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SPFL boss vents fury at 'real low' refs standard as Willie Collum fields seething phone call

Refs chief Willie Collum
-Credit: (Image: SNS Group / SFA)


Derek McInnes insists the standard of officiating must improve in the wake of Kilmarnock being let down by a "real low" for refs.

A new weekly review panel set up by the SFA unanimously decided that St Mirren defender Shaun Rooney should have been sent off for violent conduct after twice kicking Kyle Vassell as the Killie captain lay on the ground with the ball between his feet. Whistler Matthew MacDermid gave a free-kick to St Mirren and VAR Andrew Dallas saw no need to intervene.

Joe Wright was later sent off for violent conduct following a VAR review after clashing with Rooney at a corner during the 2-2 draw in Paisley. St Mirren were awarded a penalty and had a stoppage-time goal disallowed following a VAR intervention and McInnes feels refs chief Willie Collum must improve standards as well as better transparency.

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McInnes said: “The performance against St Mirren after a full week’s training was exactly how we were last season. And for me it was a winning performance. If the officials do their job right then we probably win that game.

"There's no two ways about it for me. We felt really let down on some of the decisions. That has now been validated by the referee department. It was validated by a phone call that I had with Willie Collum on the Monday after the game.

"There's not much they can do after the event and I accept that there's a need for them to be better - and they SHOULD have been better. I thought it was a real low for the refereeing department, that performance. At times you see the benefits of VAR and that was a real case in point where VAR highlighted how poor a VAR decision it was as well, not helping the referee.

"I didn't get a phone call, I phoned him. I feel I've always had a good line of communication with Willie when he was a referee, as a player or a manager. I’m not here to praise the referee department, Willie in particular, because they're being transparent. I think it's the way it SHOULD be - and I'm glad that he senses that way.

"I do think he's a guy who will make change and get things right over time and I think he'll implement a standard that's needed. I think we've got some really good referees and good officials in the country - but we've also got a few who need some work. And for me it's quite galling the fact that the St Mirren player involved plays next week and Joe gets a three-game ban.

"Joe Wright is involved in the penalty-kick with the same player, they get penalties involved in an incident. Joe was rightly condemned by me and has been punished to the full extent because he's allowed himself to get involved in the situation. But for the on-field stuff and decisions, we were badly let down as a club…BADLY. And that was recognised by Willie.

"So at least there's that kind of acceptance of it. If that had happened to an Old Firm club, you would still be going on about it forever. It had a huge impact on the result - but it was just seen as a bad day at the office for wee Kilmarnock who move on. We just felt so let down. I couldn't believe what was happening to be honest with one or two."

The panel backed the referee's decision to only book Mikael Mandron for catching Wright with an arm.

"The Mandron one I'm OK with, to be honest," McInnes said. "The fact that Willie said it should have been a red card offence doesn't help us at the time but it certainly would have if St Mirren had been down to nine men halfway through the first half. But the other one, I thought there was no place for that type of behaviour by any player on a football pitch and it should have been dealt with."