The John Beaton evidence piles up alongside VAR duo Dallas and Stewart

In a move that will have delighted his mentor, Hugh Dallas, Willie Collum has turned to the Lanarkshire Referees Association to take charge of Sunday’s Glasgow Derby. John Beaton and Andrew Dallas have starring roles.

Lanarkshire folk tend to be one or the other, and that’s not a reference to Airdrie or Motherwell fans.

In his School Year book Beaton’s peers knew exactly what he was, when the Crown Bar is your preferred location after a Glasgow Derby no follow up questions are required.

While Celtic have dominated that fixture since it was first played in 2014 they haven’t had it all their own way.

The last two matches that Celtic haven’t won were both at Ibrox, both refereed by Beaton with Tavpen doing his thing in both matches, in the second half when most needed.

On VAR duty Andrew Dallas needs no introduction, his father made a hasty exit from the SFA after his hatred of Catholics went public following the Papal visit to Scotland in September 2010.

Dallas Junior made the FIFA list before he had refereed a single Celtic match, even BBC Scotland know that that decision wasn’t taken on merit.

In February 2019 even Steven Gerrard was surprised when his side were awarded four penalties in one match, a Scottish record with Dallas on duty to the surprise of no one.

Earlier that season, away to Hamilton in October Gerrard’s side were drawing 1-1 after 83 minutes. Two penalties were converted by James Tavernier with the final scoreline 4-1 for the visitors.

When injury forced Dallas Junior to retire the SFA created two full time VAR posts with Greg Aitken getting the other job, the recruitment process remains a secret.

The Dallas and Beaton combination is increasingly regular at the top, televised fixtures.

Helping Dallas out on VAR duty is Thug Cop Graeme Stewart as The Sun described him in 2017:

A THUG cop who throttled a handcuffed suspect has quit the force — but will continue to run the line as a top-flight footie match official.

Disgraced PC Graeme Stewart, 31, resigned before he could be carpeted by bosses over the attack on Charles O’Donnell.

A police disciplinary probe was under way after he was fined £500 for assault.

Now SFA chiefs have ruled Stewart — who was on a Fifa elite roster — can keep his assistant referee job. A source said yesterday: “Stewart knew he faced the boot — he went before he was pushed.

“A moment of madness cost him his career.

“The SFA must have decided his crime conviction had nothing to do with his football role.”

Last night a Police Scotland spokesman said: “He is no longer a serving officer.”

Since that incident Stewart’s refereeing career has really taken off to provide him with a very lucrative second career. He has climbed the ladder side by side with Beaton, the court report in The Sun mentions his Lanarkshire home.