Referee set for first Celtic match on Sunday as assignments confirmed

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Referee David Dickinson has a big weekend ahead of him after being assigned a Celtic match for the first time in his career.

The 42-year-old has previously served as a fourth official with the Bhoys in action, but this is his debut with the whistle in a Celtic game, as Ange Postecoglou’s side prepares to face Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.

Graeme Stewart and Ross Macleod will serve as assistants running the line, with the familiar John Beaton in place as fourth official between the dugouts.

Dickinson isn’t a complete novice, of course. He’s taken charge of Scottish Premiership matches before, including the league opener at Tynecastle between Hearts and Ross County.

Refereeing in Scotland is undergoing a shake-up this season with long-serving officials such as Bobby Madden moving elsewhere and the Premiership introducing VAR to the equation.

VAR is already being trialled at top-flight matches, and it’s now about ensuring screens and notifications are in place at stadiums for crowds before it can ‘go live’.

The most recent reports suggest it could be ready to go by October, well ahead of the initially proposed timeline of after the Qatar World Cup.

Either way, the technology is coming this season, and in theory, it should help Dickinson and the rest of his colleagues with big game-changing decisions.

For now, it’s all up to the judgement of officials actually at the stadium and we can only hope there are no controversies this weekend – it’s always much better for all concerned!

In other news, Yosuke Ideguchi in good spirits at Lennoxtown despite ‘pretty nasty’ Celtic injury.