JAMES BEE has explained the sheer relief for officials when an Old Firm fixture has passed by without any major controversies.
The former Specialist Assistant Referee, which is now known as the linesman, remembers his first experience of the fixture and the nerves in the pit of his stomach ahead of kick-off.
Bee assisted referee Hugh Dallas on his Celtic vs Rangers debut and he recalls a restless night of sleep ahead of the fixture and not being able to eat prior to the match in the morning.
He explained: “The Old Firm is the one we all want to be on … you are terrified about the prospect but really want to do the game. Hugh Dallas was the ref for the first Old Firm match I did.
“Normally, the officials meet up in a hotel about two and a half hours before kick-off, but Hugh said he wanted us there at 9.30 am. I was up at 7.00 am, after about three hours of sleep. There were scrambled eggs on offer for breakfast at the hotel, but I couldn’t eat. Neither could the other ‘rookie’ Old Firm Assistant.
“That was pretty normal for a Rangers vs Celtic game. I felt sick in the morning, having had barely any sleep through worry, and then had to go out and perform at a very high level, despite having had no food, in front of tens of thousands of people.
“At an Old Firm match you can forget hearing the players: you can barely hear the whistle. In fact, all you hear is a big noise, where all the individual insults melt into one so you don’t hear them. In contrast, at, say, Cowdenbeath you can hear everything.
“Doing the Old Firm is easier in some respects. In particular, you don’t have to motivate yourself because your concentration and adrenaline levels are higher than for any other game. At the end of the match, so long as it has gone well, the relief is incredible.
“I know that fans of other teams will say that we should say that after every game, but to be honest there is a difference. For a start, if you get something seriously wrong in an Old Firm, you can be in the media spotlight for weeks and papers have been known to send journalists to an official’s workplace or neighbours to try to ‘find a story.’”
Bee was speaking to Alastair Blair in his book STOP THE GAME: WE’RE GOING TO ARREST THE GOALKEEPER; Scottish Football Referees and the influence of Scotland on the Laws of the Game. This book is available to purchase online HERE.
