Willie Collum has spoken openly about the pressure around refereeing in Scotland and why the VAR review show was introduced. Now working as head of referee operations at the Scottish FA, he is one of the main voices explaining decisions to the public.
The VAR review show has become a regular feature. It breaks down key decisions from recent games and gives context around how decisions were reached. That includes VAR involvement and the process behind it. For referees, it offers a way to explain moments that would previously go unanswered.
In Scotland, those moments rarely pass quietly. Decisions in big games are picked apart straight away. Social media drives that even further. A single incident can dominate the conversation for days.
That environment is part of what Collum is addressing. From his point of view, the issue is not just mistakes, but how those mistakes are interpreted and discussed.
He said: (A Level Playing Field Podcast), “It’s painful at times in Scotland.
“Often my wife will say to me, ‘how would you feel if the head of refereeing was coming out and talking about your decisions?’
“But sometimes, I just wanted to explain that it’s a mistake. You know?
“Instead of where we are in the west of Scotland where everybody thinks there’s a big scandal or conspiracy behind a mistake, which I think is ridiculous.”
“I think it drags us down. I think it’s a scourge on us as a society as well.
“But, if you look at my colleague Martin Atkinson – who has been a great asset for us in in terms of refereeing. He is working very closely with the referees and made a lot of improvements.
“He was a top referee in England, refereed all the biggest matches, a Europa League final in 2016, went to Euro with me in 2016…
“He has openly said that the scrutiny probably within the West of Scotland, looking at some sinister reason behind decisions, is much, far, far worse than anything he has been able to see in England.”
VAR has added another area of debate rather than removing it. There have been moments where it has worked in Celtic’s favour. Decisions missed in real time have been pulled back and corrected, including incidents like Daizen Maeda’s penalty won against Motherwell where VAR stepped in.
At the same time, there have been decisions that have gone the other way. Supporters can point to moments where reviews have led to decisions that still feel harsh or unclear. That is where frustration builds.
The review show tries to deal with that gap. It does not change the result, but it does show how the call was reached. Angles, communication, and the laws applied are all laid out.
It does not settle every argument. It was never going to. But it does move the discussion away from guesswork and towards the actual process behind the decision.
