Celtic will once again find VAR under the spotlight after the SFA confirmed Don Robertson’s role for the trip to Hibs, placing decision-making scrutiny firmly back on the officials.
Celtic head into the Hibs clash with a full officiating team now confirmed via the SFA referee appointments page.
The lineup is as follows:
- Referee: David Dickinson
- Assistant Referee 1: Calum Spence
- Assistant Referee 2: Douglas Ross
- VAR: Don Robertson
- AVAR: Duncan Nicolson
The structure itself is standard, but the presence of Robertson on VAR immediately shifts attention toward how key decisions will be handled.
Celtic’s VAR involvement under Don Robertson shows consistent influence
Robertson is no unfamiliar figure in Celtic fixtures, having officiated 50 Celtic matches across his career.
Those games have produced a strong return, with a Celtic record under Robertson of 39 wins, six draws and five defeats.
Within that sample, nine penalties awarded to Celtic underline how often major decisions fall into his matches.
That pattern matters because VAR is now central to how those calls are reached, not just who makes them on the pitch.
A recent derby example against Rangers saw a penalty awarded to Celtic after VAR review, after Robertson brilliantly caught a Dujon Sterling handball everybody else missed.
Celtic must manage margins as VAR decisions remain decisive
With Robertson now positioned on VAR rather than in the middle, the same level of involvement remains, only through a different channel.
For Celtic, the implication is straightforward, control the performance and reduce the reliance on marginal calls.
Matches at this level are often defined by small moments, and VAR ensures those moments are examined in detail.
Celtic have shown they can deliver results under Robertson’s oversight, but the data also shows how frequently key decisions arise in those fixtures involving the SFA official.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
