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The Scottish Football Association has confirmed the officials for Celtic’s Scottish Cup semi-final meeting with St Mirren, scheduled for Sunday, 19 April 2026, with a 2pm kick-off at Hampden Park.
On the face of it, the tie offers a compelling contest between the Premiership leaders and a St Mirren side carrying confidence after a string of competitive performances, not least a narrow 1–0 defeat to Celtic in the league only days ago. Yet, as is so often the case in fixtures of this magnitude, the focus has quickly shifted away from the players and onto the men with the whistles.
The SFA’s announcement of the officiating team has stirred immediate debate, particularly among the Celtic support, where memories of recent flashpoints remain fresh.
According to the governing body, the match will be overseen by referee Matthew MacDermid, assisted by Ross Macleod and David Roome. Kevin Clancy will operate as VAR, with Chris Graham in the assistant role. The game will be staged at Hampden Park and broadcast live on Premier Sports, setting the stage for what is expected to be a fiercely contested semi-final.
MacDermid, still only 32, is no stranger to scrutiny where Celtic are concerned. He has already taken charge of three of their matches this season, including a defeat at Dundee and a victory over Livingston. However, it is February’s 2–1 loss at home to Hibernian that continues to linger in the memory.
That afternoon proved particularly contentious. In the 74th minute, Auston Trusty was sent off following an incident with Jamie McGrath during a corner. MacDermid initially waved play on before VAR intervened, prompting a review at the monitor. After reassessment, the decision was upgraded to a red card, forcing Celtic to see out the match with ten men — a turning point in a game they would go on to lose.
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