The incident from the Scottish Premiership clash between St Mirren and Rangers on March 15, 2026, has once again ignited passionate debate among fans about refereeing standards in Scottish football.
A video shared widely on social media, including by the account @Rangers_Spares_
, highlights a late, studs-up sliding challenge by St Mirren defender Marcus Fraser on Rangers forward Youssef Chermiti.
The tackle connects high on Chermiti’s ankle with visible force, yet referee Willie Collum waves play on without issuing even a yellow card.The clip, lasting just under four seconds, shows Fraser lunging in aggressively as Chermiti controls or moves with the ball. Fraser’s right foot extends with studs raised, making direct contact around the ankle/lower leg area in a manner many viewers describe as reckless or endangering opponent safety.
Under IFAB Laws of the Game (Law 12), such challenges — especially those with “excessive force” or “endangering the safety of an opponent” — typically merit at least a caution, and in some interpretations a red card if deemed serious foul play.
No card was shown, and the moment passed without VAR intervention (assuming the on-field decision stood). This sparked immediate backlash from Rangers supporters, who pointed to perceived inconsistencies in officiating. One prominent reply noted a recent incident where Rangers’ Mohamed Diomande received an early booking for minimal or no contact, contrasting sharply with this non-call.
The original post garnered significant engagement: over 275 likes, 40 reposts, nearly 91,000 views, and a stream of replies ranging from outrage to mockery.The replies thread reveals the deep tribalism that defines Scottish football discourse, particularly around the Old Firm dynamic (even though this wasn’t an Old Firm match). Celtic fans jumped in quickly, some posting counter-images or memes suggesting Rangers “are actually looking for anything to moan about,” or sarcastically noting “Nay spares for you the day.” Others referenced prior soft bookings against Celtic players (like Maik Nawrocki in earlier matches) to flip the narrative:
“How is that a card? You lot moan about everything.” A few neutral or rival voices accused Rangers fans of needing “help” or ignoring that “Scottish football allows a few fouls before a card.” The tone mixes genuine frustration over consistency with classic banter and schadenfreude.Context around the match itself adds layers. St Mirren hosted Rangers at the SMISA Stadium in a midday kick-off. Rangers entered as favorites amid a strong unbeaten run in parts of the season, while St Mirren dealt with several injury absences — including, ironically, Marcus Fraser listed as unavailable in some pre-match or post-match reports (possibly sustained later or unrelated). Rangers secured a narrow 1-0 victory, with Tuur Rommens scoring the decisive goal assisted by Nicolas Raskin around the 31st minute. Youssef Chermiti featured in the attacking lineup alongside Ryan Don Naderi and others like Mikey Moore and Djeidi Gassama. Chermiti has been a key figure for Rangers this campaign, contributing goals and assists while showing improved hold-up play.This non-decision fits into a broader, ongoing narrative in Scottish Premiership refereeing. Fans across clubs frequently complain about inconsistency, VAR delays, and perceived bias — especially when big teams like Rangers or Celtic are involved. Willie Collum, one of Scotland’s most experienced officials, has faced scrutiny before (including historical complaints from Rangers over past dismissals and more recent VAR process admissions by Collum himself in other matches). While no widespread evidence points to deliberate favoritism, these flashpoint moments erode trust and fuel conspiracy theories.For neutral observers, the challenge looks at minimum reckless: high speed, studs leading, little chance of winning the ball cleanly, direct contact on a vulnerable area. Many argue it endangered Chermiti and could easily have caused serious injury. Yet Scottish football’s physical reputation sometimes sees such tackles brushed off as “part of the game,” particularly if no injury results. Compare this to Premier League or European standards, where similar incidents often draw retrospective action or on-field sanctions.Ultimately, this moment encapsulates why refereeing controversies never fade in Scotland. A single non-call can dominate post-match talk more than the actual result — especially when it involves a high-profile player like Chermiti, who’s been pivotal in Rangers’ push near the top of the table. Whether this sparks any official review, retrospective punishment, or just another week of fan arguments remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: in a league where every point matters in a tight title race, decisions like this keep the conversation — and the outrage — alive long after the final whistle.What do you think — was it a clear yellow (or red), or just a strong but fair challenge in the heat of battle? Drop your views below. Until next time, keep watching those tackles closely — because in Scottish football, the real drama is often off the ball.