Willie Collum supports officials’ decision not to dismiss Celtic’s Auston Trusty during the Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Rangers, despite ongoing anger from the Ibrox side.
Rangers were incensed at the incident, which occurred shortly before halftime in the Old Firm clash at Hampden. The club has already written to the Scottish FA, asking an official explanation for how the incident was handled. Tensions rose further last week when the independent Key Match Incident (KMI) panel determined that Trusty should have been sent off, forcing Rangers to look into what they call “officiating trends” over multiple seasons. The club allegedly believes the Trusty call is part of a larger pattern of poor decisions, rather than a one-time blip. However, Collum is said to be sticking firm, pledging full support to referee Nick Walsh and VAR official Andrew Dallas, essentially clearing them of any wrongdoing. Walsh was not instructed to check the incident on the pitchside monitor, and Collum allegedly agrees with their conclusion that Trusty’s flick of the boot lacked the necessary force or intent for a red card.
Rangers are anticipated to exploit the KMI ruling to push for more communication with Scottish football’s senior referees, in the hopes of addressing broader issues about officiating consistency. Collum is also expected to defend his officials’ handling of two other important incidents in the same game: Thelo Aasgard’s red card for a high boot on Anthony Ralston and the late penalty awarded to Rangers when the Celtic defender stopped a shot with his arm. The fallout from the semi-finals continues to exacerbate tensions between Rangers and the SFA, with both sides standing firm as scrutiny of officiating standards grows.
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