous incident at Celtic Park when despite looking the other way, Collum awarded Rangers a penalty when Kirk Broadfoot stumbled in the vicinity of Daniel Majstorovic.
Without enjoying the light of robust critical analysis of refereeing decisions that happens in most other countries I’m not sure where we go with any of this. Celtic Quick News called both ‘goal’ incidents against Rangers and Hearts as assistant referee mistakes so it is only appropriate we record Mr Collum’s significant mistakes when refereeing Celtic, while we ponder the formula for career progression among Scotland’s referees.
I know we covered the issue of Duff and Phelps needing to talk-up any possibility of nullifying Ticketus ownership of future season tickets, Craig Whyte’s security over Ibrox of HMRC being prepared to accept a few pennies in the pound (before HMRC issued a rare statement about the important of paying your tax, “football club or not”), so apologies for repeating myself, but….
Duff and Phelps have agreed no deal with HMRC. Ticketus retain ownership of future season tickets and the recent court challenge appears to offer little threat, while Craig Whyte retains his security. In addition, Duff and Phelps have received no offer for Rangers with terms which are within their control.
So, apart from having no offers they can accept, no stadium to sell, no control over future season ticket sales, no agreement with HMRC and having absolutely no idea what they will do when player contracts revert to their full value on 1 June, Duff and Phelps job is pretty easy.
Right now they need to keep all their plates in the air. The very least we should do is cut them some slack as they endeavour to work the angles.
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James Forrest 0.20
Great post.
TT
How to win friends and influence ……..careers
Leigh Griffiths headbutted Pat Fenlon and punched Billy Brown but he had an excuse “Sportsmail understands several Hibs players had to be pulled apart earlier in the day before being addressed by Fenlon.”
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2117958/Leigh-Griffiths-finished-Hibernian-head-butting-manager-Pat-Fenlon.html#ixzz1pjilV84p
UC
Top of the morning to you all from a bright and sunny Fife.
James Forrest as usual on the money. An accountat friend of mine who worked for one of the big-5 firms was sent into Hampden on an audit for the government prior to a bid grant being awarded for the new Hampden and he told me that he met just about every person there and almost without exception they gave him the “haundshake”. He also said that Rangers calendars were obligatory office equipment.
Removing a few top people aint gonna change things I fear. Rotten to the core.
I think the C4 News will bring this to the attention of the wider world though and hopefully a good newspaper like the Independent will get someone to it.
JF@0.20am
James, great post. Right on the money. I think you should repost since, I guess, lists of people do not read back. Get it on at peak time.
Keep up the good work.
Sorry folks but I am afraid I have to change topics and vent my spleen a little.
Whilst it is pretty certain that certain folk earning big BIG money have chosen to avoid tax– and I don’t give a Kipper’s Dick if it is leaglly or otherwise– other ordinary people have to face the realities of life from a far less priveleged position.
So let me tell you about Niamh Curry. Niamh is a 5 year old girl who suffers from the same Neuroblastoma cancer as Vanessa Riddle and is trying to raise funds for the same treatment in Philadelphia. For Niamh there is good news and there is bad news.
The good news is that being younger than Vanessa, she has a greater chance of responding successfully to the treatment that is available in the States. All the same she has already undergone a 4 hour operation in an attempt to remove the tumour, has undergone 14 sessions of Radiotherapy, numerous blood and platelet, high dose chemotherapy, stem cell treatments and so on. She has been in hospital for a year… you get the picture.
Of course, as we already know, there is no cure for Niamh in this magnificent country, and so she too has to go down the transatlantic route.
The bad news for Naimh is that her family started raising money- or attempting to- some 3 months ago, and so far they have raised over £100k in that time.
Now, there is no getting away from it, Naimh and her family to my knowledge have no connection whatsoever to Celtic Football Club and that, in part at least, may explain why she has not raised nearly as much money as Vanessa in a longer period of time.
However, a child is a child, and a life worth saving is a life worth saving so if you can give a couple of quid to Naimh as you did for Vanessa.
I know there are other causes and other charities and I send this message in the full knowledge that I have no right to ask and that there are others who are equally deserving. I will also admit to receiving a tweet tonight asking me to follow Naimh’s story from some one who knows I got a wee bit involved re Vanessa. I’m afraid the Tweet was timely and hit the mark, as it arrived in the midst of a discussion about an institution that is either too big or too important to fail, and is apparently just too F…ing greedy to pay the kind of taxes that would make a life saving difference to kids like Vanessa and Naimh.
If anyone feels that this is a step too far or that you have done your bit already then I will fully understand that, as we cannot save every needy child on the planet.
However, this wee lass.. is just that, A wee lass… and whilst others pander to the corrupt and self interested, I believe in the original idea behind the club we follow and that the playing of football- even the following of this particular football team- is only a means to make a difference to someone else who is in need of some help. Especially a child.
So here is Naimh’s page. Please do what you can. If everyone at Hampden on Sunday gives a fiver, then she goes to Philly and probably lives
Sorry for the intrusion.
Brogan
text CURE50 £x to 70070
or see
http://www.justgiving.com/NiamhsNextStep.
Morning all
did anyone else hear on the Radio Clyde sports news at 7.30 that the SFA aren’t going to look into the possibility that Rangers used 2 contracts?
Responsibilities of the Scottish Football Association – And Other Myths – Questions For Mr Regan
http://scotslawthoughts.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/responsibilities-of-the-scottish-football-association-and-other-myths-questions-for-mr-regan/
@alextomo: Interested in previous links between Whyte and administrators alex.thomson@itn.co.uk
Right Bhoys. Work to be done.
MWD
Got a message from Knoxy last night saying wee Oscar doing well but about to start Chemo.
He then started a twitter trend– F..kNeuroblastoma!!
http://www.justgiving.com/NiamhsNextStep
Text CURE50 £x to 70070
Big Nan
There was also a covered up scandal around the rebuilding of Hampden involving rfc.
I remember seeing a tv documentry where it was stated that the rfc chairman-owner stopped a completly new state of the art stadium being built right at thelast minute.
Rfc had up-gaded ibrox to an all-seater stadium and expected to get the internationals. The program showed that the brand new Hampden had been approved all the planning and finance was in place and the bulldozers were ready to move to flatten the old , when rfc blocked it. The reporter was saying “this is a sensational story.”
I never heard anything else about it. The story was silenced.
The result is that we now have a national stadium that is not fit for purpose.
James F brilliant post last night as ever. Your perspicacity is admirable! (and that of Brogan, Auldheid and many many more cqn posters).
I have a huge concern that in seeking to abrogate their responsibilities, deflect the truth, cover their own backsides and protect R(IA), the SFA will only succeed in bringing shame and ridicule to the Scottish game.
We could become the laughing stock of Europe – no-one will trust Scottish clubs, pay heed to records held by Scottish clubs and – worst case senario – we will be barred from European competition (including the national team). This lot are so incompetent, yet arrogant, that they could take us headlong into that abyss.
JF et al – keep telling it as it is
Hail! Hail!
DavieL
If you were the driver or indeed the passengers of a gravy train where everybody fed and everybody kept their positions of plenty would you let a stranger come on board and inspect your gravy train?
Probably not you would have chosen a stranger that could be manipulated and molded to the requirements of the gravy train.
Every so often to keep the party going you have to throw someone off the gravy train to give the appearance of having reformed it but in reality it hurtles on with no regard for anything other than it’s self serving purpose.
Only fearless intervention from outside can change the direction of the gravy train for those aboard will do everything to make sure it keeps running and running.
Is Stewart Regan the man for the job?
You decide.
Station Master or Toilet cleaner??
Starry
Outstanding essay by James Forrest.
I thought last nights C4 piece was very damning indeed, when you consider the language used in reference to the SFA and Rangers FC, it was very hard hitting, common knowledge among us but not the UK public.
The reaction from some of the LL on Twitter has been near panic.
More to come, too!
Brilliant piece of work from James Forrest. Let us hope it’s plain truth is acted upon.
Morning bhoys and ghirls ,
big shout out to the birthday bhoy , TTTT . Happy Birhtday TTTT. Many happy returns.
You’re looking good for 50 . Although not so good if you’re really 30 !
HH
Sanna
Morning all from gay Paree: lovely morning and the sun is out (17C max today).
James Forrest is The Emperor of Ice Cream on 21 March, 2012 at 00:20
Yet another great article!
However, while I like your allusion to the ménage-à-trois of MSM, RFCIA and SFA, I think what we are witnessing is a lot more than a simple threesome.
When you add the Referees, SPL, PFA, questionable Administrators and – more insiduously – certain politicians into the mix what we have is a veritable orgy of corruption.
The evidence is damning but there is still this feeling that punishment will be avoided or minimal, such is the tainted state of the fabric woven into Aul’ Scotia’s establishment.
This message has just appeared on TWITTER!!!
Niamh (Neve) Curry @NiamhsNextStepReply
Retweeted
CQN, thank you all do much for your kind donations to our little girl. You are amazing people Xxx http://just.ly/zXm5TL
whats the latest with izzy ? we need him back so we can get mulgrew back into
centre half.
brings composure to the whole defence when he is in centre. hopefully with rogne
Re snyde reporting SFA doing sfa about 2 contracts
I just heard it on 8.30 bulletin
can’t be true ?
Happy birthdat T4
don’t fall asleep with all those candles on your cake. That would be very scary
Morning all,
Very new to this twitter stuff ( @RossHughes3 ) any suggestions on who to follow?
Thanks in advance.
James Forrest 00-20
Excellent piece. Says it all and is a must read for anyone who missed it.
hh
This guy below plays with Clyde FC.
He really shouldn’t be tweeting such nonsense.
sammy taggart @sammy_taggart Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
@nibear1873 hopefully the Arabs save us. The loaded ones not the tramps from dundee
TT
Morning,all.
I gather RFC(IA) will today hear the verdict on their attempt to stitch-up Ticketus.
If,as we all hope,they lose,can we then refer to them as
RFC(FUBAR)?
What was said on Clyde regarding the 2 contracts ?
Willie Collum will be choking on his bran flakes if he looks at page 14 of his Celtic View this morning. :-)
The argument put forward from the legal reps of Duff & Phelps to nul and void the Ticketus deal is that “one of the interested bidders has said they will walk away” if this deal remains in situ.
That ‘interested bidder’ is Brian Kennedy. A man who has already said that he doesn’t really want to get into football and that his bid is a fall back.
Hardly a convincing argument that the guy who is interested but in a round-about way isn’t really will walk away unless Ticketus are stung for £24m.
Chancers.
optimistic little soldier
Chancers indeed – it has nothing whatever to do with the rights or wrongs of the case.
James Forrest 00:20:
I have forwarded this post to a few friends,I would recommend everyone do likewise.
Re: the SFA not looking to investigate rankers issue of two contracts to players…
YET! wait till UEFA get involved or fans start asking questions.
Matthew Lynsye not a happy bear?
Matthew Lindsay @MattLindsayET Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
@TomEnglishSport Well, it didn’t have Spiersy on it, which is something I suppose. #thankfulforsmallmercies
In reply to Tom English
12h Matthew Lindsay @MattLindsayET Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
An old pal of mine from the Highlands is a producer for Channel 4 News. Will need to have serious words with him about editorial standards.
12h Matthew Lindsay @MattLindsayET Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
@JonCoates It was presented as if they had unearthed all these bombshell revelations themselves Jon. Which they didn’t.
In reply to Jon Coates
12h Matthew Lindsay @MattLindsayET Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
“Channel 4 News can reveal . . .” Oh really? You can? Why? Do you think nobody in Scotland watches? What a steaming pile of reheated shite!
12h Matthew Lindsay @MattLindsayET Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
Henry McLeish calling for Scottish football’s finances to be cleaned up? Whatever next? Vladimir Romanov appointed head of PFA Scotland?
Is it not the case that the SPL are looking into the two contracts issue and the SFA are standing aside to let that happen as any appeal on their findings will go to them ?
BRTH
just snyde puting a positive spin on it for the orcs then..?
SFA are attempting to muddy the waters by asking clubs to reveal any hidden payments to players.
Serious question: does anyone know the significance of the 6th April deadline – apart from delaying any decision on punishing the guilty?
Not as clued up on all the goings on with the tax dodgers and their mates at the Sectarian Football Association , as some on here , but would it be possible to bring together all we know on these matters in a step by step booklet and present it to outside media , Uefa , Fifa etc .
Sorry if this has already been suggested .
Hail Hail
@kayal33 “@alextomo: Hopefully next #c4news report thurs-sat then filming at Ibrox Sunday” alex #jellyandicecream?
FGF
Iv always wondered that aswel, same with the incidents last season with the emails etc can someone who has all the info not piece it together and try send to uefa aswel as the piece JF just wrote.
sixtaeseven: No NewCo in SPL and it’s Non-Negotiable! ,
post-split !?
OLS
I don’t think that that is the main point for Rangers trying to get out of the Ticketus deal.
The main point is that they will seek to show that Craig Whyte offered tickets when they weren’t his to offer.
They have a decent point.
My view is that the Ticketus deal will be upheld.
Craig Whyte is far from foolish.
The Ticketus deal is quite brilliant if it stands.
It provided finance for the purchase and it will stave of potential buyers until liquidation arrives.
Liquidation has always been CW’s goal.
Unencumbered assets at his mercy to sell , when and to whom he wants.
Craig Whyte is The Daddy of Rangers.
TT
James Forrest is The Emperor of Ice Cream on 21 March, 2012 at 00:20 said:
All hail hail the Emperor of ice cream.