Today the press is trying to flog us a three wheeled van with some hooky gear in the back of it. Who do they think we are? Mug punters in The Nags Head? They are giving us John Beaton’s “Old Firm record” and trying to sell it us as proof that we can trust him.
We can’t trust him. Nobody can trust him on this one. It’s not even clear that he can trust himself with this responsibility. In no other league would he even be expected to.
How is that right? There was some idiotic commentary in the papers yesterday which suggested that this was a vote of confidence in him from Hampden and he must be pleased with it.
The same media which won’t discuss why this is Collum’s first involvement in a league game involving their club since they demanded he not get another one, and in such a low-level role that he would be as well sitting at home watching it on the telly.
No, what this does is it puts Beaton under a spotlight which is as unfair to him as it is to us. Even with the best will in the world he can’t be expected to referee this without some controversy attached to how he does. In his shoes, I wouldn’t want to touch it.
The illogicality of this decision defies belief. The media can highlight his “record” all they want, but this a scandal that could only have been birthed here in this insane league.
Try and think for a moment about how this looks to the outside world. Honestly, take your Celtic hat off for a moment and try and think about this as a complete outsider would, and explain it to them in the way we talk to each other, like so;
The so-called biggest rivalry in world football, the most extreme, the most hateful, the most vicious, the one everyone talks about as the most intense they ever took part in (although most refer to one involving Rangers), is being played this weekend and there is one point in it at the moment, although the home club has a game in hand; it’s the closest we’ve been going into this point since the NewCo crawled out of Rangers grave. The crowd will be 100% partisan, with not an away fan allowed a seat. At stake is £50 million in guaranteed Champions League cash … and the SPFL and the SFA are allowing that game to be officiated by a known fan of the Ibrox club.
Nobody who was not familiar with the way things work up here would be able to comprehend that. They would literally be slack-jawed and stunned if you told them that, or they might think they were part of some bizarre April Fool after the date for it had passed.
Beaton’s “record” does not matter. Everyone agrees this is the closest title race in an age, and everyone agrees what’s at stake, which means that his prior record doesn’t matter a damn as he was involved in officiating games of vastly less importance than this.
They also picked one Hell of a day to bum him up, the one on which the SPFL reversed a decision from last week’s game involving Inverness and Thistle, which he refereed. Only this Hellish governing body could find that the guy who wasn’t competent to referee a modest tier two fixture should get arguably the biggest game of the season this weekend.
The media should cease their efforts to sell this dog turd of a decision. It reeks. Nothing will make it right. It should never be allowed, and in any other major football nation it wouldn’t be.
I don’t read the rags so I’m not sure what his “old firm [sic] record” is or how it has been arrived at. Is it final result based? Or based on his decisions in game? Because I recall several red card offences he’s ignored vs us in these games. And I recall he was subject to criticism 2 games ago for his VAR role in awarding a non penalty against us, and upgrading a subjective yellow card to a red without a clear error.
The man is compromised and shouldn’t be near this game. Frankly the only one in the SFA I’d trust for this game would be Walsh, who I don’t think operates on any angle other than getting the right calls and trying to get UEFA and FIFA games. I’d say Clancy too…. But their lot think he’s compromised so I’ve not included him. None of us want Collum, I suppose there’s common ground (I think he guesses too many decisions and is overly fond of a card).
Let’s be honest, Clancy is probably the worst referee in Scotland at the moment. He’s totally bottled it since he was chased out of his local supermarket and threatened by the klan supporters.
Watch him now. Gives us nothing . The only one I think will be fair is Walsh . The rest all have an agenda.
100% correct james,and what is the CFC board doing the mighty sum of SFA every one of these Tory rat bastard’s should be hung from the Celtic walkway
“An act of god needs to happen here.”
Maybe he`s better in a place where he is seen rather than in a wee hidey-hole, controlling VAR, where he would be more powerful and more dangerous.
That is also my take on Beaton’s involvement.
I agree and I am confident that Nick Walsh on VAR will call it as he sees it within the laws of the game.
If it is about building a refs confidence then who needs it more than Collum?
They caused a stir which ensured that would never be. We should have done the same with Beaton. Celtic are as much to blame as anyone else for letting this happen and remaining silent after the announcement.
A couple of points James…
1) – What is his ‘O#D F¥RM record ? (I don’t pay the media so I don’t know)…
2) – While I’d never dream of having to even think about advising you or correcting you, is it maybe time to think a about not referring to them as ‘new-co’ as I’ve heard Clyde Superscoreboard (and that means the media) using that, so I’m thinking instead, perhaps call refer to them in that particular capacity as ‘new-club’ instead…
3) – The reason that I say that is generally I live in a mixed area where they are generally more easy going but nonetheless need putting back in their box from time to time and while they are pretty blasé about the tag ‘new-co’ (probably because they heard it on Clyde Superscoreboard they really hate the tag ‘new-club’ so I’m wondering if like myself that you’d consider using that instead going forward !
Slainte Math, Now And Always…
Clachnacuddin and the Hoops !!!
James we are not a ‘major football nation’. We are a Footballing and Social backwater.
Nobody cares but us and that is why nobody from outside the bigoted and racist Kultural walls of this Kuntry
gives a shit or has the will to intervene.
Even Westmonster will not intervene as they rely on the Klumpany, or any iteration of them, at the DebtDome as an essential bulwark protecting the Crown and the Union and the knuckledraggers from the Sou’Side are their foot soldiers.
It will take multiple generations to change if Scotland’s Political and Societal Leaders ever find the backbone to even try.
WE ARE ON OUR OWN.
You talk one load of crap in every one of your collums your just a bigoted little man
I’m allowing this comment for one reason; your spelling is atrocious mate.
Collums. Dear God. What a clown.
Maybe he is thinking about a referee called William and a twin brother for him (collums) !
William ya Silly Billy !
@ cuthbert . Ffs, a tribute to indifferent spelling techniques right there.
WC Back to primary 1 spelling classes for you.
he let super salary off big time against albion rovers in a cup tie allowing an equaliser that would not have stood in any other country.
either way i reckon this fixture could be the end for beaton , if he robs celtic it will be the straw that breaks the camels back , it will never be the same again because the fans and the shareholders will mutiny , there is a limit to everything and he’s rode his luck in the service of sevco
@ He’ll be under more scrutiny than he’s ever been on Sunday. We’ll see what happens.