Scottish Premiership referee Willie Collum had a shocker in Rangers’ draw with Hibs but some revealing clips suggest the Ibrox side were refereed to a different standard this weekend.
The Gers wound up with only nine men on the pitch and lost a seemingly inevitable last-minute equaliser to the Hibees when Josh Campbell struck from range.
This was after James Tavernier had given the club the lead from the spot and Martin Boyle had equalised, with Tom Lawrence nodding the Ibrox side back in front before Campbell made it 2-2.
But there can be no doubting that the decision to send off John Lundstram midway through the second half changed the game and left the Rangers side infuriated.
The Rangers players were incensed when Willie Collum darted over to flash a red card to John Lundstram with everything suggesting the decision will be overturned on appeal.
Lundstram had cynically fouled Martin Boyle in his own half in a yellow card offence which spawned huge protests from the Hibs team.
The tackle was also identical to one made by Hibs star Jake Doyle-Hayes in the first half, the midfielder only receiving a yellow for clipping Rangers star John Lundstram.
Did Willie Collum referee Rangers players to different standard from Hibs?
It is objectively impossible to view both incidents and claim that the Rangers one hasn’t been judged to a higher standard. For whatever reason, it quite clearly has been.
It’s laughable that Willie Collum would treat one as a yellow card offence – which it is – and the other as a sending off – which is patently isn’t.
Then there’s this Ross Callachan challenge from the match with Ross County and Kilmarnock.
If this isn’t a red card, then how can Willie Collum or anyone in good conscious judge the John Lundstram challenge to be?
It’s not the first time Rangers have had a run in with Willie either, with the club previously releasing a public statement regarding his officiating of matches involving Rangers.
This came after Willie Collum sent Daniel Candeias off for blowing kisses in a victory over St Mirren in Steven Gerrard’s first season.
Whilst it’s true Rangers weren’t helped by Alfredo Morelos seeing red for a clash with Marijan Čabraja – which Andy Walker didn’t believe was a sending off – the John Lundstram red is unarguably the poorer decision.
Only Willie Collum knows why he has refereed Rangers to a higher standard than Hibs – or his colleagues did across the Premiership this weekend – and it’s the Ibrox side who suffer as two points are dropped in a tight title race.
Speaking of the title race, the Rangers Board have some questions to answer after letting the prospect of domestic dominance slip from our fingers.