Steven McLean has been appointed as the referee for the upcoming Celtic v Rangers clash at Celtic Park on 16 March, with John Beaton on VAR.
Beaton will be on derby duty for the third time this season, having refereed Celtic’s 3-0 league win at Ibrox and the League Cup final. In the league match, he booked four Celtic players and five Rangers players, while in the cup final, he handed out three yellow cards to Celtic and six to Rangers. [Fotmob]
That match also saw controversy as VAR failed to intervene when Beaton should have awarded Rangers a penalty.
As for McLean, his last derby was the 3-0 Rangers win at Ibrox in May 2023—a game that had no impact on the title race, with Celtic already crowned champions. That day, Ange Postecoglou fielded a much-changed Celtic side, with Oh, Ralston, Kobayashi, and Bernabei all starting in what was effectively a dead rubber.
This time, however, the stakes are different. Celtic are 16 points clear and on course for the title, but the return of a larger away fan allocation for the first time since 2018 adds another layer of intensity to the fixture.
A strong performance for the officials is needed, especially after recent controversies.
