Willie Collum wasted no time in getting down to work as the Scottish FA’s new Head of Refereeing.
Ahead of the new domestic season, the former Category One and FIFA referee has been busy meeting SPFL Premiership managers, on top of individual club visits and introductory sessions with his own team of match officials.
Today he’ll tell the assembled media what they can expect from him in his new post, with other key stakeholders also pencilled in for face-to-face talks.
Having risen through the ranks over three decades, Collum knows the environment, challenges and opportunities inside-out, with short, medium and long-term goals in mind.
He is in the process of appointing a VAR manager – a new, dedicated position as we head into the second full season since the implementation of the programme and technology.
Learnings have been taken from UEFA EURO 2024 – especially around a higher line for intervention and the role a team’s captain in conversing with the on-field referee.
Collum is also keen for clarity around the handball law, so there is a clear understanding of how that should be interpreted.
As someone who has made the journey from the grassroots game to elite level, he is also passionate about increasing Scottish representation at major FIFA and UEFA tournaments, alongside prioritising recruitment and retention of the next generation of match officials at every level of the Scottish game.
You’ve had your feet under the table for two weeks now, officially. How’s it been so far?
It’s been really, really busy. It’s been fantastic. I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s been important to get my teeth into a variety of things. Really early on, it was important that I met with the top referees. I wanted a period of consultation about a variety of things, but particularly about some of our directives and the decision-making going forward. There will be a big focus for us in terms of refereeing handballs and our interpretation of that. After speaking to the referees, I also spoke to the managers and coaches of the Premiership clubs. The reason for going to them, first and foremost, was because of their direct involvement with VAR. I also told them what the referees were thinking moving forward, what we were thinking in terms of referee operations, and we got their perspective on some decisions. I feel like we’ve reached a consensus that will move things forward, in the right direction, around handball, VAR intervention and so on. Club visits will have a particular focus on law changes and handball interpretation. I’m very aware that’s at the top level of the game. In the next seven or eight days we’ll be meeting with the coaching staffs from the lower-league clubs to talk to them about the new season guidelines, because they deserve that same level of respect. We’ve also been visiting local associations and local competitions to make sure, for example, that the Lowland League and East of Scotland League get those same pre-season directives. It’s been a hectic, really busy time but an enjoyable one as well.
There have been a few early headlines around the new VAR Manager position. That was something you wanted to introduce, but also something that the clubs felt was necessary.
Most counties that operate with VAR have a dedicated person leading on it and I thought it was something we were missing. We are in the process of recruiting for that post. It will still be under my direction but that person will have responsibility, not only on a weekly basis around games at Clydesdale House, for developing the next batch of referees, VARs and assistant VARs. Like any club, we need to look at our talent pipeline and see who’s coming through. We need to get the next generation of match officials ready to use VAR.
VAR obviously gets a lot of attention, so does that new dedicated post free you up to work on some of the other areas that deserve your time?
A big focus, for me, will be match officials’ performance and decision-making. People can get bogged down with VAR but, first and foremost, we are being very proactive in delivering a really intense coaching programme to our top match officials around getting decisions right on the field. We’re dedicated to that. VAR is a safety net but, first and foremost, we want our referees and assistant referees to make sure they’re getting the decisions right. We also know that there are other areas that are a big part of my remit, like recruitment and retention. We want to make sure that, from grassroots right up to the top level, that there’s appropriate coaching and direction, a support network and that referees definitely feel part of something.
It must help that you’ve walked a mile in the shoes of those grassroots officials who are maybe just starting out.
I’ve been speaking to the clubs recently about how everyone has a responsibility to protect the image of the game. That filters down to all levels. Referees, players and coaches. We need to behave and act in the right way. I’ve experienced what it’s like at a grassroots level, so it’s huge for me to keep a keen eye on that. We’re not just here for the elite side of the game. There have been big changes in the game. When I was coming through, there was no social media – with the impact that has had on referees. It can have an impact on your personal life. So, everyone has a part to play in supporting them – from the Scottish FA to the clubs and the media. We need to recruit the next generation of referees and continue to service the game.
You’ve worked your way through the levels, so you must have a long list of stuff you want to tackle. What’s on the short-term list?
We want to improve our decision making. We realise there’s room for improvement. We want to be clearer and consistent in terms of guidelines and where we are with VAR. It’s also really important that we look at all levels of the game. There’s the wider strategy and where we want to head next. That’s a much bigger thing for me to look at.
A few things came out of the Euros. We all heard the phrase ‘higher line of intervention’, as well as the briefing around captains being instructed to be the voice of the team when asking questions of match officials.
We’re definitely exploring the captain approach. Some trials have been proposed by IFAB. In the meantime, it’s a positive, for me, that the SPFL have agreed to adopt that approach from the opening day of the league season, across all the leagues and competitions within the SPFL. That will work well. Some people will be nervous and think we’re going to see a flurry of yellow cards but I think it’ll improve relationships between the referee and the players. It worked really well at UEFA EURO 2024 and I think it’ll work well for us here. It’s right to mention the higher line of intervention. We’ve had a particular focus around handball and that, for example, is something we want to set a higher bar for in terms of intervention. I feel like we’re on the same page with that.
That handball clarity is going to be important for supporters.
We want to move towards a ‘football understanding’ of handball but I keep reminding everyone that we need to keep a balance with the Laws of the Game and the directives we get. We would like to approach it, a bit more, from a football expectation perspective.
You’ve had some great experiences overseas. You’re obviously keen to get more Scottish match officials involved on the big stage.
The national team was just at a major tournament. We would like to make sure Scottish refereeing gets back to that stage, at the highest level. I’ll certainly support our match officials to reach that level. They’re good enough. We need to drive it forward. It would be great not just seeing our national teams at major competitions, but our match officials as well.
Finally, how’s the transition been from one side of the fence to the other?
It’s a big step to leave the field. I was there for 31 years, and I’ll miss it. I keep telling our referees that the best place to be is on the pitch. Embrace that. Enjoy that. This is the next best thing for me. All the energy I’ve thrown into refereeing in the past, with that high level of preparation, I’ll throw everything into this role to improve Scottish refereeing.