Back in the day, I was introduced to a very functional format for running a debrief after a mountain rescue operation.
Good points.
Bad points.
Ugly points.
The first one was fairly self-explanatory.
It meant that something was done on the hill that we should keep doing.
A bad point was something that we needed to eradicate over time.
However, an ugly point was something that COULD NEVER EVER HAPPEN AGAIN.
As I say, it was a good format for analysing situations where lives were on the line.
I disagree with Bill Shankly on football and life and death.
On Sunday in Dingwall, no one died, but Ross County gained a sporting and ipso facto a potential financial advantage through cheating.
The point that the home side conned out of the officials will not stop Celtic winning the title as they have already achieved that.
However, that point could prove crucial in the street fight to avoid the play-off place.
Consequently, that could mean the difference between top-flight football next season and playing in the Championship.
As soon as the final whistle was blown the mainstream media spoke with one voice.
All that I heard was “the referee had a shocker”.
On Twitter, I stated that “the incompetence narrative” was the party line on the penalty incident.
To err is human, but some mistakes should be career ending.
On Sunday Celtic will be at the mercy of a referee who was able to award a penalty against the Parkhead club in 2010 while his back was turned.
While his back was turned…
Here is a match report.
“However, it was another rookie, referee Willie Collum, officiating in his first Old Firm match, who incensed Celtic manager Neil Lennon with his decision making.
Lennon believed, rightly, that Lee McCulloch, should have been shown a second yellow card in the 34th minute when he took Georgios Samaras.
He was also upset by the decision to award a penalty when Kirk Broadfoot dived as he ran past Daniel Majstorovic midway through the second half. Television replays showed that Collum, 31, had his back to the play when the offence occurred, turning in time to see Broadfoot falling.”
That was an Ugly Point that should have been a career-ending mistake.
It was the pilot missing the runway category of error.
For the avoidance of doubt, Mr Collum was highly rated by Mr Hugh Dallas when the latter was employed at the SFA.
In any functioning democracy, a free press is a vital check and balance within the system.
What we journalists are meant to do is to hold power to account.
We are not there to write permission slips for incompetence or corruption.
Moreover, we should never discount the possibility of either or both being extant within large organisations.
The agreed position among the chaps on the sports desks seems to be quite strange.
It would appear that the SFA has unearthed a unique variant of human.
They are simultaneously both entirely incorruptible and also utterly pish.
This is a rather unusual skillset.
Many in the Celtic family believe that there is an institutional bias within officialdom against the Parkhead Club.
They level this accusation against the organisation that employed the late Jim Farry and Hugh Dallas.
The former has passed on, and the latter is no longer employed at the SFA.
However, the widespread belief remains among the Celtic support that the club founded by Irish immigrants is viewed with hostility by the SFA.
If one makes the historical case for this, then you’re on strong ground.
The controversy over the Irish tricolour in the 1950s is well documented.
I think it is fair to say that the current SFA have an image problem with the contemporary Celtic support and it is not just about referees and dodgy decisions.
The UK Supreme Court is currently considering the Big Tax Case.
This entailed scores of Rangers players being “imperfectly registered” for over a decade involving hundreds of matches.
The term in quote marks us the euphuism dreamed up by SFA employee Sandy Bryson in his evidence to the Nimmo Smith Commission.
Mr Bryson was due to give evidence in the case that ultimately saw Jim Farry lose his job over the Jorge Cadete affair.
However, Farry resigned before Sandy’s testimony was required.
Once more, this was about someone in officialdom acting to disadvantage Celtic and ipso facto favour the city rivals Rangers (1872-2012).
The late Turnbull Hutton stated publicly on the steps of Hampden in 2012 that, in his opinion, the national game in Scotland was “corrupt”.
Corruption and incompetence are not mutually exclusive.
When we were debriefing after a rescue operation, it wasn’t enough to merely point out an ugly point.
You had to come up with a solution.
Well here is mine:
All match officials to be full-time.
They must disclose their club allegiance (this happens in England).
That these employment opportunities are made open to candidates out with Scotland.
Referees to be made available to the media post-match to explain their decisions.
The introduction of video technology as a pre-requisite for stadia in the top flight league.
Even if the last one were extant at Dingwall, then it would have saved the referee from making that error.
Moreover, a blunder that could now define the rest of his officiating career.
However, as we have seen with Mr Collum, such weapons-grade incompetence might not count against you in the long run.
I grew up in a town where a referees son used to die his hair blue at Christmas and New Year for attention. On the bus home after a night out in town, it was common for this lad to be invited to sing the sash and he always obliged with enthusiasm. When I used to collect Grahams fathers paper money on a Sunday, in the hall when the door was opened was a picture of Jorge Albertz and Iain Ferguson. I dated a girl whose father was a linesman only but again it was Albertz whose image donned his sons wall and Vicki openly admitted her fathers preference for Rangers. McBride who famously chopped off the Cadete goal had two daughters, whether they were at the game that day at their usual seats at Ibrox alongside their mother and Mrs McCulloch I don’t know but what I do know is that the links between Rangers and officialdom have always been stronger and I found it comical that Dave King made influence over such bodies as the media and SFA part of his strategy during the last AGM.
I know other supporters will say they have all had bad decisions and of course this is true and I am sure some of Celtics’ bad decisions are just that, bad decisions. What happened in the semi final against Inverness and what happened to Celtic against Ross County are not even close to mistakes, they are blatant cheating, bear in mind the same referee who sent off Scott Brown on Sunday only booked a Motherwell player who had his studs on Kieran Tierney’s shin at a faster rate of knots than Scott’s tackle on Sunday. Almost every week it happens to Celtic and I am 73 years old , so it is just as bad as it was in the past, so spare me the idea that we are treated the same as everyone else..
Having been on the wrong end of many bad referee decisions given for Celtic and Rangers (Dead and Tribute Act) I have to say the conspiracy theory doesn’t really hold water.
You may feel that your club gets the short straw when playing Rangers (Dead or Tribute Act) but the other 42 senior clubs all recognise they get bad decisions against both.
I think in addition to to the above that if a club gains points by proven cheating in a game like the dice last Sunday, then the club should be docked points. It’s fairly simple, the club gain points from cheating so points loss should be the punishment. As long as it is the player punished then it is still to the clubs advantage to encourage diving. ross co at worst will lose Schalk for a couple of games, a guy who wasnt even in their starting line up v Celtic. How can that possibly be a suitable punishment. It’s like allowing the thiefs family to keep everything he burgled from your house. Now if a club was given -1 point for simulation that gave them an advantage during a game the diving would stop. and if a referee gives a penalty in error that could be shown to be such you would have the team benefitting from the error rushing the referee to point it out lest they got -1 pt for it.
I refereed from the early 60’s to late 80’s and, unlike Pete who may have memory loss, there were many in my era who did not hide there anti Celtic bias and pro the Late Rangers ( RIP ). One in particular from Fife (JR) brought his father and brother into our dressing room pre-mach at the run down Govan Stadium wearing the scarf of the home team. On Sunday I watched two cheats, the diver and the whistle blower who aided and abetted him, I honestly thought DR had an agenda to be the first ref this season to oversee a first domestic defeat on Celtc. To be in the position he was in and award that spot kick was blatantly biased/bigoted like Packie Bonner pointed out the whistle was blown before the diver was on the ground. In my time for such a overall very poor refereeing performance you would have received a (US) useless report from the supervisor. If John Fleming has any bottle he should remove this incompetent cheat from the Grade 1 list of refeeres. The decision can also have a major impact on relegation Accies, Dundee, ICT, must all be fuming over such a grave unjustice.
Hi, I appreciate your comments and i think i know who JR is and interestingly I agree with you – i was making a more general point that when i was on the list (82-98) I didn’t come across blatant anti Celtic sentiments from the majority of the guys i worked with.
You only have to look at the quarter final match between Real and Bayern tonight to see how bad decisions are not the exclusive right of Scottish refs…
This season has seen too many bad decisions…affect too many teams in the SPFL and it only further highlights how unprofessional Scottish refereeing is…
As an example…take a look at the match official appointments… there is never any fourth official appointments for divisions 1 and 2??
The incompetence is astounding… there is no deterrent mechanism in the Scottish game for match officials… the ref in the Ross County game has been rewarded with a cup semi final game?? WHY
It tells me that without a mechanism… then a ref can do whatever he wants…and that is a very dangerous path to be on…
If you watched the Champions League you will have seen ref incompetence deciding results. I am a Dundee Utd fan but work round the country and go to football everywhere I work (even in Dingwall 3 times this season). The idea that ref and linesmen are anti Celtic is pretty misguided. Try it Phil, it is not that easy. I have seen Leeds, Tranmere, Plymouth, Dundee Utd and Ross County loose points to poor refereeing decisions. Truth is they are not that good.
At Parkhead I have seen Lustig, Roberts, Sinclair and Forest all dive to gain advantage.
It is part of our game, and all clubs/players do it.
I fully accept that Rangers are and have been run by dodgy characters who will avoid taxes and public dues. I accept that the SFA and SPFL are run by men who see turnover and profit linked with having an “Old Firm” to market. I enjoy your insight into the insider goings on at all 3 institutions but think that you are off the mark when you think a Celtic supporting Catholic RE teacher has transformed into a masonic cheat rather than a poor referee.
Because genuine mistakes happen does not mean that all mistakes are genuine
You’re assuming that what happened in the CL was merely incompetence. Maybe it wasn’t.
’ve been a Celtic supporter all my life, I’m not Catholic and I have no Irish ancestry- I was also a senior list referee and linesman in Scotland for almost 20 years
In looking back my records, my team lost more times than they won when I refereed – I wasn’t a cheat
Some of my boyhood heroes (who now pontificate on Sky) were the most horrible people I have ever come across in football and one Rangers player whom I wanted to hate was one of the nicest people I’ve come across in football
It’s easy to be bitter and blame everyone else – but we are Celtic and we are better than that
Yes I’m sure there are people in the SFA who hate the fact that our club even exists, but I will say in all honesty that I never heard a single word like that from any referee I was on a match with
Hi Phil
Very good points raised,after reading all comments up till this time they all have totally valid views.I can’t say I disagree with any of them,in fact I’d suggest that all of the below,in this case,are correct,but did we really expect anything less from sfa(scatter-brained fools authority)
That’s the most polite one I could muster or that Phil would permit.
Splendid work,HH
Any surprise the boss is training to play with ten men
http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11790/9971812/hearts-robbie-neilson-hits-out-at-referee-willie-collum
1 Corrupt ?
2 Incompetent?
3 Corrupt and Incompetent ?
4 Huns ?
5 Anti- Celtic ?
6 Anti – Catholic?
7 Anti-Catholic, Anti-Celtic Huns ?
8 All of the above ?
I’m at the point where I feel the running of the game in Scotland should be outsourced to the Dutch or German FA. Referees, administrators, the lot.
Video evidence and retrospective bans for cheats; players or refs.
Hell, give it to a Scandinavian FA, we might even get summer fitba!
C’wa the Dons.
Only the SFA would allow Robertson to carry out his 4th official duties at the weekend.
What kind of message does that send out to the rest of the brethren?
Yes, mistakes can be made, it’s only human but when these honest mistakes are life and death to careers or clubs action is required.
It would appear that our officials are a protected species and no criticism can be aimed at them…..another strike anyone?
I would suggest that given the conveyor belt of crap that the SFA fast track system is churning out that the person who has been in charge for 6 years, John Fleming, is replaced in the morning.
It’s not working, 6 years and not one decent referee to show for it. It’s feckin embarrassing.
Yet again we are being told that a ref and his linesman were not in the correct position to see a major decision that has went against Celtic (ICT semi)
All I can say is that Celtic must be the most unluckiest club in the spfl
Or the officials are corrupt
I know what my money is on
It might take something of the order as walking off the pitch! akin to AC Milan when they walked off after hearing one of their players being subjected to racist taunts. Whether or not their action resulted in the issue being resolved I`m not sure but it no doubt caused the authorities to take the matter seriously. In saying that and knowing our guardians of the game and their leanings it`s likely Celtic would be punished and then some
A few years ago we did have a period of time when referees could explain their decisions after a game. It was during that period that the phrase “Honest mistake” came to the fore. That period ended quite abruptly when it became obvious that one club in particular seemed to be the main benefactor of “Honest mistakes.”…………To use a phrase often used by your handsome young self Phil, “for the avoidance of doubt”, that club DID NOT play in green and white hoops. Although they DID play in Glasgow, in a stadium that now badly needs some TLC.
It’s absolute incompetence or a bit of Buster Keaton from those employed by the SFA. I’d go with some being hopeless and others with their anti Celtic agenda. Having watched Celtic for many years there are some officials who were overt with their dislike of all things Celtic and in order to list the names it would take all night. Are we paranoid? we’re not paranoid enough. We should do what the English do and have the referees declare who they favour, then again they would just say they support St Mirren or some small club.
Instead of having them declare their team allegiance, the SFA should be made to publicly declare whether they are Masons, Freemasons or Orange Lodge members, either past or present.
This would, of course, rid our game of every last one of them from the bottom to the top at a single stroke, Willie Collum aside, ;), but you get my drift.
Instant Revolution, with not a step towards Hampden in outraged protest required.
Your first listed solution is the key.
Most officials have well remunerated primary employment and payment for the “Saturday” work, while this job requires a great deal of commitment, probably facilitates the niceties in life.
An official who loses his job through incompetence (ha), will hardly end up in the Poor House.
However, if it were their only source of income, errors are likely to be, if not eradicated, then significantly reduced, as the decision maker becomes wholly accountable, not only to the game but to themselves, their wife and weans.
Accepted, this model will cost but it is a professional game and the price of top quality officiating would be cash well spent.
When you take 95% of the refs from the 75% Hun demographic of Scotland , there can be only one outcome for Celtic ……
To suggest otherwise is simply not logical .
I much prefer the explanation that the referee cheated
Some 20 minutes after the final whistle on radio Packie Bonnar said “it looked like the referee couldn’t wait to give something to Ross County” Richard Gordon moved on quickly and didn’t develop the point any further, in the proceeding 10 minutes every 50/50 and 60/40 went to Ross County, Mr D Robertson the referee couldn’t wait to give whatever to Ross County against Celtic, if it had been Sevco we wouldn’t be discussing this…
You are correct Phil about the depth of the anti Celtic bias in the SFA going back at least to the 50s.Any fan should check out George Graham who was determined to destroy Celtic.Surprisingly,the old Ibrox club,who held the deciding vote,voted in Celtic’s favour in the “fight” over the Tricolour.Hibs to their shame,continued to collude with Graham but Celtic prevailed,as we know.Desmond White stated in the 70s that Graham would rot in Hell for his actions regarding this matter.On a lighter note,McCulloch took Samaras?The mind doth boggle at the suggestion.HH
The referees in England are full time they are still crap.
Video evidence can be looked at and still they can see something different from you. They can also be corrupted
Ouch!
Robertson is being rewarded with a semi-final berth.
Think about that.
Would it happen anywhere else?
We overlapped for your first 6 years, maybe if you had been around when I went on the list early 70’s you would paint a different picture. In those days it was blatantly obvious and, scarcely a Tim at class one as the craft ruled.