Charlie Richmond believes that VAR would have disallowed St Johnstone’s equalising goal against Celtic on Saturday.
As a free kick was flighted into the penalty box Andy Considine ket his hand firmly on the shirt of Giorgos Giakoumakis, preventing the Celtic striker from attacking the ball.
With the striker out of the equation the cross reached Alex Mitchell who took a touch then shot past Joe Hart into the net.
Sky Sports and BBC Scotland opted out of analysing the incident but on social media it was picked up and highlighted by Celtic supporters.
VAR is expected in Scotland in the coming weeks, speaking to the Daily Record about the incident former SFA referee Mitchell said:
He’s (Considine) got a hold of his shirt. It’s not a refereeing error because he can’t see it. It’s really difficult to spot during the general flow of the game but the camera angles will pick that up.
The question is whether the holding of the jersey impedes the player from jumping to head the ball away. And I think it does. That would be flagged by VAR because there’s been an infringement in the scoring of a goal.
It’s a shirt pull and it’s led to a goal. Shirt pulling is not part of the game. If you tackle someone and miss the ball, then that’s part of a game and a foul.
But shirt pulling is not part of the game. Players pull shirts because they’re caught out or looking for an advantage. It was a foul because it’s quite a big jersey pull.
It stretches the whole of his jersey and it stops the Celtic player from winning the header. It’s irrelevant if he was going to win the header or not because he’s been restricted in his ability to jump.
Just over a minute later Giakoumakis scored at the other end of the pitch which probably helped Anderson escape scrutiny for allowing the equaliser to stand.
VAR will be in operation for Celtic’s Champions League tie at home to RB Leipzig.
St Johnstone v Celtic yesterday.
Giakoumakis clearly fouled as the ball just clears his head for the St Johnstone goal 93rd minute with game at 1-0. pic.twitter.com/bqgcE0V7Vw
— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) October 9, 2022
That’s Charlie Richmond of the VAR panel list
Not now he’s not.
He made the fundamental error for Scottish Referees.
He told the truth about an infringement that penalised Celtic.
Can’t have that says the beaks.