Soccer Football - Scottish Premiership - Celtic v Livingston - Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - December 21, 2022 Referee Euan Anderson looks at the VAR monitor and later disallows Celtic's third goal scored by Liel Abada REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
Tom Boyd has seen the movie a few times before.
On Day One of VAR at Tynecastle Michael Smith raised his hand to connect with a James Forrest pass, there was a brief pause when the ball went out of play, VAR Steven McLean was in contact with referee Nick Walsh before play carried on without even a look at the monitor.
At Celtic Park, contrived penalties were awarded against Alexandro Bernabei and Matt O’Riley when Dundee United and Ross County were the visitors.
Last night attention switched to the other end of the park with Nicky Devlin escaping without a penalty when he used his elbow to block a long range shot from Reo Hatate.
The real issue came in the 71st minute. After Liel Abada netted there was an unwelcome pause as VAR Steven Kirkland intervened, drew in Euan Anderson, a four minute delay resulted before the ‘goal’ was disallowed.
Listening in to Boyd on Celtic TV, the Daily Record reports:
What does the fourth (VAR) official know that the referee doesn’t know on the field of play? What has he decided? Look it’s an offside decision.
He is either offside or he’s not. What they are trying to say is it has to be a deliberate pass.
In my opinion the Livingston defender has went for that ball and made a mess of it, right? So he has deliberately tried to play the ball.
It’s not the first time referees and VAR don’t look favourably on Celtic when trying to get the right decision. They are trying to make the decision if that boy has deliberately headed that ball back, and it’s the rule that he has played him on. He has tried to header that one
Should Celtic push SFA for transparency by publishing VAR reports?
Yes, VAR without explanations is pointless
No, let the teething troubles settle down
In the 20 remaining minutes of the match no Hawkeye image was published to explain why the goal was disallowed.
As soon as Celtic fans heard kris Boyd Barry Ferguson Alex Rae and the rest of the EBT squad from from the old dead rangers calling force var to be introduced as soon as possible we knew this would happen. These decisions are a deliberate attempt to cheat Celtic . The fact that a coach from ibrox is allowed anywhere near a Celtic game is shocking but then we have Clancy Beaton and Collum in the studio deliberately cheating says a lot about our board
liewell and his celtic board have been the biggest problem for our club they have done nothing for years letting this farce continue in scottish football. Now we have var its even worse.celtic ceo just a stoogie for desmond and now big greedy hands liewell now back in control so its carry on with the corruption and celtic fans keep funding this corruption we are all to blame for letting it continue.
It is an imperative that sport, in Scotland the game of Professional Football, should be fair – and be seen to be fair! It demonstrates to the watching world that the country and it’s society is open, fair and balanced! And that Authorities are capable of applying laws, with fairness, equally and evenly across all it’s sections and denominations.
That is why world sport e.g. The World Cup, is important. It is a Litmus Test, that all people are being treated fairly, that they are equally welcome to participate on the fairness of a “Level Playing Field”, as the metaphor goes!
Sadly, in Fair Caledonia, there are issues to the fore which show that all is not well in our game. No Scottish Officials at International Tournaments, no Scottish national teams competing at them and constant dithering and unexplained decisions, particularly at games involving the big two Clubs that show that all is not well in Scottish football, or indeed, Scottish society!
There are issues here that refuse to be tackled, are not mentioned and are just to be suffered or accepted. That is not acceptable in a modern democratic society. The fact that it is indicates that society is far from healthy or fair.
People need to take on these issues for the benefit of us all! People with degrees of power or influence and responsibility have a moral duty to challenge these issues for the benefit of the unfairly treated and the good of all! It is cowardly not to!
Celtic plc hold the Celtic Club as trustees. They get their reward for that. But they have a moral duty to advance, for the good of society the issues which make society a better place for our fans, in particular, and society in general. These are moral issues which are imperative for a healthy society. If you are only in it for the money, then you have failed – yourself and your neighbour.
Celtic is a Scottish institution. But it is not working to resolve these issues for everybody’s benefits!
Belter of a comment.
Should be sent to the Chairman of every Football Club that operates
under the juridiction of the Scottish Football Association.
Well you can save two stamps by omitting Sevco and Sevco Lite.