Rangers could be out of luck against Celtic after incredible Willie Collum stat emerges
Rangers haven’t won against Celtic for over a decade when Willie Collum has taken charge, including a six-defeat run, according to The Scottish Sun.
The referee has taken charge of eight Old Firm derbies, and the Gers record in those games is a single victory in 2010, a draw last year, and six losses in between.
The stat which The Sun calls “remarkable” includes only one match-up played at Ibrox, a 3-2 Hoops win in 2018, as well as the 2019 League Cup Final loss.
Today’s (3 April) meeting is likely to be crucial in deciding where the Scottish Premiership title goes at the end of the season, as Ange Postecoglou’s side arrive with a three point lead and a goal difference 14 superior to Gers’.
The Glasgow rivals are set to face off again in the League Cup semi-final in two weeks time, but Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side have a huge pair of Europa League quarter-final legs to play against Braga before then.
Bad luck?
Plenty of fans were likely cursing the announcement of Collum as the man in charge of today’s game.
There will be enough bad memories in recent years from big meetings with him in the middle.
But the players cannot focus on that and must be at their best to get a positive result from what is probably the biggest match in the SPFL this year.
The 3-0 defeat in the last meeting was a low point in both the Bears’ season, and Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s time in charge.
The Bhoy’s went top of the league with that win and have not relinquished it since, but today is a massive opportunity to reverse the momentum and draw level on points at the top.
A defeat here surely puts hopes of defending the title out of reach, but a win in the first game since the club announced it was pulling out of the controversial Sydney Super Cup plans would make a statement.
Missing Alfredo Morelos is a major blow, but if the side that has shown up in the European games appears again today they will have plenty against their rivals.
However, the kind of stuttering display that has too often featured in the league over the same period could see the challenge for 56 ended early.
In other Rangers news, Neil Lennon made an interesting admission ahead of this game regarding the race for the title.