‘Celtic do need to speak out’ ‘They don’t even try to hide it’ ‘VAR will be a shambles in Scotland’ Celtic fans react to Steven McLean’s VAR appointment

The introduction of VAR to Scottish football this weekend has been something that Celtic fans have red flagged for a while.

New technology, extra eyes should be welcomed but when they are under the control of Ian Maxwell and Crawford Allan there is every reason to be suspicious and fearful.

The same cabal that allowed Bobby Madden to referee 6 of Celtic’s first 24 SPFL matches will be able to put the club under extra scrutiny. At Pittodrie a year ago Madden managed to award 27 free kicks against Celtic despite being in possession for 61% of the match.

Awarding fouls against Celtic players is second nature to referees from Lanarkshire and Glasgow. The slightest contact and the whistle will soon, Ryan Porteous knows how it works, repeatedly on Saturday he fell to the ground with Steven McLean obliging with a free kick.

On Saturday a dream will come true for the brother of a former Rangers (IL) starlet. Any time that Celtic find the net at Tynecastle he will be able to review the passage of play, any physical contact and he can inform Nick Walsh to disallow the goal. A second chance to interfere.

On Monday Walsh will be back at the day job working in the fitness of the next generation of Murray Park starlets at Boclair Academy.

McLean is assured of the support of the Celtic board, the group of men that sat in silence as that referee and two SFA assistants denied Ronny Deila a place at the 2015 Scottish Cup Final.

A few days after that match Celtic issued a statement to appease supporters then dropped the issue. In 2016 McLean was rewarded by handling the Scottish Cup Final.

Ian Bankier, Brian Wilson, Tom Allison and crew only need a gentle reminder of the fat finger-prints all over the 2012 Five Way Agreement to pipe down and be grateful that they have Glasgow derbies to look forward to.

A half hearted statement about John Beaton in January 2019 was treated the same way. Bankier knows his place at the back of the bus, a year ago he told shareholders the club had deep concerns about referees, nothing has improved, things have got worse.

From Saturday every Celtic goal will be double checked, the only guarantee is that while the directors of 2012 are still in place Celtic will remain the softest touch in Scottish football.

NB There has been no comment from the Celtic board about the glass bottle that hit a physio at Ibrox or how broken glass was discovered in Joe Hart’s penalty area at the start of the second half.

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