Contrary to what some observers have believed over the years, Willie Collum has yearned for the day that the referee does not become the story.
A week tonight, when Hibs take on St Johnstone at Easter Road and VAR is implemented for the first time in Scottish league football, the 43-year-old firmly believes it is finally going to happen. He’s not daft. Collum knows there could be teething problems but is adamant that Scottish officials will benefit massively from having the safety net of two VAR operators - both top class refs themselves - manning the booths at the state-of the art SFA VAR control centre in Baillieston.
And he is convinced he and every other man in the middle will welcome with open arms the thought of not putting themselves through trial by Sportscene every weekend. “My honest opinion is,” he said. “This is about benefiting us in Scotland. It’s to avoid the controversy here. That’s the biggest thing — to ensure we aren’t the headline any more.
