Tony Docherty reveals Willie Collum call over Dundee 'stonewall penalty' as Dens boss applauds fresh approach

Willie Collum has called Dundee boss Tony Docherty to tell him he should have had a penalty against Ross County.

The Scottish Football Association’s head of referee operations told Docherty that his side should have had a second half penalty for a challenge on Simon Murray. Dundee lost their unbeaten run in a 2-0 defeat and that call could have got the Dark Blues on the comeback trail. Docherty has welcomed Collum’s fresh approach.

He said: “One thing I have to be thankful for is [SFA head of referee operations] Willie Collum, who I have praised before. He phoned me yesterday to tell me he’d watched it back, I won’t go into details, but he thought we had an absolute stonewall penalty in the 55th minute against Simon Murray. That can change the outcome of the game and I am disappointed in that obviously.

“Regardless of how the team performs, you need things to go for you and that didn’t. I appreciate massively Willie’s honesty and openness. That’s the way it should be.

“Previously there was a decision that maybe should have went against us in the derby, which I agreed with. This one should have went for us but we didn’t get the decision. Again I have to be thankful for Willie. We have to see that transparency and I thank him for phoning me to say we should have had a penalty in the 55th minute to get us back into the game.”

Docherty reckons the appointment of Collum has been a positive one for Scottish football. He told the club website: "I thought from day one it was a brilliant appointment and even more so now because I’ve had communication with him. That just opens up the transparency and that will make things go forward positively. I applaud him for it.”

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