Celtic fans are well used to strange refereeing decisions but last night’s performance from Chris Gentiles was on a different level.
A low key 1-0 win for the Celtic B side away to Clyde seemed to be petering out when David Goodwill raced towards a crossfield ball down the left channel.
Conor Hazard advanced outside of his penalty area, clearly beyond the 18-yard box as the most unusual chain of events unfolded.
There may or may not have been contact between the goalkeeper and the striker but a few steps later Goodwillie fell inside the penalty box.
The Clyde man had overhit the ball, there were two retreating Celtic defenders but for reasons best known to himself Gentiles opted for a full house with a red card issued to Hazard and a penalty to the home side. Goodwillie beat Ryan Mullen from the penalty spot to deny the 10 Celtic kids a win.
It wasn’t the most high profile of matches but the Laws of the Game apply regardless of circumstances. Whatever contact took place was outside of the penalty box with no excuses available for SFA referee Gentiles.
Watched Celtic B last night. This penalty decision worth seeing ? pic.twitter.com/xif2knPtNu
— Owen J Brown (@OwenJamesBrown) November 24, 2021
That was some amount of wrong decisions on show in one go?
— Bhoys Analytics (@BhoysAnalytics) November 24, 2021
Straight red for the most cynical, delayed, poorly executed dive there’s been for a long time. Boy’s a cheat and the Ref’s a balloon.
— Paul Quinn (@quinn321888) November 24, 2021
When you pause it you can clearly see how far Hazard was outside his box. To award a penalty is beyond belief. The linesman must also have been in line with it!
— David Harrison (@DavidHa72986687) November 24, 2021
That is ridiculous even by Scottish ref standards !
— #ForzaAlba ??????? (@OilerScots) November 24, 2021
Dosent even suprise me
— barry (@barry080808) November 24, 2021
That is hilarious! That referee will go far?
— LombardiaNumeroQuattro (@Lothianno4) November 24, 2021
Wow the penalty decision is beyond belief. Red card maybe
— Andrew Wood (@Andwoo74) November 24, 2021
That’s quite the decision pic.twitter.com/yjruZRYeCl
— AM ??????? (@annemarie6377) November 24, 2021
To be fair it was just the 3 yards outside the box
— Doug Smith (@Skyseller67) November 24, 2021
Looked like a dive and about 15 yards outside the box??
— marc carrie (@arbroathcsc) November 24, 2021
Started his dive at the half way line pic.twitter.com/tjQoFnc56o
— James ????????? (@NewTownSpeed) November 24, 2021
Sadly this is our clubs inaction that lets this happen, we are a soft touch no doubt about it
Showing great potential. Could go to the very top. Only in Scotland though.
I referred for more years tan I care to remember and, what I’ve been witnessing over the past few seasons has been incredibly poor. From what is supposed to be our elite to that young ref last night, his career should be ended before it’s barely started, it has been stomach churning. So many mistakes from Gentiles. Yellow card for the keeper, free kick, yellow card for Goodwillie for simulation, staggered into the penalty area and dropped like a drunk, not a clear goalscoring opportunity two defenders goalside. From a referring supervisor assessment should be marked as totally unsatisfactory.
is the ref the new and upcoming bobby madman ?
Some of the referees we get should be wearing there orange sashes when they adjudicate at celtic matches