Willie Collum sees VAR dream come true as ref relishes no longer being the headline maker

Contrary to what some observers have believed over the years, Willie Collum has yearned for the day that the referee does not become the story.

A week tonight, when Hibs take on St Johnstone at Easter Road and VAR is implemented for the first time in Scottish league football, the 43-year-old firmly believes it is finally going to happen. He’s not daft. Collum knows there could be teething problems but is adamant that Scottish officials will benefit massively from having the safety net of two VAR operators - both top class refs themselves - manning the booths at the state-of the art SFA VAR control centre in Baillieston.

And he is convinced he and every other man in the middle will welcome with open arms the thought of not putting themselves through trial by Sportscene every weekend. “My honest opinion is,” he said. “This is about benefiting us in Scotland. It’s to avoid the controversy here. That’s the biggest thing — to ensure we aren’t the headline any more.

“VAR is a great safety net and we can relate it to any game we referee, and games in the past. The biggest thing for us is that we’ll get another opportunity to see things. T It’s not easy to adjust and referees here will need to adjust, because one week you might be refereeing in the Premiership with VAR, and the next week you’ll be refereeing in the Championship.

“But there is not a referee in the world who doesn’t want the opportunity to see a decision again. That will be a Godsend for all of us — that opportunity to have a safety net and know that, if I make an error, then I’ve got the chance to see it again. I won’t be worrying about what Sportscene will show on Saturday night or what someone will text you.

“I’ll get the chance to see it there and then.