Don Robertson deserves Scottish Cup Final assignment after ‘outstanding’ Celtic vs Rangers performance

Don Robertson should be appointed as the Scottish Cup final referee after his Old Firm performance, according to former Grade 1 Scottish officials Steve Conroy and Des Roache.

The pair reckon the 36-year-old whistler, who stepped in for the injured Willie Collum during Sunday’s semi-final clash between Rangers and Celtic at Hampden Park, should be rewarded for a brilliant display in his first Glasgow derby.

Conroy and Roache are adamant it will be a missed open goal by the Scottish FA if Robertson isn’t assigned as the man in the middle for the Celtic vs Inverness Caledonian Thistle showdown on Saturday, June 3.

Speaking to Newslotsklosh, Conroy said: “Don should be given the final. It’s an open goal for the SFA – absolutely it is – but as we always say common sense and the SFA are not good bedfellows. He was listed fourth official for the game and normally that means he is in with a shout of the final.

“The fact that he reffed the game shouldn’t be held against him because he had an outstanding game. We think they will give it to John Beaton, but it should be Don after the way he handled the match at such short notice. He came out of it smelling or roses and that’s testament to the standard of the man.”

Roache added: “Don deserves to be the Scottish Cup referee. Once again, the SFA have been silent. What an opportunity it is to take advantage of a good news story but they are the Hampden hide and seek champions. It was a robust game but Don managed it superbly. It was a brilliant debut by Don in this fixture.”

The two refs reckon if Collum had been in charge, there might have been different decisions on the field. Conroy stated: “The only challenge of substance was the John Lundstram one (on Kyogo). I think it merited a yellow so it was a high-risk strategy by Don but it worked for him and I suspect if it had been another referee in his place it might have been a red.”

Roache commented: “I think Don got it right and he managed the game there-after. The players knew what the level was from that moment but some other refs might have shown a red.”