New SFA head of referees Willie Collum has vowed to restore Scottish officials to major tournaments after expressing ‘hurt’ at their exclusion from Euro 2024.
Appointed successor to Crawford Allan, Collum refereed at Euro 2016 and remains the last SFA official to be granted the seal of approval by UEFA or FIFA.
Wounded by the latest Euros snub, the 45-year-old admits to feeling ‘jealous’ of overseas colleagues given the nod for Germany.
And, after landing the Hampden post with a promise to improve standards and deliver greater transparency, Collum wants to return the nation’s much-criticised officials to the world stage.
‘I was a wee bit jealous during the Euros and I have been during previous major tournaments,’ he said.
‘I was the last Scottish referee to represent the country at Euro 2016 and that was the highlight of my career.
New refs chief Collum wants Scottish officials restored to major tournaments
Collum was last Scots official to earn approval when he refereed at Euro 2016
Collum claimed it was 'painful' not to see any of his colleagues at Euro 2024
‘It was always a dream as a youngster, though I would love to have played in goals for Scotland.
‘The next best thing for me was refereeing at the Euros. It was my equivalent of playing for Scotland.
‘We need to get our referees back to the top table of European football.
‘We need them supported and we need them in a strong place.
‘Our national team are reaching major tournaments and we need to get our referees there, as well.
‘It hurts. It’s painful for me.
VAR has had a controversial introduction to the Scottish Premiership
Fans want to see better communication when VAR intervenes over decisions
Referee Glenn Nyberg officiated at Euro 2024 despite the fact Sweden has no VAR
‘I’m sure players feel it when they don’t qualify for a tournament and the coach feels it.
‘And I would be lying if I said I watched that and wasn’t bothered by having no Scottish official there.
‘We want to be back at that top table and I will do everything I can to get our referees back there.’
Previously excluded due to the absence of video technology from the domestic game, the introduction of VAR to the Scottish Premiership in October 2022 made no apparent difference to the prospects of Scottish officials. Despite their clubs rejecting VAR, even Sweden had a referee in Germany in the shape of Glenn Nyberg.
Citing a glut of appointments to UEFA club fixtures as evidence of talent in the Scottish ranks, Collum believes the picture is improving.
‘Just the other day we got another four European appointments in,’ he said.
‘So we are moving in the right direction, but I have told the referees that getting the appointment is one thing - performing is the next.
‘I need them to be at the very top of their game. Not just in Europe, but domestically as well.
‘We need our referees in Scotland putting themselves in the spotlight for the right reasons.’
Collum takes charge of a typically feisty Old Firm game prior to his new appointment
Collum also called for greater consideration for referees’ mental wellbeing after revealing morale was low among his colleagues last season.
Officials were subjected to intense criticism amid continual issues with VAR and a string of flashpoints around their decisions.
Collum is intent on maintaining accountability among refs, but believes that some of the treatment they receive goes beyond acceptable levels.
‘I was an active referee myself and at times last season morale was low,’ he said. ‘We don’t talk enough about the mental wellbeing of referees. They are under as much pressure as anybody in the game to get decisions right.
‘With refereeing, the positives far outweigh the negatives, but we need also to protect the referees. That doesn’t mean we justify things when they are wrong, but we need to understand why referees make mistakes and we need to understand the professional approach referees have to the game.’
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