Dermot Gallagher has come up with a bizarre explanation for the decision not to award Celtic a penalty against Hearts at Tynecastle.
In the final minute of first half stoppage time James Forrest cut in from the left wing, as he passed the ball into the penalty box Michael Smith raised his arm to deflect the ball.
Referee Nick Walsh saw it clearly but hesitated, after a short consultation with VAR Steven McLean play resumed to the amazement of Ange Postecoglou and his players.
Michael Stewart was virtually the only pundit over the weekend to justify Walsh’s decision, on Sky Sports News today Gallagher gave a very strange explanation for Celtic being denied a penalty.
?? It was a busy day for VAR at Tynecastle! What did you make of the decisions during Celtic’s win over Hearts?
Here’s what Dermot Gallagher said on Ref Watch ?? pic.twitter.com/aZsKQOm1nD
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) October 24, 2022
The Sun reports the former EPL referee saying:
In the Premier League, we have seen these given. It bounces up with his arm is out. That’s what they do in Scotland, they’ve got a slightly different tolerance of where their arms are.
They’re not massively out but in the Premier League that’s a penalty. I think if it was in the Premier League it would have been a penalty.
Should Celtic ask for publication of VAR conversations between McLean and Walsh?
Yes, it will help fans understand decision making
Teething troubles, we have to trust SFA officials
There is only one set of Laws of the Game, published by FIFA and used worldwide. Handball in Carlisle is the same as handball in Annan.
Despite that decision Celtic bounced back to win 4-3 to make it 10 wins out of 11 in the SPFL Premiership. It is now 16 matches since Ange Postecoglou’s side were awarded a penalty.
He’s right though. They do have different rules in Scotland. The rules are penalty Rangers*, play on vs celtic.
It was a penalty then.
The issue is why did the VAR official not examine the incident closely rather than dismissing the claim out of hand.
McLean was the VAR official and Walsh the referee so I think we all know why.
Save Scottish football.
Expose the cheats.
to award the penalty mutt maclean would have put pressure on Nick Walsh to send the player off for deliberate handball , down to ten men , thats why no penalty was awarded , with mutt and Walsh , you could say hearts had 13 players on the pitch ,
Tried their best for us to drop points on the first weekend with VAR
So the narrative is ‘ VAR comes , Celtic drop points , they moan like f*ck about it , typical , greeting because they drop points , but it’s really just teething problems etc ‘
They even put a hun ref in the VAR hut who regularly f*cks us over and another who hands out penalties to them like sweeties
And we win despite losing 3 goals and a few hours later they drop points
Ha Ha
We all know whats next….Celtic will get a mad decision against someone when it doesn’t matter and they can go overboard and pretend its the same. GUARANTEED !