SHOCKING BRUTAL EXCHANGE: Rangers sign a new referee after departs for the Celtic Derby rematch on.
Willie Collum will not be intimidated out of the game by Rangers, as the referee chief departs for the Celtic Derby rematch on.
Crawford Allan has come out in strong support of Collum following the Gers’ demand that he not be allowed to attend their games.
Although Willie Collum made a mistake during the most recent Old Firm match, Scotland’s head of referees has acknowledged it and stated Rangers will not be permitted to intimidate the official out of the match.
Crawford Allan, the head of referees, defended the contentious official vehemently after holding meetings with all of the elite teams yesterday to discuss the second mid-season evaluation of VAR in the Premier League. Allan disclosed that the derby day gaffe was just one of 13 instances during the second half of the season that an impartial review panel felt were improperly handled by VAR, a sharp increase from the three errors made in the first round of games.
When Collum turned down a potential penalty kick from Clydesdale House, the Ibrox team became enraged even though slow motion replays revealed Alistair Johnston had touched the ball within Celtic’s area. Subsequent visuals showed that the award would not have stood in any scenario since Rangers attacker Abdallah Sima had briefly strayed offside during the offensive phase of play, but only after Collum intervened (APP).
However, this did not deter the Ibrox club from pressing for confrontational negotiations with the SFA, in which they demanded that Collum not be allowed to officiate any of their next games. The manager of Rangers, Philippe Clement, officially disassociated himself from such war footing last week and praised Collum’s selection for the team’s Scottish Cup matchup with Ayr United.
Allan has since acknowledged that Collum was mistaken. “It’s difficult to say he made a mistake because he didn’t make a factual process error,” the speaker stated. Willie made a personal choice, and he has the right to that.
Would I have preferred it if an APP had been used to evaluate the handball? Absolutely, but I won’t claim that Willie made any mistakes or erred in procedure. Willie has the right to observe, taking in the scene at full speed and from every aspect.
“It did appear terrible in slow motion, but Willie saw that it was a well-considered choice at full speed. The hand traveling across the ball was sufficient, in my opinion, to have the entire APP examined. The APP should have been evaluated. I’ve also mentioned that to the club in private.
“The remarks made by the Rangers manager last week before their encounter against Ayr United were beneficial. That was a good thing.
Furthermore, as the race for the title comes down to the wire, Allan has declined to rule out the potential that Collum may lead another Old Firm derby in the second half of the campaign. “At no time will a club influence an appointment as a referee in Scotland,” he declared.
“I can say with absolute certainty that the Scottish FA will select referees based on their qualifications, professionalism, and experience. Referees will be assigned based on what their background and profile suit. Any request from a club requesting that a referee not be considered for their club positions is categorically rejected.We don’t want one referee to garner enormous media attention. The influence is felt by all of the referees, regardless of the identity of the individual involved. We need to keep them all safe.
“A club in Tier 5 recently made a similar request, claiming that the referee failed to oversee their games. I believe they might have been following a trend.
