Experienced referee set for key VAR role at Hibs v St Johnstone clash

Willie Collum has been confirmed as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for the technology’s first match in the cinch Premiership, as Hibs host St Johnstone on Friday.

The experienced official will be aided by Graeme Stewart in the new system’s nerve centre at Clydesdale House in Glasgow’s Merchant City quarter. The 43-year-old will be on hand to study any incidents requiring a second pair of eyes when Lee Johnson’s side take on Callum Davidson’s men in the 7.30pm kick-off.

Kevin Clancy will take charge of the fixture as the on-field referee, backed up by assistants Alastair Mather and David Doig, with Graham Grainger on fourth-official duties. Collum will be able to alert his colleague Clancy to any incidents he may have missed, as well as advise him on his decision-making.

Steven McLean, who was the man in the middle for Hibs’ 6-1 defeat by Celtic last weekend, will be the VAR for Hearts’ Saturday lunchtime meeting with Celtic at Tynecastle; the first televised Scottish top-flight game with the technology. Nick Walsh, David Roome, and Ross Macleod make up the on-field officials for that match with Craig Napier keeping order between the dugouts.

Speaking about the arrival of VAR, the Scottish FA’s refereeing chief Crawford Allan – himself a former top-flight whistler – told Sky Sports that he likened the early introduction of the technology to the January transfer window.

"I know there's an opinion out there that you need to wait. The analogy I've used is that a club in the January transfer window can sign a new player or players and improve their product on the field. They get to improve their product halfway through the season, they also don't get told, 'you signed a player on January 10 and in February you're going to play a game that was postponed from December so they're not allowed to play’ – you can use the new player.

"VAR is my new player. I want to improve my product on the field of play as soon as I can. I think it would be nonsensical that we've spent this amount of money, then a manager phones me in January irate that a penalty wasn't given and we're got VAR sitting there and we could've used it. That doesn't make sense to me."