A much quieter week from Celtic as Scottish FA confirm match officials

In partnership with

The Celtic Star

·10 April 2025

A much quieter week from Celtic as Scottish FA confirm match officials

The Scottish FA has released details of the match officials selected to be on duty at the Scottish Premiership match on Saturday lunchtime at Celtic Park as title chasing Celtic take on Derek McInnes’ Kilmarnock side…

Referee John Beaton before the Premier Sports Cup Final between Celtic and theRangers at Hampden on Sunday 15 December 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Celtic clinched the title last season with a wonderful performance against Kilmarnock down at Rugby Park. That could have happened again this season when the two sides meet for the final time in the campaign, but Celtic’s defeat at McDiarmid Park put the celebrations on ice and wasted a what would have been a wonderful day for the Celtic support the world over.

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Brendan Rodgers has to pick-up his humbled Hoops

However good things come to those who wait and Brendan Rodgers will be looking to pick up his humbled Hoops and go out on Saturday to prove a point, that they are the finest team in Scotland and well worthy of the title, yet again. That’s 13 in 14 seasons folks so Celtic must be doing something right!

Fabio Silva dives inside the Celtic penalty area and cons a penalty from Alistair Johnston, referee John Beaton initially booked Silva for simulation but reversed the yellow card and awarded theRangers a penalty kick after a VAR sent an edited clip for review. Photo Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock

Getting three points against Kilmarnock will mean that an Aberdeen win on Sunday at Pittodrie would guarantee Celtic the title. Maybe not the way Celtic supporters would want to win the title but it’s also the two results that we’d all want this weekend!

So who will have the whistle at Celtic Park?

So who will have the whistle, who will be running the lines and who will be on VAR duties now that Alan Muir got what he deserved?

A word on that. Fair play to Willie Collum for making the correct call against an official whose position was clearly untenable after yet another serious mistake involving Daizen Maeda and Celtic in the games at Fir Park and then at Easter Road where Celtic were wrongly denied a penalty in the former and a goal in the latter.

This decision will mean that there is enhanced peril for other incompetents in the game and the other VAR officials in particular will have to avoid ‘mistakes’ like the ones Alan Muir kept making. That cuts their leeway to influence matches.

Referee John Beaton during the Premier Sports Cup Final between Celtic and theRangers at Hampden on Sunday 15 December 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

It’s John Beaton for his 4th Celtic match this season

The Scottish FA, via their official website, has confirmed that John Beaton will be the man with the whistle for the Celtic v Kilmarnock match on Saturday. It will be the fourth Celtic match that Beaton has handled this season with his most recent being the 5-1 win over Aberdeen in February. The 43 year old referee also took charge of the Premier Sports Cup Final in December which Celtic won 5-4 on penalties after the game finished 3-3 (AET).

Beaton also had the whistle back in September when Celtic won the Glasgow Derby at Paradise, beating theRangers 3-0.

Assisting Beaton on Saturday at Celtic Park in the lunchtime kick-off will be Daniel McFarlane and Scott Anderson while Gavin Duncan will be in charge of VAR, supported by Gary Hilland.

Referee John Beaton during the Premier Sports Cup Final between Celtic and theRangers at Hampden on Sunday 15 December 2024. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

A quiet week for Celtic – Plan is to do their talking on the park

We’ll hear from Brendan Rodgers tomorrow after a very quiet week media-wise from Lennoxtown. Last week in contrast the manager had an exclusive interview on Celtic TV and many Celtic players including our captain Callum McGregor, were interviewed for the club’s TV channel. Not so this week following that disappointing performance and result up in Perth. Celtic clearly plan to do their talking on the park.

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