Willie Collum shares when he was most ‘nervous’ officiating Rangers vs Celtic derbies

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Willie Collum has shared how he felt before and during an Old Firm derby between arch-rivals Rangers and Celtic.

Ex-referee Collum presided over a whole host of derby games in Glasgow and soon became one of the most experienced whistlers in the country.

But he has stepped away from on-pitch duties and is now the SFA’s Head of Refereeing after taking up the position in May.

Collum has been tasked with improving the standard of officiating in Scotland as well as overseeing how well VAR is utilised on a week-to-week basis in the Scottish Premiership.

And VAR is the main focus of the SFA’s new monthly YouTube show ‘The VAR Review’ which sees the 45-year-old provide “unique insight into refereeing decisions made across Scottish football”, as per the SFA’s official website.

The September edition – hosted by Gordon Duncan – was published on Wednesday and saw Collum pore through a number of controversial calls since the start of the 2024/25 campaign.

And to promote the new offering, Collum appeared on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard – also hosted by Gordon Duncan – to answer the phones and clear up supporters’ burning questions.

• READ MORE: Old Firm All-Time Top Scorers

Willie Collum on refereeing Old Firm clashes

One fan asked what it was really like to referee Old Firm games, renowned for their ferocity and deafening atmospheres at either Ibrox or Celtic Park.

Collum replied by explaining at what point he was most nervous when he knew he was going to be refereeing one the biggest games in world football.

He said on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard: “I suppose as you get experienced – I used to say once you’ve refereed one (an Old Firm), if you want to referee another, you’re crazy. But they’re great occasions.

“The atmosphere is unbelievable. I suppose the build-up was always difficult for me. I think there was a nervousness about the build-up to the match, but the actual match often took care of itself.

“You were involved there and when you went into that mode, you just got on with the game.”

Collum’s Old Firm record in focus

Collum officiated a total of 11 Old Firm derbies throughout his career as an on-pitch referee.

His first was in October 2010 as Rangers beat Celtic 3-1 at Parkhead thanks to Kenny Miller’s brace and a Glenn Loovens own goal.

• READ MORE: Who Has The Most Old Firm Wins of All-Time?

Remarkably however, that turned out to be the Light Blues’ only victory in a derby against the Hoops refereed by Collum spanning 14 years.

His final Old Firm clash – and incidentally his final game as an on-pitch official – was at the end of last season when Celtic secured a 2-1 victory during the post-split fixtures.