There was just three minutes of regulation time left to play but the Laws of the Game apply exactly the same from first whistle to last.
With Stuart McKinstry moving in to a threatening position Leon King opted to take one for the team as he lunged into the Motherwell midfielder, savagely making contact just below the knee.
It would be a stretch to say that McKinstry was moving into a goal scoring position but the foul from the Ibrox starlet was dangerous, his opponent could easily have picked up a serious injury.
Referee David Dickinson took the easy option, a yellow card for the defender, his side retaining 11 players and no suspension going into next week.
The introduction of VAR next week will put referees more in the spotlight than ever before, sadly the best technology won’t change much when it is being operated and viewed as part of the same process that has promoted Nick Walsh, John Beaton, Kevin Clancy and Steven McLean into sharing the top fixtures.
Leon King tackle the Motherwell manager thought was a red card offence.
What many would be looking out for was the slight touch and Motherwell player beyond the last man taking it in his stride. pic.twitter.com/CmdDAUIhmF
— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) October 16, 2022
Straight red absolutely shocking display from yet another Scottish football ref and still nothing done about them
— GaryLivingstone (@livingstone384) October 16, 2022
Hmmm it was knee high. Probably should have been a red
— Crackerman (@mostlyceltic81) October 16, 2022
Red card all day long.
— The Forthright Forehead (@Forthright4Head) October 16, 2022
We all know it would have been a Red the other way around
— Tony CFC (@Green_Hoops67) October 16, 2022
Not sure anyone that says “Davies is clearly getting there to cover” has seen him play if they think he’s covering that gap ? pic.twitter.com/7T4CWFIyrm
— nick harman (@harmannick) October 16, 2022
Kings reaction tells you everything, he knows that a red card challenge
— Savio (@JakiMakiMaki) October 16, 2022
Irreverent if the Motherwell player was denied a goal scoring opportunity
It’s a knee high challenge, dangerous out of control straight red— Celtic ?????? (@CWN1967) October 16, 2022
Red card all day long @UEFAcom Scottish refereeing bias ?????
— Hoopslad67 (@hoopslad67) October 16, 2022
Shocking tackle right below the knee. How is this not a red card in any instance?
— SpringboardEBT? (@SpringboardEBT) October 16, 2022
Just below the knee with “excessive force”, thus “endangering the safety of an opponent”.
— Billy Rice (@ricebilly) October 16, 2022
Knee high and at pace, it’s a terrible tackle
— Stevie (@Stevie20216542) October 16, 2022
Tell by the boys face just after he made that tackle , even he thought he was getting a red , he was thinking ” Sh*t I’m off “
VAR won’t stop the cheating, it’s ingrained.
And the cheating continues and we all sit back and take it.
I don’t blame refs or the SFA a blame the fans who go every week buying tickets for a FAKE game that is rigged,roll up roll up and geeze your money ya bunch of dafties.
Very similar position to CalMac’s sending off vs Motherwell from a positional sense. That was at least as far from the goal. There was a covering defender then too, but I seem to recall that every Hun on the Sportscene sofa declared it a nailed on red on that occasion. Doubt VAR will change these decisions given that it’s the same masons in black who will still be operating it and having the final say on any decisions.
Calmac got a straight red for a lesser tackle the other week, just shows the Referees in Scotland officiate through blue tinted eyes ?, they’re a feckin disgrace to supposedly be impartial at Refereeing ???HH?.