SOMETHING which often, if not every time, gets overlooked when Glasgow football’s gruesome twosome lock horns is that one man has a literally thankless task of being in charge of the mayhem.

His job, or punishment if you prefer, is to ensure that the football match, which believe it or not is what will happen today, begins, ends for a break, starts again and then is all over. He even gets to pick the ball up at the finale.

His word is final. Nobody else’s. And in-between those whistle blows, there will be a decision a minute to make for more than an hour and a half of sheer bedlam. And of all those taking part in this living, breathing drama, he will be the worst paid and most reviled.

We are, of course, talking of the poor sod who has been chosen to referee a game between Rangers and Celtic. This time it is Craig Thomson, the country’s most experienced official, and no matter what happens you can be assured that it will all be his fault.

Poor Thomson. This afternoon’s match may well pass off without any real moment which could be described as controversial – all the best with that. He may get all of the big and most of the wee calls right. The players, as a man, could shake his hand at the end and yet in a pub somewhere, someone will growl; “Whit about that ******* ref.”

And that comment will be met with firm nods of approval. That 5-0 defeat, obviously, was down to the one person running about the pitch not allowed to kick a ball.

“In our field, it’s the biggest and best game you can get,” so says Stuart Dougal, now retired from a long and distinguished career as a Fifa referee. I like big Stuart a lot but he’s not doing a great job of persuading me.

Dougal refereed 12 Old Firm games, some more memorable than others, and while his nerves may still be affected, he has no regrets and now looks back on such games as the highlights of his career.

It was the first derby of the 1998/99 season in which Dougal made his debut as the man everyone got to blame.

“I was seriously nervous for days running up to it,” he tells me. “But it was 0-0, a decent game but not one with too many talking points, so for my debut I couldn’t have asked for much more.

“In those days, and this doesn’t happen now, you didn’t know who the supervisor in the stand was but it so happened we had a referees’ meeting that morning – and not in the Lodge before you ask – and Kenny Hope, who was vastly experienced, told me that it would be himself at Ibrox keeping an eye on me.

“His advice was brilliant. Kenny said: ‘Listen, son. Keep the card in your pocket early on. Don’t go looking for bookings, don’t go searching for trouble, because it will come to you soon enough’.

“This was the best thing he could have said. Anyway, within the first five minutes I’ve gone and booked Tommy Boyd and Giovanni van Bronckhorst.”

Dougal experienced everything during his time as a ref, particular in this fixture, but one does stand out above the rest.

“The day Celtic beat Rangers 6-2 was the loudest game I have ever been at. I sent off Barry Ferguson that day. Barry liked a moan but he was okay with me. But that was some day. The noise I can still remember,

“They are difficult, please believe me, but when you are a referee then this is the game you want.

“Listen, I wasn’t good enough to play football at a pro level. I would have gone into coaching but I wasn’t good enough for that.

“So the next best thing was refereeing an Old Firm game.”