Celtic Derby Fallout: McInnes Says He Won’t Discuss Referees – So Why Have Rangers Contacted Willie Collum?

Derek McInnes has delivered a rather extraordinary contribution to the Celtic derby build-up. Apparently, he doesn’t want to get caught up in refereeing discussions. That would be considerably more convincing if Rangers hadn’t already contacted Scotland’s head of refereeing.

Following Sunday’s 3-0 League Cup victory at Ibrox, Rangers chief executive Jim Gillespie spoke to Willie Collum about Mika Baur’s challenge on Ryan Naderi.

McInnes confirmed the contact during Friday’s press conference. He also expressed surprise that referee Nick Walsh had not been asked to review the incident.

Then came the remarkable declaration.

“I’m not going to get caught up in referee chat.”

Well, Derek, isn’t that precisely what has happened?

Celtic Derby Fallout Raises Questions About Rangers’ Approach

Let’s establish something immediately. If Naderi suffered an injury following a dangerous challenge, Rangers are entitled to seek clarification. Player safety matters, regardless of the badge on the shirt.

However, that isn’t the issue here.

The issue is the apparent contradiction between publicly distancing yourself from refereeing discussions and confirming that your club has already taken its concerns directly to the man responsible for Scottish referees.

McInnes described Naderi’s ankle as a mess. He also questioned why VAR had not intervened.

Those are legitimate concerns to raise. But they are refereeing discussions, whether McInnes wishes to acknowledge that or not.

The timing also deserves scrutiny.

Celtic and Rangers meet again on Sunday. Before that encounter, the Ibrox club have contacted the refereeing authorities about an incident involving a Celtic player.

There is no evidence that this contact will influence Sunday’s officials. Nor is there evidence of improper conduct.

Nevertheless, Scottish football deserves transparency about how these conversations operate.

Celtic Derby Fallout Demands Transparency

What explanation did Collum provide? Was the incident formally reviewed? Are clubs routinely given access to the refereeing chief when they dispute decisions?

These are reasonable questions. They should apply equally to Celtic, Rangers and every other Scottish club.

McInnes cannot reasonably expect his comments about the challenge to attract attention while simultaneously insisting he wants no involvement in refereeing debate.

His club has raised the matter. He has discussed it publicly. That is the reality.

Meanwhile, Celtic have a football match to prepare for and a humiliating derby defeat to answer for.

The focus should be on football, not another week dominated by arguments about officials.

But if Rangers want answers from Willie Collum, supporters of every Scottish club deserve to know how that process works.

Scottish football needs consistent refereeing standards, transparent procedures and accountability for everyone.

Not selective explanations. Not unanswered questions. And certainly not a public discussion dressed up as an attempt to avoid one.

Key Takeaways

• Rangers contacted Willie Collum over Mika Baur’s challenge on Ryan Naderi.
• McInnes questioned the lack of VAR intervention but said he wanted to avoid refereeing discussions.
• There is no evidence that the contact will influence Sunday’s officials.
• Scottish football needs transparency about how clubs raise refereeing concerns.