Referee Conroy's mistakes deny Celtic derby victory

For the second time this season Celtic have found themselves on the wrong end of major refereeing mistakes against Rangers.

Once again, just like in the October defeat at Ibrox, there were plenty of deficiencies in the Celtic performance.

This time around the forwards were mainly to blame as they managed to score just once from the bulk of possession. Allan McGregor was forced to make only one outstanding save as Celtic's pressure and possession failed to be converted into clear cut chances or goals.

At Ibrox in October Celtic's main problems were in defence where goals were given away cheaply, Rangers equaliser today was another example of poor defending.

Celtic's onfield problems are the responsibility of Tony Mowbray and ultimately the Celtic board.

The problems and shortcomings are obvious, resolving them is Mowbray's job and he'll be held responsible if Celtic fail to win the title this season.

Equally the Celtic board are responsible for selecting managers and providing them with the funds and support to ensure that the club is successful.

Who is referee Steve Conroy responsible to?

Who was responsible for selecting Conroy for the match?

What action will be taken to improve his decision making or are we simply to sit back comforted in the knowledge that these mistakes balance themselves out over the season?


The Celtic-Rangers game is the top fixture in Scottish football and only the best referees are given the task of taking charge of the prestige match.

Today Conroy demonstrated that he doesn't have the decision making skills to handle top matches, hopefully it'll be a long long time before he is again given such a high profile match.

There were two first half incidents that left Conroy open to criticism, the same sort of criticism that was directed at Craig Thomson after the October fixture which resulted in a second hand and second rate apology issued from Hugh Dallas.

Marco Fortune's challenge on Allan McGregor was perfectly legitimate, he had his eye on the ball and headed into the net despite McGregor's challenge.

It was an unusual goal, usually it does require a foul to beat a goalkeeper in that sort of position but there was nothing wrong with Fortune's 'goal'.

For reasons known only to himself Conroy decided to disallow the goal without any appeal coming from the Rangers defenders. They knew their keeper had been beaten fair and square.

Comparing that decision to the non-penalties at Ibrox in October puts Conroy in a very poor light.

Thomson failed to see the clear foul on Shaun Maloney, that can happen although when it happens two or three times in the one match it becomes very concerning.

Missing an incident is more understandable than 'seeing' something that no-one else in the stadium witnessed.

What was it that Fortune did?

Clearly setting the standard with that mistake Conroy's decision making was again badly at fault when Kyle Lafferty went sliding through into the leg on Andreas Hinkel.

There was no prospect of playing the ball with the 'challenge' clearly violent conduct- an ordering off offence.

Rather than be decisive Conroy opted out by booking Lafferty, thankfully Hinkel anticipated the challenge and no serious injury was suffered.

Some folk may recall Lafferty's kung-fu challenge on Zheng Zhi at Ibrox which escaped even a yellow card.

Celtic and Tony Mowbray have got plenty of work to do to build up a team capable of winning the SPL title and recapturing recent Champions League achievements.

Those areas will be discussed and debated by supporters eager to see signs of improvement and activity in the transfer market this month.

Mowbray and the Celtic board are judged week by week on their performances.

Getting things right on the park will be a tough task for the Celtic manager, competing on a level playing field with competent officials capable of making correct decisions isn't asking for too much.

There are plenty of borderline decisions in football that can be looked at from two sides and the decision of the referee is accepted, reluctantly at times.

Clear cut decisions like today don't require exceptional judgement, they were there for all to see and if referee Conroy can't get it right he should be kept well clear of the bigger fixtures that shape championships and can decide a managers future.

Refereeing performances like we've witnessed in the derby matches this season are shown live throughout the UK and beyond, it's little surprise that there will again be no Scottish officials at the World Cup or involved in the important Champions League matches.

McStay looks to 'veteran' McGeady to inspire

Willie McStay is looking to Old Firm 'veteran' Aiden McGeady to lead Celtic back into the SPL title race.

Amazingly, McGeady will be the most experienced player on the park tomorrow when Glasgow's big two collide, having first sampled the unique atmosphere as an 18-year-old in May 2004.

Rangers' storming form through December has opened up a seven-point lead over Tony Mowbray's inconsistent Celic side, with the prospect of a 10-point deficit unbearable for the Hoops' support.

On-form McGeady will carry the hopes of the home fans into the showdown, with McStay impressed by what he has witnessed recently from his former youth-team prodigy.

After quitting Celtic during the summer to take charge of Ujpest Dozsa, the former Sligo Rovers boss has been enjoying the winter break at home in Glasgow and catching up on all things Celtic.

He said: "It's surprising to think that Aiden will be the most experienced player in the team. Celtic need to ignite in this match and there's no better game than an Old Firm match to produce your best.

"I've been very impressed with what I've seen from Aiden over the last month, there has been an end product to his game and he's hurting teams.

"No one has ever doubted his ability but he's scored a few goals this season and has had a lot of assists recently as well.

"With Celtic's match being postponed at Kilmarnock, Rangers have gone further ahead in the SPL but playing Rangers at home is always a must-win match for Celtic.

"They are at their best in situations like this, Rangers allow teams to come at them so it will be an interesting match.

"It will take some individual brilliance to win the points and someone like Aiden can swing it Celtic's way.

"I think that he has regained his confidence this season, he knows how he can influence a game and is using that for the team.

"I've mainly been watching Celtic on television this season and his workrate has been high. Seeing Aiden in the flesh again he looks to be back towards his best.

"He's playing with freedom, he's scored a few goals and recently he has provided a lot of assists. The final product is definitely hurting the opposition."

McStay added: "No one has ever doubted Aiden's ability but he's needed an end product to his play and that's coming; the whole team is benefiting.

"Two seasons ago when he was voted Players' Player of the Year he was absolutely magnificent, he could change a game. I've watched him and worked with him since he was a kid but I'd happily pay money to watch him in that sort of form.

"There are other very talented players in Scotland but Aiden has the unexpected about him, he's one of the players that determines games.

"It's important that he is contributing to victories, working hard on every part of his game and is exciting for supporters to watch. He's looking like he's back at his best."

McStay was in charge of Celtic's youth development as McGeady was nursed through the club to make a scoring debut away to Hearts as a 17-year-old.

At that age McGeady expected to be a regular in Martin O'Neill's all-conquering side at the tail-end of Henrik Larsson's career, rubbing shoulders with Chris Sutton, John Hartson, Stilian Petrov, Neil Lennon and others.

He had to wait until Gordon Strachan's second season in charge of Celtic to become a first-team regular but that relationship was always strained and confrontational.

Twelve months ago McGeady spent the New Year at home serving a two-week ban after a dressing room bust-up with Strachan.

Evening Herald interview
That relationship was unconvincingly patched up but the arrival of Tony Mowbray has given the 23-year-old's Celtic career a fresh lift.

McStay added: "Looking back, the incidents with Gordon Strachan has only made Aiden stronger.

"The rights and wrongs are for other people to discuss, but when you bounce back from something like that to produce the sort of form that he's on just now, you have to admire his strength of character. Aiden has always had a streak in him, I had to punish him at times while trying to shape him into a player that can be a top professional.

"He's came through his problems with Gordon, a player with lesser self-belief and less character might not have survived that."

McStay will enjoy tomorrow's match before returning to Budapest to plan Ujpest's title challenge in the second half of the campaign.

He happily admits to "having the bug again" for management after ending his spell in charge of Sligo to take up the youth team job at Celtic in 1994. Retaining his extensive Irish contacts he had Seamus Coleman over on trial at Celtic a year ago before Everton moved in to snap up the full-back.

Tomorrow he'll resume his role as a lifelong Celtic fan, hoping that Aiden McGeady can play a decisive role in restoring Celtic's title challenge.


Evening Herald interview

Referee Conroy admits: I thought I'd never get a Rangers-Celtic game

Derby day referee Steve Conroy has admitted that he has wondered if he'd ever be asked to take charge of a Celtic-Rangers match.

In a carefully worded article on the SFA's website Conroy strays off message to discuss the 'refereeing community' and the 'select number of referees' who take charge of this fixture.

After the abysmal display from referee Craig Thomson at Ibrox in October Conroy doesn't have a particularly high standard of performance to match with Thomson's horror show forcing him into a reluctant apology for one decision issued through 'refereeing supremo' Hugh Dallas.

“There were stages over the last few years when I thought the opportunity might be slipping away from me,” Conroy admitted about tomorrow's appointment.

“I have been in the game a long time now and hadn’t been given an Old Firm game. It is firmly understood by the refereeing community that only a select number of referees will ever take charge of this game and you have to be at the top of your career to be appointed.

“When I found out I had been given an opportunity at this game I was delighted, but if I’m perfectly honest I wasn’t completely surprised.

“In the last few years, I have been in charge of some big games, like the Edinburgh derby, and the only step left was this game so I am thrilled to have finally got there.

“Last season, I definitely felt I had reached a far more consistent level of performance over the season. There was one particular game between two top six sides in which there was a lot at stake for each side and I knew coming off that I had handled things well.”

Conroy of course has come in for criticism this season, especially from Walter Smith after sending off Pedro Mendes at Kilmarnock earlier this season.

Smith was so upset by that decision that he was ordered out of the dug out and ended up with an SFA ban for his actions.

Conroy has no hang-ups about being given the most scrutinised match in Scotland and is looking forward to finally taking charge of a Celtic-Rangers game.

He added: “You need to have confidence in yourself to reach this level in the game. It’s not arrogance: it’s just a belief built from experience that you can handle the situations that will no doubt be thrown at you.”

Inevitably any article on Scottish refereeing isn't complete without some words of wisdom from Dallas.

Justifying his job and salary the man that retired a year early from front line refereeing has given Conroy his dubious seal of approval.

Dallas said: “Steve has worked very hard throughout his time as a referee and has a vast amount of experience under his belt now. We are confident he will handle the situation superbly and that he is fully prepped for the occasion.

“He has waited a bit longer than some others for this appointment but with his performances over the last period, we believe now is the right time for him to be tested in this big game and hopefully he can come out the other end unscathed.

“Referees are under more scrutiny and pressure than ever before. Every decision they make is analysed by numerous cameras with slow-motion replays. If a game has little in the way of entertainment, goals or action, then the referee’s performance is discussed.

“That’s just the nature of the modern game and the referees who make the top grade are comfortable with that.

“When they get a hard time in the media after a game it is our job to thoroughly analyse the performance with them, provide a strong support network and, most importantly, build their confidence up again.”

Anticipating mistakes tomorrow Conroy added: “Of course every referee makes mistakes in every game but sometimes it can be a bit of luck whether the mistakes you make have a big effect on the game and its outcome.

“We work very hard with the referee development team and our observers to analyse every game and make sure that we learn from every mistake made.

“I am well aware of the special pressures involved when Rangers and Celtic play; I’ve certainly received enough support and advice from my colleagues and those at the Scottish FA but once we’re on the pitch, it is the same as every other game and I just have to do my job well.”

SFA article

A decade of memories in words and pictures

1. Celtic 6-2 Rangers 27/8/2000. Without doubt the benchmark. A statement of intent. An incredible start to the Martin O'Neill reign yet in years to come supporters will find it hard to understand that the game was in the balance despite being three up in 11 minutes. Unforgettable.

2. Boavista 0-1 Celtic 24/4/03. A nervous terrifying evening, horrendous match, I felt like I was in a re-run of the Raith Rovers Coca Cola Cup Final....... until the King of Kings popped up with a goal to trigger the longest ten minutes ever. The after match scenes in Porto were special, Glasgow wouldn't have been far behind.

3. Celtic 2-3 Porto 21/5/03. Ultimately frustrating and like most I've not got around to watching a re-run, unlikely that I ever will. The setting, the scenes, the atmosphere, the match-day will never be forgotten... as will Deco and Jose...

4. Celtic 1-0 Manchester United 21/11/06. Champions League qualification at the expense of the Golden Boys from the beloved Premiership. Nervous and tense, magic from Nakamura, more so from Boruc and then afterwards so many unaware that we had qualified!

5. Rangers 0-3 Celtic 29/4/01 Apparently meaningless but a long, long overdue win at Ibrox. Goal-less at half time, some magic from Lubo started the Broomloan party before, with perfect timing, the King of Kings squeezed in his 50th goal of the season before being joined by the entire team in celebrations

6. Barcelona 0-0 Celtic 25/3/04 The night that a song came true 'Barcelona, Real Madrid they will make a gallant bid'. Magical performances from John Kennedy and David Marshall supported by the backbone of the established team engineered an incredible result.

7. Rangers 1-2 Celtic 27/4/03. After the drama and glory of Boavista the SPL had decided that a trip to Ibrox would be suitable reward. Beachball Sunday was a laugh- made all the sweeter with a tired win as sombreros, ly-lo's, passports and holiday brochures lit up Ibrox.

8. Dundee United 0-1 Celtic 22/5/08. An emotional and unexpected title after some horrendous performances. It was all right on the night as big Jan headed home the winner leaving events elsewhere meaningless. Tannadice by night is a fabulous setting for winning titles.

9. Celtic 2-1 Rangers 16/4/08 Back from the brink, with the title bound for Ibrox, after a missed penalty and with Rangers down to ten men big Jan put his head onto a cross from Skippy and a stay of execution was granted. Memorable also for the half time banner.

10. Celtic 2-0 Rangers 15/3/09 We all know that the League Cup is virtually worthless but a Hampden win over Rangers for a trophy is always to be savoured. Made special by the goalscorers, O'Dea and McGeady coming through the ranks at the club.