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REFEREES out to get Celtic? It's nothing new. It's been happening for years. Ever since the days I was a manager During my career I always felt there were referees who targeted Celtic when they took charge of our games. They operated with attitudes that were anti-Celtic. I genuinely believe that. People used to think Tom Wharton had an agenda against us. I don't. He was one of my favourite refs and I used to get on really well with him. He was pretty fair in the games I was involved in. I can't say that about a lot of them though. All this stuff this week has simply confirmed those beliefs. Don't get me wrong, there's probably people from clubs throughout Scottish football who also think refs don't give them anything. But I don't think anyone gets it as bad as Celtic. In my day, there were referees who made mistakes but there were others who didn't give Celtic a fair crack and who found it very difficult to be perfectly fair and honest about what they did. Is that the same today? Well, this week's events don't do much to pour cold water on the theory. But no matter referee's decisions. Celtic's players have to rise above it all. They have to be good enough to win without any help from the officials. That might sound harsh - but after what happened with Dougie McDonald at Tannadice, for me it's fair comment. Refs have a tough job, no question. The higher they go, the harder it becomes. But sometimes it's just in their nature to produce performances that makes them a target for the fans. But to hear guys like McDonald openly admit things like this is incredible. They should concentrate on being as efficient as they possibly can - without telling the world about their mistakes. This simply gives ammunition to those who believe refs are against Celtic. What happens next will be interesting. Maybe Celtic won't be too happy with the findings of SFA chief executive Stewart Regan. Perhaps they'll want their own independent investigation to get some answers. For me, taking the matter into their own hands would be difficult. To go outside the organisation would create a whole load of problems and I'm not sure that would work. I'm not sure clubs should be involved in that sort of thing anyway. That's why the SFA have to really crack down and keep an eye on the men in the middle. If they believe these guys are blatantly - or silently - being unfair, they need to throw them out. The suggestion of bringing continental refs in for the likes of Old Firm games has cropped up again and that might be a sound idea. But then you watch them in the Champions League or whatever and these guys can be just as bad. It's a difficult job and we need to work hard to understand that. However, the SFA need to work even harder to improve the quality of these guys in the first place. They're benefiting financially from being on reasonable money. Now it's time to improve their conduct on the pitch to reflect that. In a small country like ours, it's hard for the refs to avoid criticism. The second they go out on to the pitch they'll be accused of SOMETHING. What we have to do to avoid that is simply improve the standard and better the system. The one thing you have to appreciate is refereeing at the top level is very difficult. Every ref will find problems doing the job properly. Not one of them will go through their career truly satisfied with every one of their performances. That can't be easy for them - I'm sure they would love to go home after doing a game knowing they've had the perfect match. Sadly, I do think we're in a position nowadays where the players disillusioned with the standard of refereeing. The big problem we have now is getting a new generation of referees. Because let's be honest, who the hell would want to do the job right now? If there are any referees out there who questioned the vocation before last week, they certainly won't be rushing to sign up for it now. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/columnists/billymcneill/3209159/Refs-were-anti-Celtic-when-I-was-bossI-think-they-still-are.html#ixzz14CwQz0U6

In Scotland the Glasgow derby match took place on Sunday between Glasgow Celtic and Glasgow Rangers. It is called ââ?¬Ë?the Old Firm Derby.ââ?¬â?¢ Their rivalry goes back over a hundred years and is still as intense and tribal today as it ever was. Basically it a religious divide between Catholic and Protestant although today many protestant players play for Celtic and many catholic players play for Rangers. Before Sundayââ?¬â?¢s match both teams had won all their eight previous Scottish Premier League matches so there was a lot at stake on the result. The winning team would go to the top of the league. Add to the mix that the Scottish FA appointed 31 year old FIFA Referee, Willie Collum for the match. Willie is a young referee who is close to the UEFA Premier Referee Group and this was his first Old Firm Derby. He is a very competent referee and is the youngest ever to be appointed to a Rangers v Celtic match. Add to the mix that that during the week before the match the Celtic Coach, Neil Lennon, had made public statements criticising the officials in Celticââ?¬â?¢s last match against Dundee United. Add to the mix that in the build up to the match Lennon made public statements about how he wanted the referee to be strong and to make sure his team was treated fairly. No pressure on the referee then! As it turned out Celtic lost 3-1and the third goal was a controversial penalty. Lennon also thought a Rangers player should have been sent off. The better team won but after the match, Lennon succeeded in turning the public attention from his teamââ?¬â?¢s defeat onto the decisions of the referee. He demanded to know from the Scottish FA why these two decisions had been taken and received massive media coverage in Scotland. What of referee Willie Collum? After Lennon had made his statements, which many considered to be irresponsible and inflammatory, the referee and his family received telephone death threats from Celtic supporters. A tribal contest of sport was taken over by a few Neanderthal supporters, justifying their actions by comments from a coach who should have known better. How tragic that our game has come to this. Posted by George Cumming http://georgecumming.com/?p=578

Neil Lennon will turn into a coach at midnight By Tam Cowan on Oct 30, 10 09:54 AM in According to the rumours, Neil Lennon is going out for his Hallowe'en dressed as a pumpkin. He's hoping he'll turn into a coach at midnight. The Celtic boss has already had the Willies put up him this week - first it was referee Collum then linesman Conquer - but what's even scarier is the rubber-faced bloke from Angola who can put a can of Coke in his cakehole and has now been credited with the biggest mouth in the world. Surely Celtic will now fire off a letter to the Guinness Book of Records to point out that Lennon's gub is even bigger? Sending a formal complaint to the SFA on the same day it was reported Willie Collum had received vile death threats was really classy, eh? That's about as sensitive as delivering a box of Leonard Cohen CDs to Lennon's door when the news broke he was suffering from depression. Don't Celtic realise the guy they're effectively writing to is Hugh Dallas - a man who had both his head and his windows cracked open after another mental Old Firm fixture back in 1999? And are the morons who threatened Collum and his young family not bright enough to realise we don't have a game without the referees? Three goals of a start wasn't good enough for Lennon at Perth in midweek - he still wanted to castigate the linesman after he raised his flag for the sort of decision you'll see every week. Mainly because he must have been touching cloth when St Johnstone fought back and Celtic nearly blew it. But well done, Lenny. After your verbal attack on Collum in the wake of last Sunday's defeat - pummelled at home by your oldest rivals after getting a goal of a start - hardly anyone was talking about a truly abject team performance. So your plan worked. In saying that, well done also to the vast majority of Celtic fans who, after slamming the death threats, have turned their attention away from the ref to focus on that woeful display from the players. How many Celtic supporters now fancy writing to the club to seek "clarification" over why Glenn Loovens keeps getting a game? And why is Lennon even writing to the SFA when he should be saving the first-class stamps for Loovens' P45? Loovens and Daniel Majstorovic are the worst double act since Cannon and Ball. And the rest of the Celtic team didn't exactly cover themselves in glory at Parkhead last Sunday. Sure, he was terrific as Jaws in the James Bond movies but Frather Forthter was toothless against Rangers and set up their second goal with a dreadful clearance. Pound for pound, it was a bigger blunder than Collum's. And if Mark Wilson keeps insisting on crossing the ball and attempting half-volleys at goal, I think the club will have to deploy ballboys at Glasgow Cross. Fresh from being caught on camera calling Dougie McDonald a "f****** cheat" (four times, remember) what does Lenny have to say about the players who fleeced 50,000 Celtic fans last Sunday lunchtime? Lennon denies whipping up the frenzy that led to the death threats. Bollocks. He started it at Tannadice by spitting, screaming and snarling in the fourth official's face. "Until last weekend, I didn't have a problem with any referees," he claimed. Aye right. Have you forgotten the Tasmanian Devil routine with Stuart Dougal at Ibrox? Incidentally, blaming Collum for the penalty at Parkhead is like blaming Dougal for Charlie Mulgrew's infamous red card at Ibrox. Both whistlers were simply deceived by a cheating Rangers player. However, I still say Broadfoot's biggest crime last week was giving Lennon a Get Out Of Jail Free card and allowing the Celtic boss to yap on about the penalty - when his side was already gubbed - rather than talk about a terrible team performance. And make no mistake, until he was conned by Broadfoot's belly flop, Collum had been enjoying a much better game than Celtic's overpaid foreign mercenaries. Actually, that's a point. Just days before the Old Firm match, Collum took charge of a big Champions League group game between Schalke and Hapoel Tel Aviv. So why the hell is he getting a lecture from a Celtic boss - thumped already by Utrecht and Braga - who can only dream of operating at that level? Ps: Jim Jefferies (or was it really Vladimir Romanov?) says Scotland's match officials should get a grip and react to criticism the same way managers and players do. What, by just blaming it all on the refs? Pps: According to regular reader Colin Graham, two local teams were playing an amateur cup-tie in the north of Scotland and the ref failed to appear. So they went to the pub and asked a retired match offical if he'd do it. As you can imagine, sobriety hadn't been high on his agenda and the first time the ball went out for a shy one of the players asked: "Whose ball, ref?" To which he replied: "It's ours." Can you imagine the outcry if that happened in the next Old Firm game?

He's received a number of threatening phonecalls to his house phone number since Sundays OF game. Hs wife and kids have also been threatened. Edit: Taken from the Daily Reocrd. See at the end of the day, it's only a game of football FFS!

Declares Kenny Clark........... NOT much has been left unsaid in the on-going row about referees but Kenny Clark kept up a stiff defence of his former colleagues yesterday, returning the focus on to Celtic and also managers who use their criticism of officials as a "smokescreen". Clark, who retired from refereeing at the end of the 2007-08 season, accused Celtic of having compromised the integrity of the Scottish Premier League by making repeated requests for decisions to be clarified in the aftermath of matches involving the Parkhead club. Yesterday, after helping make the draw for the third round of the Scottish Cup, he agreed that recent events have increased the pressure on officials working at Celtic matches. He also reported on the 'slipping morale' among referees, some of whom, Clark revealed, are thinking of following Steven Craven into premature retirement. The Parkhead club asked for "clarification" after Dougie McDonald overturned his own decision to award Neil Lennon's side a penalty against Dundee United a week past Sunday, after consultation with Craven, his far-side assistant. Craven has since resigned and McDonald is the subject of an internal investigation led by Stewart Regan, the new chief executive of the Scottish Football Association. Its findings are expected to be delivered today, following another week where the spotlight has fallen on referees. Willie Collum endured a fraught afternoon during Sunday's Old Firm game and was believed by many to have erred when awarding Rangers a penalty, from which the Ibrox side scored a third goal in the 3-1 win. He was later subjected to incidents of intimidation at his home in Lanarkshire. "There is no question what the clubs do stokes the fires of the fanatics," said Clark, "And they don't need to be wound up any more." He blamed managers for using the perceived mistakes of officials for their own ends. "It avoids them having to answer difficult questions about their players' performance or their own tactics," Clark said, with Celtic's questioning of decisions in letters to the SFA a particular source of concern. "If a decision is given in Celtic's favour, people will inevitably say that's because Celtic have been making complaints," Clark said. "If a decision is made against Celtic, again they will say that's because of the complaints Celtic have been making. It puts the match officials into something of a no-win situation." Clark is no stranger to controversy having been the referee on duty when Duncan Ferguson head-butted Jock McStay during a game between Rangers and Raith Rovers in 1994. He did not even book the then Ibrox striker, who ended up in jail as a result of his actions that afternoon. Clark insisted he did not see the incident. He is well aware, then, of the importance attached to referees' decisions but pleaded for officials to be treated in the same manner as players, whose mistakes are not pored over to the same extent. "It's a sorry state of affairs when clubs are wanting explanations about individual decisions," he said. "It would be a strange world indeed if a referee was to ask a club why their star striker missed a penalty. Could he talk us through it? The striker wouldn't be able to explain how he did it. And by the same token if I was asked as a referee in a post-match interview why I didn't give a penalty, my answer would be that I thought it wasn't a penalty." Despite all this, Clark would not discourage his own sons from taking up the whistle trade. He would, however, make them aware of the "realities of the situation", he said. "What I should say is that I still think the positives of being involved in refereeing for people who are passionate about football far outweigh the negatives," Clark added. "I had my share of bad times, controversies and being shouted at in the street. But I still think the life I led as a referee, sharing a park with fantastic players who I would have paid to watch, was a good life." However, Clark continues to be angered by managers who wade into referees. He was especially exercised to hear that Hearts manager Jim Jefferies had summed up the recent controversy by advising referees to toughen up. It was "a silly remark", Clark said. "I could do a whole speech about Jim Jefferies or (former Hibs manager] John Hughes," he added. "But I do find it astonishing that Jim is saying referees need to toughen up and accept that they are going to be called names or whatever. Jim is the one who was carping in the media only a few weeks ago that a referee had had the temerity to speak to him like a schoolchild. "I think everyone knows that Jim behaved like a schoolchild that day and was completely in the wrong, because he had been given wrong information - as I understand it - by a member of his own staff. Nonetheless, he was the one who was in the wrong and he was the one who ended up having to give a public, although somewhat grudging, apology about his conduct and his remarks."

Celtic defender Mark Wilson denies that his side are big-game bottlers following their Old Firm defeat. More...

Some decent points from Chick. There isnt a Ref who gets respected in Scotland at the moment but some awful decisions in all games no matter who is playing doesnt help. Not since Dallas have we had a good ref. For OF games we should look at taking in a top ref from elsewhere, that way after the game they go back to their country and wont get bothered by mindless clowns who cant accept they lost a football match.

From The Scotsman Pity this game isn't on TV tonight as I'm looking forward to seeing Hutton play.

Even Old Firm rival says Gers are the best More...

Walter Smith insists the team cruelly branded one of the worst in Rangers' history have proved themselves to be one of the BEST. Gers gaffer Smith piled the praise on his Treble-chasing stars ahead of tonight's Co-op Cup quarter-final clash at Kilmarnock. After Sunday's storming Old Firm win over Celtic, the cup holders remain unbeaten in their best start to a season in 89 YEARS. Not bad for a bunch of long-ball bruisers not fit to wear the jersey! Smith said: "People are never happy. "There is a happy medium in every situation, but in our country we never seem to achieve that. "We were rotten and now we've been compared to really successful sides. "But we ARE a successful team and we have a strong group of players. "The challenge is to maintain the good start. "If this team is getting compared with teams of the past then that's fine, I have no problem with that. "I am as proud of this team as I am of any team I've managed in the past. "Particularly because the circumstances are so different. "They have a good work ethic in their play. They all work very hard. "We might not have what people consider to be star players, but we do have good players spread throughout our team. "They have accepted every challenge I've given them. "If everyone is starting to make comparisons, that's a step forward for this team. Because in the past they haven't been regarded as half decent. "The team wants to keep winning. "We have a lot of awkward situations because of the predicament we are in. "If you are setting out to try and win a Treble it would be very difficult for this group to handle all those games and achieve that." Such is their desire and collective will to win that this Gers side NEVER knows when its beaten. In five league games this season they have fallen behind. Five times they have come storming back to win. But the tests just keep on coming in a hectic programme. Smith added: "When teams stay together for a period of time then a spirit is forged. "That's not exclusive to Rangers. "Our group has played together for a number of years and in any walk of life there would be resilience if they have bonded well. "Our group has done that. "We've had the same group for a couple of years and they have got a strong bond. But we're asking an awful lot from the players, I realise that. This next stage, in the run-up to Christmas, will be crucial. "We have quite a number of games before the end of the year so it will be a big test." Smith will make several changes for tonight's clash against Killie. But he expects those who come in to reach the high standards which have been set. He warned: "It's about guarding against complacency. "We've just finished an intense seven days after the games against Valencia and Celtic. "Also, the lads who were away with Scotland played in the Czech Republic and against Spain. "These games are not just tiring in a physical sense, but mentally they are very difficult. "A game against Spain would be a drain on anyone especially given the manner in which they play. "You need high levels of concentration for all these matches. These are big games for all the players. "It helps the teams if they are not losing, but there is always motivation to win. You know you are going to face disappointments in a season - that's a certainty. "We have a decent level of confidence about us, but we have to be extremely careful." Gers will be without injured defender Sasa Papac at Rugby Park tonight, but Andy Webster could get a rare start. Smith added: "Papac will miss the game, but we have a situation where one or two could be doing with a rest. "The international lads, for example, have played a lot of football already this season. "The likes of John Fleck and James Beattie will feature." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3198108/Ticket-to-pride.html#ixzz13Y9ae9Al

As the cold of winter arrives in earnest, a familiar battle will take place in the East End of Glasgow this weekend as Rangers and Celtic meet in the first Old Firm fixture of this season. While different congregations at hundreds of churches throughout Scotland give their religious thanks, supporters of the Old Firm will be making very different prayers as their own idols take to the field on Sunday lunch-time. With both teams neck and neck at the top of the SPL, who will blink first in the world's greatest derby match? Confidence will be especially high in the away dressing room as Rangers remain the only unbeaten team in Scotland. Yes, Celtic (and Berwick) also remain undefeated in their league campaigns but the Light Blues have suffered no losses in other competitions which means an impressive start to the season. Of course the unmatched tribalism and bragging rights of an Old Firm victory means this would mean nothing if we did lose on Sunday so the pressure remains high on Walter Smith and his group of players. So far they've responded to this incredibly well; coming back from being behind several times and matching Europe's elite in one-off matches - home and away. Can they do the same against their greatest rivals? Perhaps the most bizarre aspect of our success this season will be the difficulty in selecting a team for this hugely important game. Using a 4-4-2 domestically we've looked less strong defensively but have scored 22 goals (6 more than Celtic) so far. Meanwhile, in Europe, an old-fashioned 5-4-1 has proven a surprise success enabling us to defend stoutly and counter-attack effectively in games where we know there will be periods we'll have to be patient. As such, our manager will have to decide which of these two markedly different strategies to select for a game against a Celtic team who are playing well and who are stronger at the back than in recent seasons domestically. However, they have conceded goals against tougher opposition so will Walter be tempted to be more adventurous? Another boost is that, other than the unfortunate Nikica Jelavic, apparently the manager will have a full squad to pick from. Not only has John Fleck recovered from injury but Lee McCulloch and Kirk Broadfoot will both supposedly be available after their respective strains. Conversely, this provides another dilemma in that if he does bring them back, who does he drop from a team who've played well in their absence? Starting with defence then and 5 of the players should pick themselves if fit. Allan McGregor, Steven Whittaker, Davie Weir, Madjid Bougherra and Sasa Papac will all play irrespective of a 4 or 5 man back-line. The only question will be does Smith supplement this well-kent unit with Ricky Foster or Kirk Broadfoot and dispense with an extra striker? This will be one of the key decisions of Smith's season so far and it is impossible to answer the question with any real confidence. Moving into midfield and one would expect the same group which has played against Motherwell and Valencia to good effect. Naismith, Davis, Edu and Weiss are all talented players but perhaps lack the steel required for the inevitable Old Firm physical battle. Therefore, if McCulloch is indeed fit, a recall for him is possible meaning Weiss or Edu may make way. Of course if Smith opts for a more orthodox 4-5-1, all these players may well feature which may arguably give us a better balance of attack and defence. However, the manager has been at pains to say he's not enjoying the necessary tactical changes between the SPL and Europe so another system (albeit one we've used well under Smith) may not be agreeable. This conundrum brings us nicely to our forward options. Obviously Kenny Miller will be favourite to assume the lone-striker role but will his disappointing misses of Wednesday night affect his confidence? With the Jelavic injury, we are limited in our choices for attack. Kyle Lafferty seems to be playing well so he will feature at some point; either as a partner for Miller or in a deeper role which he's not so convincing in. There is the chance that Smith will throw in a wild card such as John Fleck but given his lack of games that is improbable. All in all, with Celtic favouring an attacking outlook of late, I feel Smith will choose to maintain the European formation which has served him well so far. While this may appear overly defensive, in actual fact, it enables us to get bodies into midfield and attack extremely efficiently at any given time. Midfielders such as Davis, Weiss and Naismith are all natural attacking players so they should be able to support Miller easily enough while also doing the spade-work to help their defence. The only decision for Smith to make will be whether or not to stick with the inexperience of Edu or opt for the strength of Lee McCulloch. I certainly don't envy the manager his job this weekend! Possible team (5-4-1): :sw: :mb: :sp: :kb: :sn: :sd: :me: :vw: Prediction: Celtic 2 - 2 Rangers :spl: :robbo:

After watching the Middlesborough "ex old firm" interview yesterday on Sky before the game and as a fan of Kris Boyd when he was here, you wonder if he's thinking what the hell have i done. I'll admit - i did not want Kenny Miller back at Rangers when he joined - but im pleased to say i was wrong. Boyd - 3 goals in 13 games, Miller - 13 goals in 9 games. Gers, top of the league, and doing well in Europe Middlesborough, lost the ginger minger and about to relegate themselves if they hire Mowbray. Sorry Boydy - but no sympathy for you, leaving the Rangers to join a 2nd rate team with a 3rd rate manager.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/rangers/rangers-may-finally-start-to-get-credit-they-deserve-1.1063478 I'm fairly sure we took the lead against Valencia ya clown! Still, some grudging praise is nice

Well there is a surprise. To be honest it didn't really warrant any ban but neither did McGregor for the Aberdeen incident

By Paul Drury OffIcials at Rangers and Celtic could find themselves in trouble today after thousands of Old Firm fans belted out banned anthems yesterday - within earshot of Uefa President, Michel Platini. Renditions of The Billy Boys by Rangers supporters and chants in support of the IRA by the home fans could land both clubs in the dock. On top of that, a firework was thrown onto the Parkhead pitch following a Rangers goal and 13 people were arres ted for being drunk and disorderly and on breach of the peace charges. Last night, the Scottish Premier League said it would be studying the report of their match delegate before it "takes any action that is appropriate". Before the lunch-time encounter - the first Old Firm clash of the season - Celtic had rolled out the red carpet for Platini the former French international now running the governing body of European football. Both the Uefa and French flags were flown above the North Stand at Celtic Park in honour of their VIP guest. And billboards all around the pitch proclaimed: "Celtic Football Club Welcomes Michel Platini to Paradise." Yet within seconds of kick-off, Rangers supporters sang The Billy Boys which their own chief executive has begged them to bin. They followed that up with "The Famine Song" about the humanitarian disaster in Ireland in the middle of the 19th Century. Celtic fans were also involved in unsavoury chants, with a section known as The Green Brigade invoking a song that proclaims support for the IRA. http://sport.scotsman.com/rangersfc/Old-Firm-fans-chants-could.6596836.jp

RAMPANT Rangers storm to awesome victory against Old Firm rivals More...

Red, white and blue scarf tied tightly round his neck, Ally steps out of the echoing close into the crisp sunlit day. He exhales his hangover, and turns the stark winter air moist. He should have stopped drinking earlier on Sunday morning. He should be sleeping now. But he didnââ?¬â?¢t, and heââ?¬â?¢s not. A few miles away in town, one of the few remaining construction projects is running behind. The bosses, with furtive fears of administration, are offering triple time to the cash strapped workers. The site should be a buzzing hive of reluctant industry. But itââ?¬â?¢s not. On Old Firm day that which ought to be the case often isnââ?¬â?¢t. And at roughly 1:30pm, the away side lost the precious first goal. The half drew to a tentative close. Statistically speaking, an away win should never have been possible. As referee Willie Collum blows the half time whistle, the Celtic players walk towards the tunnel, punching clenched fists in the air. The fans join their players in frenzied optimism: around Parkhead tens of thousands of 'people' who understand the importance of the first goal; the importance of being the first to draw blood. However, a sidewards glance towards the Rangers fans shows despondency notable only by its absence. Theyââ?¬â?¢ve been here several times already this season. They watch the players follow their manager off the park ââ?¬â?? bloodied, yes, but unbowed. What they canââ?¬â?¢t see behind the resolute expressions is the determined machinations of implacable will. As well as an often neglected portion of skill, it is this invisible and limitless determination which has brought Rangers back from behind in 4 out of 9 games, and held the cream of European football to creditable draws. If it had a face, it would be rosy red with thinning silver hair. If it had a voice, it would be soft and polite and prone to saying ââ?¬Å?From our own perspectiveââ?¬Â. Walter Smith has overseen the best start to a Rangers season since the 1920s and Bill Struth. The Old Firm victory he tasted at the final whistle has not lost its sweetness for its familiarity. In the clamour of vitriolic noises about cheating and referees, an unholy choir led by defeated managerial neophyte Neil Lennon, at least one Celtic Fan doesnââ?¬â?¢t lend his voice. Instead he writes ââ?¬Å?Hurry up and retire Walter Smithââ?¬Â on Facebook and goes to sleep. While many column inches will be devoted to the patterns of play, horrific fouls, penalty decisions, missed opportunities and relative quality of the players, the difference between Rangers and Celtic at the moment is just one man. A man that tried to sign Glen Loovens, against whose thigh the ball ricocheted and, with a fatalistic sense of inevitability, tumbled towards goal - tipping the balance of the game irrevocably back towards Rangers. At the final whistle both Celtic fans and Rangers fans find it hard to imagine Glen Loovens as a commanding and worthwhile centre half ââ?¬â?? the former in their despair, the latter in their relief. Yet the man who typified Celticââ?¬â?¢s surrender would no doubt have started the game had he chose Rangers. He may even have been man of the match, and joined a list of names including Cuellar, Naismith, Broadfoot, Bougherra, Miller and Papac in becoming more, under Walter Smith, than they had previously ever been elsewhere. He perhaps should have. But he didnââ?¬â?¢t. A few hundred miles south of Glasgow, Dave steps out into a contrastingly warm early winter Sunday morning. He misses Glasgow, he wishes he was home in the stark winter air, under the cold and cloudless autumnal sky. Yet he has an odd satisfied expression on his face. He has spent half an hour scanning odds, and stumbled across a bet that he likes. Celtic Half Time, Rangers Full Time. It is a silly bet. Away sides donââ?¬â?¢t come from behind on Old Firm day to win the game. He got such good odds because itââ?¬â?¢s a result that should never have been possible. But it was. By 3pm, Rangers have shown why theyââ?¬â?¢re champions and Dave has collected his winnings. By 5pm he has drunk them. He should really be in his bed. And, actually, he is.

A hugely significant week for Rangers fans everywhere, the more so because Celtic have gone to such extraordinary lengths to confirm their absolute lack of dignity. To see Lennon grubbing around, clutching at any passing excuse like a ten bob whore; it just confirms everything I ever thought about that shower of shit. I can't help feeling an enormous sense of satisfaction at the determination of the Celtic hierarchy to put the reputation of their club in a place from which it may never escape. There seems to be no pretence anymore and every season sees their slide into sordid bad sportsmanship become increasingly manic and inevitable. There doesn't appear to be the slightest composure left, with this bizarre bullying of officials now apparently club policy. What it does is bring into ever more stark contrast the difference between rangers and Celtic. They're not equivalent parts of the "Old Firm" myth. We're fundamentally different in every way and I thank Celtic for bring that to the attention of more and more people.

Celtic manager Neil Lennon thought referee Willie Collum made two bad mistakes during Rangers' 3-1 derby win. Lennon was aggrieved at the penalty Rangers were awarded for their third goal and thought that Lee McCulloch deserved a first half red card. "He has got a lot of questions to answer," said Lennon, when asked about the performance of Collum. "I have problems with my team but you have to get the big decisions right. I'll be asking for an explanation." Lennon thought that Ibrox midfielder McCulloch, booked early in the game, should have been sent off after impeding Georgios Samaras when the Celtic forward was charging forward, with the game at 0-0. Rangers had recovered from Gary Hooper's opener on the stroke of half time to lead through a Glenn Loovens own goal and Kenny Miller volley when Collum awarded a penalty to the visitors. Rangers substitute Kirk Broadfoot tumbled after the merest connection with Daniel Majstorovic and Miller converted the spot-kick. "I want to know why McCulloch was still on the pitch, it was blatant obstruction when we were breaking," fumed Lennon. "It was a second yellow and they should have been down to 10 men in the second half. "And I feel let down on the penalty incident for sure. It's a big decision. I have seen a replay of the penalty and it looked soft. "I'm not sure he saw it and I'm not sure why he has given it. "There was a long way to go in the game and we were trying to regroup but Daniel pulled out of the tackle and Broadfoot went down very easily. "At 2-1 we were still in the game, at 3-1 it is very difficult for us." Lennon also had a few harsh words for his side, who have now slipped three points behind their fierce rivals in the title race. "We've given the game away," he told BBC Radio Scotland. "The manner of the goals we conceded is the most disappointing thing. Our mentality to see the game out was poor. "And that's from experienced players who should know better. We wanted to keep moving the ball and play in their half. We didn't do any of that." Lennon was forgiving of Loovens' unfortunate own goal but was critical of his side for falling further behind soon after. "I thought it was pretty eachy-peachy in the first half and we were pleased to go in a goal in front," he added. "You can lose a goal from a set-piece, as Rangers did in the first half. That happens in games. "We knew Rangers would come at us and we said if we concede a goal, just stick to what you're doing and be strong mentally. "The second goal was criminal from our point of view. We were comfortable in possession, we've invited pressure on and we've given our goalkeeper kicking practice, which we really didn't need to do. "I thought Ki Sung-Yeung had a really strong game and one or two others but I'll analyse the game later and see who didn't really show up. "The difference is only three points. It's disappointing to lose a home game, it's disappointing to lose an Old Firm game but there's a long way to go in the season and I hope the players learn from this. "We've got to pick the players up and go on another run. We've got a League Cup game on Wednesday and I'll be looking for a big performance." http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/9122412.stm

COLLUM'S HOWLER ROOKIE referee Willie Collum made a terrible mistake in the Old Firm game at Parkhead which Rangers, the better side, deserved to win. Instead of merely booking Anthony Stokes for his disgraceful lunge which caught Sasa Papac, and led to the influential Rangers man having to be replaced, Collum should have reacted more strongly The tackle, had it smashed into Papac later than 90 seconds from the start, would surely have resulted in Stokes being handed his marching orders. Watch it. Watch it again, and again and again. Over and over and over again. That is to say if you get the chance to do so on television. Do NOT expect BBC Television to give licence payers the chance to do so. Certainly Aberdeen supporting Richard Gordon seemed to be concentrating on more pro-Celtic aspects on BBC Radio Scotland in the immediate aftermath. According to the Rangers hating Beeb, the Rangers win was all down to an own goal, a bad kick from the Celtic goalie and a dodgy penalty. Well, there is no doubt the penalty was dodgy. Anyone who has watched Sky's replays could see Kirk Broadfoot appearing to go down before the contact - of which there was plenty - from Daniel Majstorovic. Collum, who had turned away as the ball came off him, also seemed to only turn back to where the action was, in time to see Broadfoot hit the deck. Of course he could have consulted his assistant, but after the meal Celtic made out of it when Dougie McDonald did just that over a penalty award a week ago, who can blame the 31-year-old for sticking with his decision? But had the referee sent off Stokes - as he should have - within 90 seconds of the kick off, Rangers may very well have been more than a goal ahead by that stage of the match. It was telling that when interviewed on Sky Sports by a sympathetic Peter Martin Maguire , Neil Lennon, rather that wanting to talk too much about the spot kick award, chose to reveal he had told his Celtic players that on the day they were not good enough. For me, that was an honest assessment, as Rangers started the better team before Celtic edged back into things and an even half hour was contested after the opening 15 minutes. During that spell Rangers were restricted by the injury inflicted on Papac by Stokes, with the left back finally forced off. If that Stokes over the top tackle and the contact he made was worth only a booking, then the one which led to a yellow card for Lee McCulloch, while a foul, was hardly in the same class. He got the ball and made no contact with his opponent. Another mistake by Collum. The trouble in the Rangers six yard area prior to the Celtic corner which led to their goal, was another instance of the referee failing to do his duty. Georgios Samaras actually put Allen McGregor on the deck and was spoken to by Collum. The decision should have been a booking for the Greek. More about the referee later, but back to the actual game, and Samaras caused Rangers problems in the first half with his movement, but Walter Smith clearly dealt with that in his half time team talk. Samaras in the first half apart, Celtic did not have any really eye catching performer, although scorer Gary Hooper showed he is a chance taker supreme. Against that, Rangers had the best player on the park, Steven Naismith. He is the most fouled player in the Champions League, and was once again the player victimised. The number of times he was fouled by a succession of Celtic players, must have been close to - or even into - double figures. Failing to protect him was another dereliction of duty by the young referee who fell below the standards he showed in the recent Rangers victory at Aberdeen. However, for a remarkable fifth time this season Rangers fell behind and then rallied and went on to win. Even given their recent track record, there are few who would have backed them to do that against Celtic. At Parkhead too. It was only the second time in 67 Old Firm encounters that the team which lost the opening goal went on to triumph. Kenny Miller's strike to put the champions in front, was superb and, after his two terrible misses against Valencia, showed the sort of character he has. To go back in time, he is someone of whom Jock Wallace would have approved. Wallace would have also nodded in approval at Walter Smith's post match interview, when he made the point that, after their Champions League extertions against Valencia, Rangers were understandably not at their sharpest. Of course there are those who harp on about Smith getting an easy ride in the press because he is, in the modern idiom "media friendly." Therefore, those who think this is poppycock, should be indebted to Charlie Nicholas on Sky. He said what it is about, is that Rangers are playing well. On a personal level I know Lennon too is media friendly and is easy for reporters to deal with. Also, watching the action on Sky, I was struck by how David Tanner is growing into his role as an anchor, and with Nicholas added to the mix, Sky once again showed it is head and shoulders above any other broadcaster. Davie Provan has a great store of knowledge and never pulls a punch, while Ian Crocker commentates with a sure authority and a host of facts. One of them was that Collum is a teacher of religious studies. Just the sort if unusual for a referee job which I thought the newspapers may have highlighted in the build up to the game. After all, the papers were always quick to mention that Mike McCurry was a Baptist minister. Over and over and over. Again, and again and again.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RkCccMQ2Rc]YouTube - Nightmare on Kerryfail Street - Old Firm Special[/ame]

Celtic 5/4 Draw 12/5 Rangers 21/10 Correct Score 0-1 Rangers 7/1 0-2 Rangers 11/1 1-2 Rangers 10/1 0-3 Rangers 33/1 1-3 Rangers 28/1 2-3 Rangers 28/1 2-4 Rangers 100/1 Frankies 2-2 is 14/1 First Goalscorer: Miller 11/2 Lafferty 7/1 Beattie 7/1 Naismith 8/1 Weiss 14/1 Davis 16/1 Bougherra 40/1

After last week and the referee eventually overturning his error and correctly disallowing a penatly, Celtic feel aggrieved. Not aggrieved because they believe the decision was wrong. I never heard that argument. They just don't like the fact that the incident was "against" them. After today's game we see a similar claim: Again, he does not deny it is a penalty. He says it is soft. That is far different to saying it should not be given. So in spite of a correct decision, they are annoyed because Lennon doesn't think the ref saw it. Perhaps the SFA/SPL and the referees need to consult Celtic about when and when not can they give correct decisions that might not be favourable to Celtic.

VLADIMIR WEISS last night gave Rangers an Old Firm boost by hinting he may stay at Ibrox. The on-loan Slovakian is due to rejoin Roberto Mancini at Manchester City in the summer, but he refuses to rule out a permanent move to Glasgow. He said: "The question of my future is a difficult one. "I have a contract in Manchester until 2013 and I would like to return there, if that is possible. "But I am very happy in Glasgow - Rangers are a club at the highest level with excellent training facilities. "More people know me here and the interest in football is enormous." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3193536/Vladimir-Weiss-hints-at-permanent-move.html#ixzz13AdPX2ZS

IT is a measure of the way the Scottish Football Association operates, and the manner in which it is scrutinised by the nation's media, that the wider public is no longer made aware of decisions taken and verdicts reached by the game's governing body. Take for instance the case of the last Old Firm game played at Ibrox, which took place as long ago as last February. It is a turbo charged encounter with referee Dougie McDonald sending off Celtic captain Scott Brown and Maurice Edu bundling in a last minute winner for Rangers. The fact that there were fireworks came as no surprise as, in the build up to the vital clash, Celtic, via their official website, appreared to seek to crank up the pressure on referee McDonald with an anonymous rant. The press gave it massive coverage and SFA President George Peate was quick to respond by branding such an anonymous attack as "cowardly." What followed in the game's aftermath led to then Celtic manager Tony Mowbray being referred to the SFA General Purposes Committee for remarks, critical of the referee. Not long afterwards, while on international duty with the Republic of Ireland, Aiden McGeady was interviewed by a Scottish journalist and added his critical comments, and the General Purposes Committee was again called in. However, the most widely publicised event came when the official Celtic website again leapt in, and just over an hour after the end of the match it launched a full blooded attack on Dougie McDonald's integrity. The crux of this was that "no fair minded person" would agree with McDonald's decision to send off Brown, with the clear implication being that as McDonald had taken the red card decision, he was not fair minded. Daily newspaper journalists working in the Ibrox media media room, filing match reports, plus stories with the views given to them by the managers and players in post match interviews, quickly became aware of the content on the official Celtic website. Having picked up on it they then incorporated it into those reaction reports and the "no fair minded person" allegation formed the main thrust of the stories which led the back pages, from the red tops, through the middle market papers, to the broadsheets. The general line taken by the media was that Celtic could find themselves in deep trouble with the SFA over the website attack, an natural assumption to make, especiall given president Peat's obvious disgust and anger at what had appeared there prior to the game. But afterwards? How did the media follow up on things? Well, it would seem they all just forgot about it. Something which had been splashed all over the back pages for a couple of days and which jammed the lines to the radio phone in programmes, just slipped off the media's radar. Of course the increasingly secret service which is the SFA hardly helped. In the past any decisions by the General Purposes Committee - which deals with offences such as what managers and players say in media interviews - were made public. Now, according to my information, under chairman Rod Petrie, who is also chairman of Hibernian, that has changed. No news of decisions taken by the General Purposes Committee are made public. News however, has a way of leaking out, and I can now bring you the decisions taken by Petrie's Committtee regarding what appeared on the official Celtic website, and what was said by Mowbray and McGeady. McGeady, said Petrie's committee, had no case to answer. As far as Mowbray was concerned, by the time the committee sat in judgement, he had left Celtic and was no longer within the SFA's jurisdiction. And, in the case of the much more serious matter of the statement published on the official Celtic website Petrie's committee decided the appropriate punishment was a censure. Many may think this is a poor way for the Scottish Football Association to defend and protect the integrity of Scotland's officials. A set of circumstances has come to light again this weekend via a splendid exclusive by Mark Guidi in the Daily Record which reveals that Steven Craven, the linesman at the centre of the rumpus over last Sunday's penalty decision u-turn, has been threatenen, while his two teenage sons have been subjected to verbal abuse. Guidi's superb story also lifted the lid on just what happened between McDonald and Craven during that Dundee United-Celtic flashpoint. According to what he wrote, it was McDonald who, on second thoughts, overturned his own decision without any input from Craven, something which now explains the mystery of why Craven moved to take up the position of a linesman at a spot kick - behind the goal line. The Daily Record story also goes on to say that Craven feels he has been hung out to dry and used as a scapegoat by the SFA, and that he is ready to quit. How much of his decision to stand down relates to the latest occasion in which the SFA seems to have failed to protect and official, and how much to being the latest official who - along with his family - has suffered threats and abuse after being involved in a decision which went against Celtic, is unclear. Craven is probably weighing them both equally. Willie Collum, his two linesmen and the fourth official, therefore know what awaits them should they be involved in any controversial decisions while taking charge of the first Old Firm game of the season. On a wider perspective though, it will be interesting to wait and watch what the outcome is of the SFA's Rod Petrie led General Purposes Committtee's judgement on Dundee United manager Peter Houston's rant at Dougie McDonald . And whether Petrie's committee make public any of the decisions they may take regarding the fall out from events at Tannadice. Or indeed, whether the nation's media suffer another bout of collective amnesia. http://davidleggat-leggoland.blogspot.com/2010/10/sfa-try-to-keep-celtic-verdict-secret.html