Willie Collum Celtic vs Rangers record in focus as ref to take charge of first Old Firm in two years

Willie Collum has been placed in charge of his 10th Old Firm derby when Celtic and Rangers prepare to lock horns at Parkhead this weekend.

The FIFA official has the experience and pedigree to make difficult decisions and the Scottish FA named him as the man in the middle for Saturday’s major title showdown - his first appointment in this fixture since the 2021/22 season.

Heavily criticised Collum was on VAR duties for Celtic’s 2-1 victory over the Ibrox men on December 30, which led Light Blues chiefs to request the 45-year-old whistler be excluded from matches involving them after failing to penalise Hoops defender Alistair Johnston for a handball, despite Abdallah Sima being caught in an offside position.

All eyes from the 60,000 supporters inside Celtic Park and millions watching worldwide will be on Collum ahead of the 12.30pm kick-off that is likely to have a huge implication on the destination of the Scottish Premiership title this term.

A win for Celtic would all but see them regain the crown as Brendan Rodgers’ side would move six points clear of their bitter rivals with two games remaining. However, a rare Gers triumph in Glasgow’s east end would move Philippe Clement’s men level on points to set up a nerve-shredding end to the campaign.

It promises to be another explosive afternoon of drama and Collum is almost certain to have his work cut out keeping a lid on things. Here, GlasgowWorld delves into the numbers and takes a closer inspection at Collum’s Old Firm record since taking charge of his first derby in 2010.