Kevin Clancy is of course the referee for today’s big game. Like most of the referees in Scotland he’s not very good. Not the worst, but far from the best.
Rangers supporters are fuming with the appointment of Clancy, a man they dub ‘father’ Clancy. They assume he’s a Celtic man. His crimes? Doing things few referees have done in Scotland, awarded penalty’s against them and even red carding a player in blue on a few occasions How dare he.
On the stats front he has taken charge in 50 games involving our club. Celtic have won 37 of those drawing 8 and losing 5. Does that sound favourable? Stats make it so, but over 50 games Celtic’s record would look like that or maybe better with a different official in every game. In the disciplinary stakes he’s handed out 68 cautions to Celtic players showing red to two while showing 11 reds to the opposition.
Rangers record with games Clancy officiated involving them is played 40 with Rangers winning 23 of those drawing 9 and losing 8. Favourable to the Ibrox side as you’d expect. Disciplinary wise he’s showed a yellow to Rangers players on 76 occasions while showing them red 4 times. The opposition have seen red 3 times in those games.
On paper it looks like he favours Celtic more, but realistically Celtic have been a better side than Rangers in Clancy’s career as an official. That’s the brutal truth. Not that Rangers supporters will be having any of that. They still think there is a refereeing conspiracy against them, even though they have been awarded the joint most penalties in the league this term while conceding none.
Taking a look at his Glasgow derby record and it’s the Celtic supporters who should be worried. Three derby’s he has officiated and the Ibrox side have been victorious in them all. Yeah it’s strange that the Rangers supporters have reservations about Clancy. He something of a good luck charm for them where Glasgow Derby’s are concerned.
He’s cautioned seven Celtic players and seven Rangers players in those three games, a solitary red to Rangers after Alfredo Morelos cheated as he tried to win a penalty at Celtic park in 2019. He was correctly given a second caution.
In the same game Clancy also awarded Celtic a penalty which Ryan Christie failed to take advantage from. We also had a ‘dubious’ goal allowed to stand after the ball appeared to come off Odsonne Edouard’s hand, but truthfully even after looking at it after a few replays it’s hard to tell.
So that’s partly to blame as to why the Rangers support have it in for Clancy, his decisions in a game they won over three years ago! They also conveniently forget their winning goal was assisted from a corner that shouldn’t have been in that very game. Not they they’ll admit it.
There’s absolutely no truth to back up the allegations that Clancy favours Celtic or is biased against Rangers. Is he a Celtic supporter? I couldn’t tell you, but what I can tell you is that he is not a biased referee, just an incompetent one.
JustAnOrdinaryBhoy – follow on Twitter @ordinarybhoy
