Kilmarnock v Celtic – Walsh has whistle, plastic pitch stays for another season | OneFootball

Experienced whistler Nick Walsh has been appointed as referee for Celtic’s trip to Kilmarnock on Sunday and the artificial surface at Rugby Park will now stay for another season…

Referee Nick Walsh signals a penalty to Hearts after consulting var during the cinch Premiership match at Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh. Picture Neil Hanna / Sportimage

The Hoops travel to Ayrshire for their final domestic challenge before November’s international break is upon us as Scotland gear up to face Croatia and Poland in UEFA Nations League matches.

Brendan Rodgers side could not enter Rugby Park in finer form, thumping Aberdeen last Saturday in the  Premier Sports League Cup semi-final at Hampden which was followed by Celtic’s best result in the Champions League for over 12 years.

Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig were stunned by Celtic’s dynamic, technical skill on display on Tuesday evening as the Hoops secured three wins in a row at Paradise in Europe’s elite club competition for the first time since 2007.

Kilmarnock are in 8th spot in Scottish Premiership

Meanwhile, Derek McInnes’ Kilmarnock currently sit eighth in the Scottish Premiership having played 11 games. Despite leading 2-0 at Dens Park last Sunday, Ziyad Larkeche’s 90+4 winner completed an impressive comeback for Tony Docherty’s Dundee. For Killie, it summed up their season – up and down. Yet to string a run of consistent results together, it is the exact reason why McInnes’ men languish in the bottom six following the conclusion of the first round of fixtures.

Dejected theRangers players walk off the pitch after the final whistle. Full-time score Kilmarnock 1 theRangers 0. Kilmarnock v theRangers, Scottish Premiership, Rugby Park, Kilmarnock, 20 October 2024. Photo: Stuart Wallace Shutterstock

They did however beat theRangers in their most recent home match and Derek McInnes and his side would like nothing better than taking the three points off Celtic too.

Disappointed, dejected James Tavernier walks off the pitch after the final whistle. Full-time score Kilmarnock 1 theRangers 0. , Scottish Premiership, Rugby Park, on 20 October 2024 Photo Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock

Nick Walsh will referee the Kilmarnock v Celtic game on Sunday

Nick Walsh, who will take charge of Sunday afternoon’s clash between Kilmarnock and Celtic was the man in the middle for the second Premier Sports League Cup semi-final encounter played out between theRangers and Motherwell over last weekend.

At Clydesdale House manning VAR duties is Don Robertson. Robertson is in Greece tonight having been appointed by UEFA to referee Pavos v Astana in the Europa Conference League. Andrew McWilliams will act as AVAR. Supporting Walsh on field is AR1 David McGeachie and AR2 Jonathan Bell.

Kick off for Sunday’s match at Rugby Park is 3:00pm, and will be shown live on Sky Sports Football. As ever, Celtic supporters outside Britain and Ireland can watch the match on CelticTV.

Plastic surface at Rugby Park staying for another season

Meanwhile those hoping that this might be one of Celtic’s last trip to Rugby Park to play on that dreadful artificial surface are going to be disappointed. If Kilmarnock fail to make the top six then it might even have been the last trip there to play on the plastic pitch, barring a Scottish Cup visit.

However we are going to be playing on the plastic next season too as Kilmarnock have now decided to push back lifting the surface and replacing it with grass for another season. Younger readers might be surprised to learn that Rugby Park used to be regarded as one of the best playing surfaces in Scottish football.

Brendan Rodgers at Rugby Park as Celtic wrap up the title. Photo Vagelis Georgariou for The Celtic Star

The decision to push lifting the plastic back for another season is due to delays in the building of the new training complex. So we’ll have another season at least moaning about this dreadful surface.  Anyone remember Brendan saying in his first time as Celtic manager than he’d never seen a good game of football played on a plastic pitch? He did the last time we were there on the night we won the league back in May. More of that on Sunday please Bhoys!

Conor Spence

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