Ex-PGMOL chief shares Willie Collum verdict as Michael Stewart banned from Celtic vs St Mirren showdown

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Football Insider or go back to LFC Live.

Credit: Imago, BBC Sat 18 April 2026 13:55, UK Keith Hackett has insisted that the SFA are in the wrong after banning leading Scottish football pundit Michael Stewart from Hampden Park for Celtic‘s clash against St Mirren.The former PGMOL chief and FIFA referee has exclusively told Football Insider that Stewart should be allowed to voice his opinions without such fierce resistance from the authorities.Stewart was due to be covering both Scottish Cup semi-finals at the national stadium this weekend for Premier Sports, but has been denied access to fulfil his media duties.Sun Sport revealed earlier this week that SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell had informed Stewart that he is banned from Hampden and will not welcomed back anytime soon.The outspoken former Scotland international will not be in the stadium to cover Celtic’s next match against St Mirren on Sunday, and the indefinite ban has divided opinion across social media. ⚽ Celtic Matchday ⚽ >Team news, line-ups, expert previews and verdicts, and tactical analysis for every Hoops fixture. VISIT THE CELTIC MATCH HUB MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES Keith Hackett criticises SFA’s decision to ban Michael StewartStewart was forced to apologise to the SFA in November after he claimed that the governing body tried to “cover up” a VAR decision in a game between St Mirren and Hibs.He has continued to speak out against Scottish officials, particularly SFA referee chief Willie Collum, while covering games on Premier Sports and the BBC throughout this season, and has now faced consequences for his actions.VenueHampden ParkDateSunday, 19 AprilKick off time2pmTV channelPremier Sports (coverage starts at 1:30pm)How to watch Celtic vs St MirrenSpeaking exclusively to Football Insider, former FIFA referee Hackett admitted that he does not agree with Stewart’s criticism of referees, but insisted that he should not have been banned from Hampden for his opinions.He said: “I would have hoped that before this ban, the SFA would have met Michael Stewart along with Willie Collum.“Perception is often the worst enemy of referees, and I am sure that the Head of Referees would have outlined the work that is done preparing match officials to deliver optimum performance in their games.“This season I have often commented about the good decisions, along with those standout errors.

I have commented about relationships between referees and VAR. “Willie Collum’s analysis of incidents on the Ref Review programme are honest, informative and a reflection of his vast experience in the game.“VAR is managed by former Premier League referee, Martin Atkinson.

Football is full of opinions, let’s not suppress them. It’s part of the fabric of our game.”How has Stewart responded to his Hampden ban?Stewart turned up at Hampden for the first of two cup semi-finals this weekend as Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline Athletic faced Falkirk on Saturday.Instead of joining his fellow pundits in the stadium, he covered the game live from the Premier Sports production truck, and made light of the situation when asked about it.He said: “I’ve been banished to the car park here, which is not quite as salubrious as inside the stadium.“I’m very grateful for the support that you guys, the broadcasters and many people that have got in touch with me, it genuinely means a lot.“It’s a bit of a farcical situation that a supposed association has got themselves into.”