Referee Willie Collum won't be jettisoned off the back of his Rangers vs St Johnstone – but time is not on his side.
That's the view of former referee Steven Conroy, who watched on as the experienced whistler controversially sent off St Johnstone's Nicky Clark for a tackle on Rangers' Ryan Jack during a 2-0 win for the Light Blues at Ibrox. Then in a similar challenge by Jack on Adam Montgomery, he was only shown a yellow, with Clark's weekend dismissal now overturned ahead of his side's crunch Scottish Premiership trip to Motherwell.
Speaking to the Get Involved Referee Podcast , Conroy reckons the 44-year-old won't be going anywhere soon, but he may have run out of road when it comes to his prime. He explained: "The SFA are sticking by their man. No matter what we say or what he has done the SFA keep giving him games. He has gone through patches, to be polite, throughout his career where he has had difficulties with his games but he has been backed to the hilt by the SFA – always. The fact that he keeps getting games from the SFA means they think that the vast majority of his decisions are right.
"When I was a referee I had ‘rest’ periods. The SFA are not shy in doing it to people – but not to Willie it would appear. Willie is very single-minded. He is not one for taking advice and that was apparent at Ibrox where he was asked to look at Ryan Jack’s challenge on Adam Montgomery and stuck by his yellow card decision. His better days are behind him. He has run out of steam.”
