Willie Collum after his appointment to the SFA in July 2024. Second, most importantly, he is dedicated to the operation and delivery of a more effective Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in Scottish football. At 46 years old, Collum is in his second year in this leadership role, taking over for Crawford Allan. His focus centers on alleviating the “unsustainable burden” placed on match officials while fostering better communication across all levels of the sport.
Collum, in particular, has used his time in charge to talk up the need for transparency through refereeing. Last season, though, he rolled out a VAR review show specifically intended to shed light on controversial decisions and correct public narratives. He acknowledged the challenges faced during the previous season, admitting that mistakes were made but expressing confidence that progress has been achieved in refereeing standards.
“I think it’s really, really important to have good relationships with an open door policy to engage with the clubs, with the players,” Collum stated, underlining the necessity of collaboration within the sport. Over the summer, he joyfully toured each of the 12 Scottish Premiership clubs. He visited a number of junior and senior (lower division) clubs in the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) to build relationships and gather information about their perceptions of officials.
Collum is adamant that communication is key to making the high degree of consistency in decision-making a reality, especially on hot-button issues such as handball. He stated, “We’re in a good place. We feel on the same page with the clubs as well, which is really, really important and I’m confident.” His proactive approach appears to have garnered support from clubs, as he noted, “We’re pretty much 99 per cent there with the clubs and decisions.”
Collum’s previous hands-on experience during implementation adds depth to his current role. Ian officiated at Euro 2016, making history as the last Scottish referee to represent at a major finals. This background has provided him with a fascinating perspective on the challenges and pressures that officials encounter at these high-stakes contests. He has seen firsthand how the quality of refereeing has sharply increased.
Looking forward after an impressive first season, Collum is excited about what lies ahead. He also stressed that next season, 80 percent of all televised Premier League matches will be exclusive to Sky Sports. This move will significantly improve the transparency of Scottish football refereeing. Yet with this exposure comes the opportunity for officials to prove their mettle and commitment to a level playing field.
Everybody understands subjective decisions and difficult decisions. Our goal is to never make a choice that leaves people scratching their heads. That’s really important because we need everyone to know why we’re making the decisions we are. Collum elaborated. This quote highlights his desire for transparency and responsibility in officiating.
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