Michael Stewart mentioned the spirit of the game before condemning John Beaton for not knowing the laws of the game.
During the first half of Celtic’s Scottish Cup tie against Dundee United at Tannadice Daizen Maeda put the ball in the net from close range after it had bounced off the arm of Giorgos Giakoumakis.
Straight away co-commentator Stephen Craigan pointed out that the goal should have stood with that view echoed by the other Premier Sports pundits.
Covering the half-time analysis on Premier Sports, the Daily Record reports Stewart saying:
In the spirit of it because it comes off his hand and deflects to the player. These things can happen in a game. Under the laws of the game, that’s unequivocal, that is a goal that John Beaton has disallowed and I can’t really understand why he’s disallowed that because there’s no way that that is a deliberate handball from Giakoumakis.
That is the only thing that John Beaton could’ve given that makes any sense other than not understanding the laws of the game.
Should John Beaton be demoted from SPFL Premiership matches?
Yes, last night's decision is a mistake too many
Celtic overcame that decision to win the match 3-0 but there is no getting away from the fact that a pundit in a commentary box instantly had a better grasp of the Laws of the Game than the match referee.
Beaton’s only excuse would be that Giakoumakis deliberately used his arm to control the ball- if that is the case the SFA have an even bigger problem with virtually no one else arguing that the striker had planned the assist to Maeda.
This decision highlights perfectly the difference a Beaton or a Madden can make in a game.
This happens for us, dissallowed..happens for our opponents…stands.
Sevco ? Its the exact opposite.
Simple but effective bias that wins leagues over time.
The alternative? Beaton is so poor a ref he doesn’t understand the rules and should be removed from top class games.
What WILL happen? Absolutely feck all.
Surely every club in the country must be appalled at the continuing shambles that is refereeing in Scotland?
Why is there not a campaign for reform backed vocally by chairman across the land? Is it because they fear their grounds being set ablaze by hun crooks that will never be caught by our hun polis?
All of non-hun Scotland needs to stand up, say “we’ve finally had enough” and get this corrupted kountry sorted out. Demolishing a certain dilapidated red-brick shitehole on the South side of the Clyde would be a start. Which one? Well, both but Mount Florida can wait…
Editor: Since the Celtic board are supportive of the SFA and their referees why should any other club bother about what is going on?
Good point. Celtic should be bothered though, and the fact they aren’t should be of concern to all our supporters who plough money into the game that pays these crooks.
He should never referee any of our games ever again. Nor hun games. And don t let him near VAR….totally inept and bigotted.
Reminds me of Craig Thomson, to name but one…
I would prefer foreign refs….not English… might even help us getting used to them for European games.
I don t think he’s fit enough either….
It was a honest mistake “honestly”