To be fair, I haven't been here as much lately, but when I do drop in the same theme keeps popping up: referees, officials, conspiracy. We go from one grievance to the next, and the whole thing gets messier each week. It's exhausting for sensible fans and poisonous for the conversation.

From added time to penalties to offside

Remember the added time row? That one went quiet once figures showed Celtic had less added time than many clubs, with Rangers reportedly second — suddenly the noise faded. Then there was the penalty on Sunday that most people reckoned was stone cold, and now attention has swung to an offside call. You can see the pattern: a fresh grievance replaces the last one almost immediately.

Why we should stop chasing officials

Look, it's natural to question decisions — football is emotional. But when every debate becomes about external pressure or bias, it stops being about the team and starts being about excuses. If supporters spend their time hunting for officiating conspiracies, we lose perspective on what the team actually needs to fix.

Own the appraisal, stop the paranoia

Both sets of fans are doing it — this isn't a one-sided problem. It says something that supporters on both sides reach for the same narratives. Maybe that's because, right now, neither team is consistently convincing. Instead of pointing at officials, why not be blunt about the football? Tactical shape, pressing, tempo, decision-making in the final third — these are the things that win and lose matches, not imagined external forces.

Truth is, if we want better outcomes we should be honest with ourselves. Ranting about referees every week just makes us look petty and it drains energy we could use to demand improvement where it matters — on the pitch. You're not wrong to question bad decisions, but don't let that be the conversation every time. It gets you nowhere and, frankly, it'll drive you mad.

Written by Mr Mojo Risin: 25 March 2026

Tags: tactics spfl match-review