Willie Collum has made it clear to officials involved in Rangers’ Premier Sports Cup final defeat to Celtic that mistakes will not be tolerated, according to Keith Hackett.
As reported by the Daily Record on Tuesday (17 December), SFA officials Alan Muir and Frank O’Connor have been removed from their Scottish Premiership duties this weekend after failing to call a clear penalty for Rangers during extra-time, prior to their penalty shootout loss to Celtic at Hampden Park.
Vaclav Cerny was evidently fouled by Liam Scales inside the penalty area, but referee John Beaton missed the incident. Hackett argues that the two VAR officials, along with the assistant referee, should have ensured Beaton reviewed the challenge on the pitch-side monitor, which could have resulted in a penalty for Philippe Clement’s side.
“Willie Collum and Martin Atkinson will want to see the season progress with minimal controversy,” former FIFA and Premier League referee Hackett told Ibrox News.
“Firstly, the assistant referee, positioned in line with the penalty area, should have confirmed where the foul occurred. His failure to do so was the first misstep in this poor decision.
“VAR should have stepped in to clarify if the foul happened inside or outside the penalty area. Remember, the penalty area line is considered part of the area itself.”
Collum Commended for Strong Stance
Hackett praised Collum for his decisive handling of the controversy, emphasizing that the action taken serves as both a disciplinary measure and a lesson for the officials involved.
“Collum has shown he will not accept such errors and has acted accordingly. His decision likely aims to remove these officials from the spotlight and provide them with further operational guidance.
“It also sends a strong message that Collum won’t tolerate mistakes. Well done to him.”
Meanwhile, Rangers’ new CEO Patrick Stewart has confirmed he is awaiting a response from the SFA regarding why the VAR team failed to prompt Beaton to reassess Scales’ foul on Cerny (Daily Record).
