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Sheer Stupidity- Chris Sutton on the John Beaton pictures

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Chris Sutton described John Beaton’s pictures from the Crown Bar in Bellshill as sheer stupidity.

Pictures of the Lanarkshire based referee celebrating in the pub surfaced soon after an incredible display of refereeing when Celtic lost 1-0 at Ibrox in December 2018.

Alfredo Morelos seemed to be given free reign to strike out at any opponent without any prospect of being disciplined with Scott Brown, Ryan Christie and Anthony Ralston all on the end of violent attacks.

No action was taken on the day with the SFA Compliance Officer deciding that no retrospective action should be taken giving the Colombian the all clear to continue after the winter break.

Six days after the match Celtic issued their traditional ‘surprised and disappointed’ statement which was quickly followed by a report from the Press Association that the match referee had received threats. Quickly the story moved on from the performance of the referee during the match.

Celtic were fobbed off without any explanation for the decisions taken but after news that Beaton will be in charge of next Saturday’s derby emerged the pictures from the Crown Bar resurfaced on social media.

In January 2019 Sutton Sutton the Glasgow Times:

I don’t know whether that is a valid photo. I don’t know. If you are telling me that he was photographed on the day in the pub then that is just sheer stupidity on his behalf. If that is true. I mean it is difficult.

The truth of it is that if you are born in Glasgow then you are one side or the other. There are issues there. If he was photographed in the Rangers pub then you can understand Celtic fans feeling the way some of them do.

I don’t think we can all sit here – and this is the first time I have heard it validated – and think that it is a sensible thing to do if you are refereeing in an Old Firm game to then go into a Celtic pub or a Rangers pub because it shows an allegiance.

That is just sheer stupidity but I will say that the stuff and the threats which have happened are ridiculous but he hasn’t helped himself there.

Last season Beaton was in charge of four Celtic matches including a League Cup tie against Dunfermline where his decisions not to award a penalty drew strong criticism from Tom Boyd. Earlier this season he was in charge for Celtic’s 2-1 win away to St Mirren.

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