I Very Firmly Feel Willie's Not An Asset To Refereeing

We Need To Talk About Willie

 

Willie Collum

I HAVE often defended Willie Collum, on the all-too-frequent occasions when, instead of being the largely-anonymous 23rd man on the park, he has been the story. He was the story again last night, when he gave a totally unsatisfactory performance in officiating at the Inverness CT v Aberdeen game.

I watched the BT Sport coverage of the game, from my home, over 200 miles from Inverness, but, the stench of Willie's poor performance was all too obvious from where I was sitting. Now, I will not go as far as to say, but for Willie, Aberdeen would have won. In truth, after they got such an early, and well-worked opener, they seemed to think it was job done, and seldom threatened again.

But, for those who believe Scottish referees are trained from an early age to ensure the same two Glasgow clubs win the league year after year, well after last night, when the result suited Celtic more than anyone else, I reckon the number of conspiracy theorists grew.

I also cover rugby, where Scottish referees are supposedly hopeless. Well, if the Willie Collum who was on-duty at the Tulloch Stadium on Monday night is the best referee in Scotland, the football officials are in a mair rauch state than the rugby guys.

One wee unintended consequence of Collum turning into Gollum was that he apparently trended on Twitter. Imagine all the Twitterati in England and elsewhere, scratching their heads and asking: "Who is Willie Collum"?

What a pity he is unlikely to get an England game at the upcoming Euros - then they would be all-too-aware of just who Willie Collum is.

  

Mark Warburton

 

IT HASN'T taken Mark Warburton long to realise, whatever he says, no matter how outrageous, it will be delivered, as if on tablets of stone, to the waiting Scottish public, by the "stenographers" (thanks for that one PMGB) of the Scottish Football Writers Association.

 

Take his latest voicing of his "concerns" regarding the proposed changes to the Champions League, which, if implemented, would that competition move one step closer to being what, for the good of the game, it ought to be - a European version of the NFL.

 

Aye, we've all got views on that, but, as Manager of the Rangers Tribute Act, it would perhaps suit Mr Warburton better to maintain a dignified silence, as befits "Dignity FC", before opening gob and generating column inches.

 

As things stand, managing the 13th best club in the 25th best league in Europe, or, if you like, the 269th ranked club on the continent, is unlikely to have your opinions considered by  Karl-Heinz Rumminage and the other power brokers of the club game in Europe.

 

Mr Warburton would be well advised to shut-up, get his team into the Premeirship, then into Europe, then into the knock-out rounds of at least the Europa League, before he begins pontificating. (I assume, given the derivation of pontificate - the High Heid Yins at Ibrox are allowed to to that).

 

By the way, the UEFA club coefficients, as they effect Scottish clubs are:

Celtic - ranked 51

Motherwell - 221

Hearts - 222

St Johnstone - 226

Aberdeen - 247

Dundee United - 268

Rangers - 269

 

You can argue all you like about New Rangers, Old Rangers, continuing Rangers, whatever - the RTA does, however, show one common factor with the 1872-2012 club, a sense of entitlement.