Kenny Dalglish criticises Rangers over Willie Collum...

Kenny Dalglish criticises Rangers over Willie Collum treatment after Celtic defeat in ‘honest mistake’ assessment

Kenny Dalglish criticises Rangers over Willie Collum treatment after Celtic defeat in ‘honest mistake’

assessment Collum was asked by Gers to not participate in their matches going forward.

After Rangers’ loss to the Celtics, Kenny Dalglish took a harsh stance on the team for how they handled Willie Collum.

The Ibrox team was incensed that, after Alistair Johnston handballed within his own area during Celts’ 2-1 victory

against their opponents on December 30, the referee declined to recommend a penalty.

In the first of their statements on the subject, Gers called for the release of the audio from the tech truck and urged

transparency in the use of VAR.

Following a meeting with the SFA, the club expressed their dissatisfaction with the offside call that went unnoticed

at the time and ultimately shaped the majority of the dispute. It was then revealed that Gers had requested that

Collum not be part in any of their games going ahead.

Though Dalglish believes the Ibrox club is in the wrong for their attitude on Collum,

even if they did initially have the right concept calling for VAR clarity, Dalglish writes in his Sunday Post piece that

the regulatory body would reject that idea.

“Rangers were far from happy with the performance of Willie Collum in last weekend’s Old Firm game,” writes

Dalglish.

“While on VAR duty, Willie failed to request that match referee Nick Walsh examine a handball committed by

Celtic’s Alistair Johnston.

“While Sima was offside during the build-up, it was invalid even though it appeared to be a penalty. Rangers,

though, are seeking clarification on the decision-making process. They would like the audio recording of the

officials’ conversations from the Parkhead game to be made public.

They have spoken with the SFA. There are rumors that they have requested that Willie stop officiating any of their

remaining games.

“It’s possible that Willow made a mistake. However, it would have been a truthful one. Does that mean he should

be abandoned as a result? No, I don’t believe that.

“Referees already face a lot of pressure. Has there ever been an error at Rangers? Although I support openness,

such a move would require the participation of every team and every level of the Hampden hierarchy.”