Ex-SFA referee can’t believe one man has been appointed for Celtic final vs St Mirren

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It’s been a typically quiet season in Scotland on the referee front…

In reality, things are going in a more intense direction than usual, with seemingly a new gross error being examined every week, regardless of whether Celtic are involved.

The question over Auston Trusty’s challenge against Rangers is still being asked about now – but since that match, there have been plenty of other incidents to cause debate.

Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup final will doubtless be under the microscope, and the referee line-up for the encounter has been confirmed.

Former SFA referee Des Roache is particularly surprised by one inclusion in the team.

Ex-SFA referee on Celtic vs St Mirren referee appointment

Of course, the last time Celtic faced the Saints, there was a fallout over a disallowed own-goal by Liam Scales.

God knows what the big incident will be this time.

READ MORE: Mark Fotheringham says Martin O’Neill would’ve gone ‘way beyond’ his interim spell at Celtic

For Des Roache, speaking on the Daily Record’s Hotline show, one member of the officiating team should’ve been taken out of the firing line.

Roache said: “The team we’ve got for Sunday is: Kevin Clancy is the referee – Kevin’s vastly experienced. Callum Spence and Gordon Crawford will be the assistants.

“Don Robertson is VAR, and he will be ably assisted by someone who we know well… a guy called Matthew MacDermid.

“Nothing personally against Matthew at all… I feel he’s been put in a very strange position. He should’ve been taken out of the firing line and given a bit of support…

“And they’re rewarding him with a cup final.

“Kevin’s vastly experienced, and I think what Kevin will be taking a lot of comfort in is that Don is the guy who will be calling the shots in the main, we hope.

“Because Don’s experienced, Don’s been using technology at home and abroad for a number of years.”

Celtic’s dealings with referees this season

Ironically in the semi-final which saw so much debate over Trusty, Roache said that Rangers were lucky not to receive a second red card in the game, for Derek Cornelius’ tackle on Johnny Kenny.

In Wilfried Nancy’s first game against Hearts on Sunday, some called for a red card for a Daizen Maeda tackle, but this also hasn’t been a sustained claim.

It was in fact, MacDermid who gave Celtic the penalty that Kelechi Iheanacho dispatched in the last minute against Kilmarnock.

So if he can repeat that process on Sunday, we’ll all be happy… but don’t hedge your bets.