\u201cIf you look at their position in the table you can see they are very consistent. Particularly at home, they have got some great results so yes they are always a challenging opposition. But for us nothing really changes. We just have to play our football and when we do that, when we successfully impose our style upon games we are hard to stop.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n However, there is one thing that is a little puzzling…and perhaps even a little sinister.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI think we are going to play in grey again,\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t like it either but it is what it is, mate. I think what people said on the day and what I thought on the day was it is harder to distinguish between players then it would be if there was a clearer distinction between the strips. But it is the referee\u2019s decision and we abide by the referee\u2019s decision.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n He’s got a point.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Is this , or could it least be asked if this is,\u00a0 direct interference from an official to alter the outcome of a game ?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Like most of us, I was unaware that the referee could actually order a team to wear whichever strip he feels , er, suits the conditions. As is the norm with Scottish football, you’ll note no explanation is forthcoming, especially in light of the controversy the\u00a0 last time the Celts wore grey… back in September, Robbie Copland in the Record said;<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Viewers were left perplexed by a clash of kits as\u00a0St Mirren<\/a>\u00a0take on Celtic with the Hoops’ light grey shirt difficult to distinguish between Saints’ black and white.\u00a0Ange Postecoglou<\/a>\u00a0‘s team are in Paisley looking to maintain their 100 per cent\u00a0Premiership<\/a>\u00a0start after last week’s games were postponed following the Queen’s death. As the early Sunday kick-off, it was shown live on Sky Sports and thousands tuned in to watch the penultimate SPFL game before the international break.<\/em><\/p>\n A curious kit decision though saw\u00a0Celtic<\/a> ditch both their green and white home kit and their black pinstriped away kit for a light grey third kit with black shorts. On TV screens, that clashed with Saints, who wore their usual black and white stripes and black shorts which were indistinguishable from the visitors.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n One viewer branded the game “unwatchable” as a result, saying: “The St Mirren v Celtic game is almighty unwatchable due to the clash in strips. Who sanctioned this?”<\/em><\/p>\n Sky Sports’ Allison Conroy tweeted: “This strip combo is hurting my head.”<\/em><\/p>\n One fan added: “These strips are too similar. Do Celtic not have an all green one or a yellow one? Actually can’t believe the ref is happy with this. Ridiculous.” And another tweeted: “Who decided these strips would be a good idea?”\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Well, it would have been referee Don Robertson, it seems.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Of course, there is no suggestion Robertson rang today’s referee and suggested he made the same decision. However, if the outcome is the same, expect more of the same.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n All of this must seem petty to Postecoglou, still a relative newcomer to the quirks of our game, but as he would say, it is what it is.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n He deals with the on pitch stuff, and others get involved with the politics.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Which makes me wonder just who did invite a UEFA delegation to the League Cup final, prompting one of the best refereeing displays by anyone in black in this country since\u00a0 a late Juventus equaliser was ruled out in the champions League at the turn of the century, accompanied by a thumbs up from the linesman to the crowd, and a smile from the ref.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n That’s if a UEFA delegation was present, it’s been hard to verify, but the claim has certainly been doing the rounds, and equally certainly, it’s neither been denied or confirmed in the media, as it would open up a can of worms that they’d really rather leave untouched.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Celtic should prove too strong for the buddies, but it is certainly a banana skin, and the referee interference on kits may well be behind the decision to bring out a fourth kit, to prevent a repetition.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Or at least quietly highlight the issue.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Then again, it could just be greed from our board, and even if it isn’t, the media will adopt that angle anyway.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Meanwhile, and happily for thiose who wish to preserve the status quo in Scottish football, “rangers ” swept aside Kilmarnock yesterday, with another influential performance from Willie Collum, who gave the plucky, cash strapped club a leg up with a penalty when a Kilmarnock player was pushed aside…..<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rangers penalty v Kilmarnock. — Lint (@Zeshankenzo) March 4, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n![\"St](\"https:\/\/i2-prod.dailyrecord.co.uk\/incoming\/article28020187.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/0_St-Mirren-FC-v-Celtic-FC-Cinch-Scottish-Premiership.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Celtic](\"https:\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEjy4Kp1abu-fycqnZUrAG1zZ908fsOLcvP74EUSXb_5y1hKp8oRAyx65gr6dcf9Z_npgTdyU2fyuz3kZm702-94LSCd858XSmHxS70YiV4dgqqTOR_b0laFd6R6obxBWLSLXKF2DV3h75ssTDt2FEuXQme_wi1tpEGwMXFc-F_DiU0T4X-ctil8hzDc\/s1000\/celtic-22-23-fourth-kit%20%20%284%29.jpg\")
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Referee Willie Collum. pic.twitter.com\/EF1QQfIarb<\/a><\/p>\n