I doubt Willie Collum expects to solve the world’s problems with his approach to his new job as SFA Head of Refereeing, but it is remarkably refreshing to hear an open explanation of recent controversial decisions.
Collum used the SFA’s YouTube channel to explain where he thought referees (and more importantly, VAR) got things wrong, and where they were following new guidance, meaning what would have been a penalty last year, is no longer an offence.
The most egregious error of the season so far was when Kilmarnock goalkeeper, Robby McCrorie, halved Kyogo in two after the striker knocked the ball around the keeper. Celtic won the game comfortably, so the incident did not receive the attention it deserved, but it was one for the ages.
Collum conceded the mistake, saying, “We believe this was the wrong decision. We have coached the referees and the VARs that a penalty kick should have been awarded here.” Cynics like you and me have had to endure decisions like this all our lives but I don’t remember a validation before. This is something new and important.
He held the line on a decision not to award Hearts a penalty against Newco, when the ball struck Connor Barron’s arm. Referees received new guidelines this season, consequentially, Collum explained that this incident would probably resulted in a penalty last season, but incidents like this will no longer be penalised.
There is a lot to like about this. The new guidance on handballs is so obviously needed and long overdue. Getting an explainer about the incident is useful too. More importantly, a precedent has been established. Referees and VARs now know that their mistakes will not be swept under the carpet.
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Friday eve means (copyright Jobo) 2 more sleeps.
What larks Paul67
– what larks
The Gollum Picture Show won’t last, far too much exposure of Aitken, Beaton, Walsh,Dallas ,Robertson, Muir…..etc,etc
https://www.67hailhail.com/news/celtic-announce-key-celtic-tv-changes-as-club-deliver-on-fan-survey-inkling/
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/13521177/referee-rangers-tom-lawrence-ross-county-var-audio/?utm_campaign=native_share&utm_source=sharebar_native&utm_medium=sharebar_native
Apologies for the Hun link,but…..
Honest mistakes – part two
The refereeing problem is inconsistenty… one handball results in a penalty one week… a similar offence the following week doesn’t.. but these things even themselves out over the season…don’t they?
I would have liked Alan Morrison asking the questions.
T
Collum has long been part of the problem, not the solution….
No Clancy (Brothers) at IBrokes
However there is consistency in the inconsistency.
The players of one club are consistently treated more favourably than all the others.
David66 on 12th September 2024 12:31 pm
Big Jimmy knee is still swollen, and a bit of pain at night but getting there.
Hope you are feeling better.
Yes hope to catch up soon.
D
My friends in Celtic,
Missed the deadline to purchase reserved cL tickets.
Tried for multiple Days with a varity of methods. Because of where i work i could not receive a one time password, even with Wi fi calling enabled.
Tried phoning bank and debit / credit card to hours of security questions , but ultimately no success.
Tried getting the one time password sent to the wife’s phone as its a joint bank account . Woohoo, success i thought until i phoned the wife and discovered the bank had subsequently frozen her account.
Tried getting the necessary permissions for someone else to purchase the tickets. Nightmare
Tried phoning the Celtic ticket office. Ultimately no success.
Why is it so difficult . And only a weeks window.
Aw well, saved some money as i can only get to two games. I always buy the package and others use the ticket when I cannot go.
HH.
Records broken by James Tavernier:
– Hibs hadn’t won the Scottish Cup for 114 years, until they met James Tavernier.
– Celtic had not won by 4 goals or more at Ibrox since 1897, until they met James Tavernier.
– Aberdeen hadn’t won at Ibrox in 39 attempts, spanning 24 years, until they met James Tavernier
– Ross County had never beaten Rangers in their entire 96 year existence, until they met James Tavernier
– Celtic had only won 3 trebles in their entire history, 5 trebles in 7 years as soon as they meet James Tavernier
– St Johnstone hadn’t won a league game at Ibrox since 1971, until they met James Tavernier
– Hamilton had not won at Ibrox since 1926, until they met James Tavernier
– Rangers become worst team in Champions League history, captained by guess who? James Tavernier
– Rangers had not lost on the opening day of the SPFL season for 25 years, until James Tavernier
– Progres Niederkorn had never won a game in their entire European history, 2-0 win as soon as they met James Tavernier
– Rangers had never conceded 7 goals at Ibrox, until James Tavernier
– Rangers had never lost to PSV in the Champions League, dating back to 1978/79, 5-1 win as soon as they meet James Tavernier
– Aris Limassol had never won a European game in their entire history, up steps James Tavernier
– Motherwell hadn’t won at Ibrox in the league in 22 years, until they met James Tavernier
– Rangers compared to Celtic’s trophy tally was 115 vs 97, until they met James Tavernier (118v118)
– Rangers hadn’t conceded 4 goals in 2 consecutive games for 97 years, until James Tavernier
– Hearts hadn’t beaten Rangers by 3 or more goals for 21 years, until they met James Tavernier
– Dundee hadn’t beat Rangers in 20 attempts, until they met James Tavernier
– Aberdeen hadn’t beat Rangers at Pittodrie for 7 years, until they met James Tavernier
– St Mirren hadn’t beaten Rangers in 10 years, until they met James Tavernier
– Dundee Utd hadn’t beaten Rangers in the league for 10 years, until they met James Tavernier
– St Johnstone hadn’t won at McDiarmid Park against Rangers in 12 years, until they met James Tavernier
I agree it’s “remarkably refreshing” and I also agree it may “not last”.
If this imitative is at the behest of Willie Collum and the new head of VAR it should have our support.
As Paul says, “[honest] mistakes will not be swept under the carpet” and I doubt Beaton, Dallas, Roberson et. al. are in favour of it.
It could literally force them to mend their ways.
Greenpinata on 12th September 2024 11:01 am
Big Jimmy,
I know St Stivs and myself at least have criticised the prices for schoolkids.
…………..
Good on you and others who have posted about the Prices for Primary School Kids in the CL Games.
My earlier Posts were about the Board Lackies on here who will NEVER criticise the Board NO MATTER how wrong the Board can be on occasions !
HH.
Colum doesn’t address the issues of Bias. The issues we have tend to be with certain officials and their conflict of interest. We all saw Walsh in the Rangers Tracksuit. We know Walsh attended an RC school but so did Clancy, Robertson and Colum himself. They are all gone native and are part of the problem.
Its not just bias is the issue, competence is a huge problem. At world cup and at Euros, FIFA and UEFA dont select SFA referees as they rate them poorly. What is he doing about this issue?
I have little confidence in his ability or motivation to make real change. We dont need a Head of Referees from the Lanarkshire Referees Association. We need an Independent appointee from outside of Scotland
GM- It could literally force them to mend their ways.
Or cost them their well paid jobs…..
Precisely- in an open transparent process.
Bada Bing
Just checked the rules there, no mention of ‘ active refereeing ‘ good bad or indifferent.
Did Wullie Collum coach the Refs on how to award a Penalty Kick to Rangers, whenever the Ref has his back turned to the action on the Pitch, and therefore did NOT see any so called infringement ?
HH.
!!Bada Bing!! on 12th September 2024 12:48 pm
Could you get all that info on a T SHIRT.
The “Willie Collum Show” is a step in the right direction and I welcome the findings, with which I agreed.
It remains to be seen how it will evolve, however it deserves to be given a chance – we wait and watch!
!!Bada Bing!! on 12th September 2024 12:42 pm
– it’s all rather disappointing!
With regards to this VAR initiative…..
On Celtic By Numbers Alan Morrison has the “Honest Mistakes” regular slot. I think one of the observations he made was that since VAR has come in the preferential decisions for Rangers/against Celtic have reduced noticeably. Hopefully further exposure like this will reduce it even further. I see this a bit like the FFP then Sustainability rules regarding finance. It’s fine tuning the tools.
The comments about dealing with internal/unconscious (or even conscious bias….) bias are very valid. Every where I have worked for the last number of years have had training around this. Hopefully that on cards too.
For a number of reasons, I do not like VAR and believe it should be abolished. That is not going to happen any time soon, it would appear. I reserve judgement on whether Collum’s approach will be consistent and improve matters, but I suppose it’s a good start.
For years the tackle from behind was a major part of the Scottish game. All players were schooled in it to one degree or another. It has taken decades to eradicate and its shadow still remains. It resulted in numerous fouls and cautions in Europe, as even the slightest tickle is treated as a major offence.
I hope our interpretation of VAR is as close to Europe as possible. The last thing we need is our players schooled in a uniquely Scottish version of VAR, creating a new disadvantage because, once again, our refereeing is different from Europe.
I thought the audio of the Kyogo incident was a wind up – the level of analysis, the clear mistaken assertion that the keeper ‘hasn’t moved’ followed two seconds later by the all clear was a ridiculous slap dash piece of review.
It’s obviously an improvement that such levels of incompetence are now being aired but my follow up question to Collum would be, and what ? What action was taken since the review ? Has the VAR been marked down ?
Fav Uncle- 😀
I’m sure a Ross County player would have been coached in the exact same way……
Buddy Holly in the
@ Alternative photo archive
An Dún on 12th September 2024 1:24 pm
I thought the audio of the Kyogo incident was a wind up
I said either on here or SC that originally I thought it was a spoof and couldn’t believe it was for real especially the hun tackle from behind one.
As a matter of interest does anyone recall if that clown on Sky Dermot Gallagher commented on the Kyogo none penalty. Put my money on him saying it’s a good call 🧐
BSR/Bada Bing
I don’t know if he spoke as a fan or ref but it was a ref who exposed this comment on the show.
I am fairly sure there is no reference to active refereeing in Rugby either but it is used in coaching referees to be better. Active refereeing is a technique not a rule.
I think it’s good to apply – to warn people about to commit an offence. We praise it when we see it in Rugby refs- a player thinks the ball is out of the scrum but the ref says “Don’t touch that!”. The player can then choose to back off or commit the foul but the ref can then apply the harsher sanction knowing it was a wilful offence.
Of course refs cannot and should not be expected to anticipate all intended fouls in the mind of a player but I would like to see this applied to situations like opposition players standing over the ball to prevent free kicks, keepers who habitually bring defenders into the are at kick out then wave them out continuously as a time wasting tactic. This does not require a new rule; it just needs the refs to be encouraged to apply existing rules.
Willie Collum’s openness is to be welcomed but just as a first step. If it just remains as retrospective apologies for mistakes, we gain nothing but…. if it reduces the number of overlooked fouls and encourages refs to work with the players and not just be a silent arbiter of the rules who does not engage or brook an enquiry, then nothing has changed.
I stand by my view that talking to and advising the player is not, of itself wrong. It is wrong that he failed to apply his sanction when the player ignored his advice.
It would also be wrong, of course, if it was only Sevco players who were receiving advice.
Managers are now obliged to face the media constantly so refs need to be made more accountable too. Collum’s words are welcome and I would like to see much more transparency in refereeing circles. I’m not a fan of VAR but when it comes to Scottish football I am because we have seen a plethora of honest mistakes down the last decades and VAR shows any of them up.
DARWIN on 12TH SEPTEMBER 2024 12:57 PM
The “Willie Collum Show” is a step in the right direction and I welcome the findings, with which I agreed.
It remains to be seen how it will evolve, however it deserves to be given a chance – we wait and watch!
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Amen to that.
Great bit of progress by Collum.
Let’s hope it continues and develops.
Less hiding places for cheating refs with that approach.
I also thought the guy asking the questions was pretty good.
Paul 67
Mistakes will not be swept under the carpet, aye right, you’re having a laugh surely !
KINGLuBO
SFTB- Thanks for reply, I would argue referees in Rugby do it to try and keep the game flowing, not warning a player not to tackle an opponent
PRESTONPANS BHOYS on 12TH SEPTEMBER 2024 1:40 PM
An Dún on 12th September 2024 1:24 pm
I thought the audio of the Kyogo incident was a wind up
I said either on here or SC that originally I thought it was a spoof and couldn’t believe it was for real especially the hun tackle from behind one.
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Same! It counts like a couple of pals watching the game down the pub and explaining decisions to each other. 😂😂🤷🏼♂️😳🤷🏼♂️💩
**Sounds not counts