The Man in the Middle

For the last ten weeks I've been attending the SFA's referees training course. Tomorrow night I should receive my ref's registration number and whatever other paraphernalia we're awarded at the end of the course. This I'll be receiving from Scotland's newest most hated man, Willie Collum.

This of course means that the job I'm now most qualified to do is arguably the most thankless task in all of the country. I don't think there could be a worse time to become a referee. The overturned penalty scandal and the subsequent fallout would suggest it's a profession best body swerved.

This statement by Hearts doesn't exactly make you want to rush into refereeing any time soon either.

The course itself was pretty interesting and has sharpened my knowledge of the rules. Over the weeks probably the favourite thing that I have learned is that the goal shown in the YouTube clip down below is now, as it was then, perfectly legal. I'm told though that 90% of referees would disallow it.