Willie Collum was out doing some Christmas shopping but almost ended up wrapping the job instead of presents.
It wasn’t a new feeling for Scotland’s most high-profile referee though.
Collum admits he’s thought about chucking it more times than he can count over the years as he lifted the lid on life as a whistler.
There has been controversies, vile chants from the stands and on social media, online petitions for the SFA to bin him and abuse in the street.
Collum loves the game but there has been several occasions when the pressure took its toll on his mental health as well as his family life and he was left wondering if it was all worth the hassle.
One of those times came at Christmas 2018 when there wasn’t much festive spirit coming his way.
Collum said: “I’ve thought about quitting lots of times. My wife has said to me many times that maybe it’s time to give it up.
“The Christmas before last I had a day off and went into Glasgow with my wife for some Christmas shopping for the kids.
“Within 10 metres of getting out the car and walking towards a shopping centre, three or four guys had given me the most ridiculous abuse.
“It frightened my wife and she was really upset. That trip ended in five minutes. We were back in the car and up the road. I never came into refereeing to be in the spotlight.
“I don’t think referees should have a profile where it’s some kind of celebrity status. That’s up to the players and managers as they are the entertainers. Referees are there to do a job.”
It’s a gig that comes with incredible
scrutiny. Every decision is questioned, fans howl claims of bias, social media is ablaze with conspiracy theories and abuse.
Collum tries to block out as much as he can but he confessed he’s his own biggest critic and will regularly spend Saturday nights hiding behind the sofa after making debatable calls.
He said: “I’ve had some difficult times and you worry about the negative effect it has on your own well-being and the well-being of my family.
“There are times you come home after a game and it’s a waiting game for four or five hours to find a clip on Wyscout to see if you have been right or not with a decision. It can make for a long night of tension. Other times you know things are fine and you don’t need to hide behind the couch.”
Errors do happen but Collum shot down this notion he has it in for your team.
Speaking with Kris Boyd and Robert Snodgrass on their mental health podcast, the Lockdown Tactics, he said: “Anybody who thinks we are out to deceive a team are kidding
themselves on.
“We don’t work hard all week, make the sacrifices we do, to try and make a deliberate decision against someone.”
The nightmare before Christmas was just one instance but there have been plenty more when it got too intense for Collum.
He’s had to dig deep to find the mental strength to see it though when the pressure has been dialled up to the max.
Collum said: “Refereeing is about confidence. In late 2015 I was appointed to the list for Euro 2016 to represent Scotland, probably the highlight of my career.
“The following Saturday I was refereeing Falkirk v Rangers on live telly and it was not a good performance. I knew people would slaughter me. There was a snowball effect as I went on a run of three or four games when things didn’t go well.
“The SFA brought me out of the spotlight for a period. There was an online petition about me and thousands of people signed it for me to never referee again.
“That was a time I was very close to giving up and my wife wanted me to finish.
“When I got on the plane to go to Euro 2016 I was really proud because I was representing Scotland.
“I had two games and came back intact. I came back feeling more determined than ever to succeed.”
