Scottish FA make poor John Beaton decision for Rangers vs Celtic already after latest news
The Scottish FA’s decision to put John Beaton on refereeing duties for Rangers against Celtic on Sunday has been branded as poor already.
That is according to Stephen McGowan, who thinks that Beaton doesn’t deserve to officiate a match of this magnitude due to his recent sketchy record.
Rangers are gearing up to host Scottish Premiership title rivals Celtic at Ibrox, with the two teams separated by just two points as they chase down Hearts.
Danny Rohl‘s side head into this contest as slight favourites due to it being at home and their superior league position, but nobody will be writing off Martin O’Neill‘s men.
The stakes couldn’t be much higher, and that is why McGowan, among others, feels that Beaton should be officiating another league match this weekend.
- Read more: Rangers players in unchartered territory as Scottish Premiership title hopes hang in balance
John Beaton told he should have been taken out of the line of fire
In Scottish football, referees do not have to declare what team they support, something officials in the Premier League have to do.
But due to there being a smaller pool of referees in Scotland than south of the border, some officials end up being in charge of games where they have some skin in the game.
For instance, many Celtic fans keep insisting Beaton is a Rangers fan, but that goes the other way too after several dodgy calls.
Indeed, back in late November, the SFA admitted Beaton made a mistake while on VAR duty when he didn’t award Livingston a penalty against Rangers at Ibrox.
That, and more, is why McGowan thinks Beaton should not be refereeing this contest.
He said on PLZ Soccer: “Celtic fans think they know who John Beaton supports, and Rangers fans think they do, too. We are in a country with a small pool of referees. If we rule out Celtic and Rangers fans, we’re not going to have any referees left.
“However, I think there’s an awful lot of scrutiny on John Beaton. I know he’s one of the more experienced referees, but he’s made a lot of mistakes recently, and I think it’s a poor decision to put him in charge.”
Daily Record reporter Gordon Parks also chimed in, saying, “John Beaton is in an unwinnable position.”
- Read more: Ryan Naderi must start for Rangers vs Celtic, Danny Rohl would be mad not to – here’s why
Rangers’ big-match player could be the difference again
Last summer, a few eyebrows were raised when Rangers forked out £8million for a player who had flopped hard at Everton.
Youssef Chermiti has often flattered to deceive at the Glasgow outfit this season, with the former Sporting CP man flitting in and out of games.
But for some reason, the forward has delivered in the biggest of matches this term. For instance, he scored a brace against Celtic in a comeback 3-1 win in January.
And as this Sofascore graphic below shows, he delivered, and then some, against Hearts with a crucial hat-trick in a 4-2 victory on 15 February.
Chermiti has struggled for consistency, with the 21-year-old netting just seven goals in 19 league games in 2025-26.
But he has shown he can rise to the occasion in the biggest matches, and Rangers will need him to shine this Sunday again.
Rangers are four points behind leaders Hearts, so this is a must-win game for Rohl’s side. And perhaps Chermiti can be the man, once again, to stand up and be counted.
For more in-depth analysis on the Gers, visit Football Insider.