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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Mick on 20 March, 2012 at 15:35 said:
E-mail address if you like, although I don’t know that I can add anything to post.
Around 2 weeks ago I posted on here whether my fellow Celtic supporters would take winning a treble over winning the league at Ibrox. There was a mixed response, maybe 60/40 in favour of a treble.
Sunday was hugely disappointing, but at the end of the day we would have taken winning the league first and foremost at the beginning of the campaign.
Even at the turn of the year we would not have predicted things unfolding so favourably for us and so unfavourably for our creature neighbours (as qucikly as it did happen anyway).
Even now, if Motherwell end up winning and we are not presented with this opportunity at Ibrox, I would bite anyones hand off to beat them at Ibrokes and bury them once and for all.
Make no mistake about it, they will be well up for it and will look for all they can get from the MIBs.
Lets just bury them Celts.
My team to face them: Forster, Matthews, Charlie, Rogne, Izzaguirre, Brown, Wanyama, Ledley, Commons, Sammy, Hooper.
HH,
CB
To all these new dads.
In my experience children don’t change your life. They ruin it!
voguepunter on 20 March, 2012 at 15:50 said: Whit is it way all the auld da’s? DESOCCONNOR C.S.C
That could be an apt bit of rhyming slang in there mate……
Alex Thomson to Hugh Adam
‘I put it to him that if it is in fact true, then Rangers FC were cheating for years. Is it cheating, I ask?’
“It is. It is.”
It will be enough to get out of Ibrox on Sunday with players, officials and fans intact.
Be under no illusions, the atmosphere will be venomous. And that is putting it mildly.
quonno on 20 March, 2012 at 16:02
Thanks for the reply.
I’ve been wondering how to tape from the V+ box for ages,thanks for the info that you already posted I’ll investigate further.
HH
Lads what do you think of thus one.
SPL give Huns a massive PTS deduction when FTT has been decided and puts them to bottom of table, Huns appeal to SFA and knowing to well they can’t move from top 6 to bottom 6 per rules and they appeal and win and this make the SFA/SPL the good guy because the applied the rules.
Or maybe I’m well off the mark with that one.
ibleedgreenandwhite1
Not sure about your selection pal.
Don’t fancy Vic at centre half, I think he gives us more grind and strength in centre mid.
For me, Ki starting against them would be a mistake as well. As depleted as they are, they will come out fighting like hell and kicking seven shades of sh*t out of us. Ki is not the man for that department.
By the way, after Sunday, we are due big performances from Joe Ledley and Hoops. Two massive players for us, who have been great this season, but they failed to show up Sunday!
HH
Deniabhoy – congratulations , I became a dad 3 months ago at the age of 42 and a bit! Its a game changer in the most awesome way. Savour every second.
DeniaBhoy on 20 March, 2012 at 15:26 said:
Delighted to hear your news, young man.
There is no manual for raising children.
Follow your instincts and look back on how you were raised.
Use the good bits and discard the not so good…if there were any!
Green Maestro?????
Aw naw
That’s is aw greetin on a Tuesday afternoon
Hope you pleased wae yirsel, ya big safty.
Aw naw
See greetin and spelling mistakes!
Mick on 20 March, 2012 at 16:08 said:
quonno on 20 March, 2012 at 16:02
Had a quick look.
Google How to record from V+ box.
There you will find similarly named website that gives a bit of information about procedure.
Good luck.
Kojo on 20 March, 2012 at 15:44
I see what you are saying in the sense that, ‘you are only as good as your last game’…or last three or four games…as you put it.
But mate, can you honestly use that to say that the Celts have not been good this season?
Since the turn of the year, we have put in some fantsastic performances, and scored some great goals to show for it.
The run that we have went on isn’t just ordinary statistics…that run is something to be proud of in any league, no matter what way you do it.
It came to a ‘screeching halt’ purely with the draw at Aberdeen (unfortunate) and a one off game in the cup final against Killie (we were again unfortunate IMO).
I think we should still be going into the game on Sunday with our heads held high and looking to win at all costs and put as much damage to that horrible mob as possible.
HH,
CB
Greenmaestro @ 1603hrs,
tongue-in-cheek or your true thoughts?
HAIL! HAIL!
Token
AWeeSmileyOrEquivalentMakesAllTheDifference CSC
quonno
cheers mate on to it right now.
hen1rik on 20 March, 2012 at 16:09
We talked about that outcome before the game, they’ve been bending (and braking) the rules for years.
Dignity…my arse!
Like Hitler in his bunker, at what point does there become simply too many fronts to defend, too many traitors to shoot, too few allies left to perpetrate the lies?
The 5Live Nuremberg rally last night suggests some way to go.
Patience, vigilence and determination bhoys.
HH
TLK
kikinthenakas
Guilty !!!
Hail Hail
Denia
and now the truth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ESDF3G7_u0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36IN33Mr-5M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC9SQI0G54E&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KphPt0qvn0w
Denia
and now the truth continued
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX_4NgspOMM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSyQLctG5AA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnH3SlnoUu8
Episode two is missing… dont know WHY !!! can´t find it anywhere
Hail Hail
Paul67
Easy to highlight ref mistakes, no debate if Hooper had done what he should have done after 4mins and scored. Who is to say the penalty would have been scored, had it been given?
GordonJ 15.59
It will never catch on up here, not enough officials to accomodate our top flight game.
As an ex SFA referee it is dead easy to criticise refs for ‘honest mistakes’, a lot of people should give it a try before having a go at them, try before you buy, if you like. In my career I made plenty of mistakes, a guy got a really bad broken leg & missed a full season, I did not even think it was a free kick! I took up refereeing as I did not get signed on an ‘S’ form with a Premier League club, but still wanted to remain in the game. From a manager of a top flight junior side, ‘if you think the ref’s are bad just now, wait to you see the next ones coming through’. God help us…
DeniaBhoy on 20 March, 2012 at 15:26 said:
Congrartulations all the best.
Hail Hail
The bookies seem to more confident than some on here. William Hill offering 5/2 the Hun on Sunday.
5/2 !! At Home!!
U19 team looking good for the double. Also, all fine and dandy at rangers, that will be why their U19 team keep postponing fixtures…
Celtic’s youth side are just two wins away from clinching the SPL title.
Leaders Hearts drew 2-2 at home to Motherwell today to go two points ahead of John Kennedy’s side who have three games in hand over the Edinburgh side.
Hearts final fixture is away to city rivals Hibs while Celtic still have to play Rangers home and away, Dunfermline away and Hibs at home.
Celtic’s next match is next Tuesday away to Dunfermline at Stirling University.
Kennedy’s side are on a 10 match winning run in the SPL, SFA Youth Cup and Next Gen Series.
A date has still to be found for the postponed match against Rangers last Saturday.
The Ibrox side have already called off this weekends game with St Johnstone and have four fixtures left to fulfill.
As well as the SPL Celtic are also going for the SFA Youth Cup for the third season running, in the semi final of that competition Kennedy’s side face St Mirren.
Midfield maestro
With you being an ex-referee you should be able to decider what is, and is not, an honest mistake……we have been shafted for, at least, 3 years…… By small minded little biggest……end of
Kojo,
Any chance Celtic might look at the 1995/96 season and 1996/1997 season of a title strip if Mr Adam allegations true?
midfield maestro on 20 March, 2012 at 16:26 said:
I’m with you on how difficult the job is and that we should bite our tongue at the children’s and junior matches (and even the pro matches!!!) and encourage people to take it up. I’ve refereed hockey and basketball matches only, and whilst not anywhere near the standard you are experienced in, can concur with you.
When were you a SFA ref and for how long? Who was in charge of the refs at that time? What was the assessment process? Did you ever get any inkling from the locker room that certain “modes” of refereeing were rewarded over others?
Apologies for the leading questions but genuinely interested in your experiences of the culture and operations of being a SFA ref.
Thanks
HH
TLK
From goal.com
Former Celtic midfielder Aiden McGeady has admitted he has no sympathy for Rangers but does think the SPL would suffer without them.
The Republic of Ireland international, who now plays for Spartak Moscow in the Russian Premier League started his career at Rangers’ arch rivals and has admitted that being a boyhood fan of Celtic he would be happy if the Ibrox club ceased to exist.
Talking to Rian.ru McGeady said: “They’re falling apart, obviously at the minute. I’m a Celtic fan, so I’ve no real sympathy.
“Looking at it from a Celtic fan’s point of view, of course every Celtic fan would take joy in it.”
I wonder why some folk think that we need to ADMIT being over the moon about the demise of the sporting equivalent of the NF. Me personally, I generally admit nuffing, but certainly wont ever apologise for being delighted.
WGS on 20 March, 2012 at 16:33 said:
Kojo,
Any chance Celtic might look at the 1995/96 season and 1996/1997 season of a title strip if Mr Adam allegations true?
+++++
Any strip with Alex Cleland, Iain Durrant and Spadeface Ferguson would surely break the offensive act of footballers (or whatever nonsense it’s called).
**barf**
Citibhoy Shoulder to Shoulder with Neil Lennon on 20 March, 2012 at 16:13 said:
Green Maestro?????
I think it was on a a t-shirt for pregnant wumin :)
I have 3 wee darlings myself.
Am i to late to wish Aipple a happy birthday ?
With all these revelations of the corrupt
practices at TFOD coming to light…
It’s difficult to keep one’s sense of reality,in these exhilarating times..
Then Kojo comes along,asking what
‘MSM’ stands for…
If a person fae Wishy expressed unfamiliarity with the term…
Well,ah widnae be altogether surprised
,palomine..
Howeva,for someone exposed to the US Media for decades,sippin’ pina coladas on the roof garden of his condo
in an exclusive gated community,wi Lou,the Pooka,and next door’s Mexican
gardener in attendance,El Dorado Cadillac snug in its underground car park,the twa emergency flares placed handily in the trunk,alongside the Famous Beanie Hat wi’ the Propellers..?
Well….Ah’d be having Alex Thompson askin’ some probing questions here,
Some transparency required ?
Wrap up well,Virginia….Kate Cubie says
it’s tae be cauld and blustery tomorrow
,whitever spin that ‘amateur’ fae East
Kilbride puts on it…
All my illusions shattered..
Still Laughin’,though….
Any more info on the story Celtic were consulting UEFA re huns and SFA?
midfield maestro
If Cammy Bell had done what he should have done then Hoopers shot is saved.also. So I dont follow your logic at all.
It is a line that is trotted out by poor match officials.
Which is ok .. it depends on what level you are trying to attain.
From what you are saying it would seem like the Hugh Dallas initiative was/is a disaster
I dont see it as being a coincidence that all International Scottish referees have a crap reputation internationally.
Take next week for example how can anybody associated with Calum Murray hope for fair treatment after the leniency he showed and was given by the SFA towards Bougherra , Diouf , Whittaker and Mc Coist after their shame game ?
Again Craig Thompson re-markedly changed his refereeing style after the referee strike and the revelation that his wage was being funded by a company that has a box at Ibrox as well as winning regular contracts at Ibrox ?
These guys are handsomely paid for the job they do. If Scottish refs cannot be found of the sufficient quality AND INTEGRITY then we need to address that problem
The fact of the matter is that the SFA has been proven to be Rangers protection racket and the referees behave in this way. Not over on decision or in one game but campaign after campaign season after season.
Additionally if you are of the belief that the ones coming through are poor then why do we not nip this problem in the bud and start recruiting foreign referees now.
Hail Hail
DeniaBhoy on 20 March, 2012 at 15:26 said:
========================
Congratulations to you and yours.
HH
Lizard king & 67Heaven
I can assure you both sides of the fence are as bad as each other, myself included.