David Dickinson will referee Sunday’s match between St Johnstone and Celtic, his third match involving Ange Postecoglou’s side this season.
In August he took charge of a fairly routine 5-0 win away to Kilmarnock but there were plenty of headlines generated from his handling of the home match against Dundee United in November.
VAR official Nick Walsh halted play to allow Dickinson to review an incident, with his back to play the ball had struck Alexandro Bernabei on the arm with the match referee pointing to the penalty spot after a four minute hold up in play.
That incident disrupted Celtic’s rhythm but two goals in the closing five minutes minimised the damage from the penalty decision.
Frustrated by the VAR decisions and delays, The Sun reported Ange Postecoglou saying:
The way it looks now – apart from us playing against Hearts away – if it hits your hand in the box it’s a penalty.
I don’t even know why they bother with natural or unnatural. Berna wasn’t even looking at the ball. How is he supposed to know if his arm’s in an unnatural position?
It means if the ball hits your hand in the box it’s a penalty. If that’s the way they want to define it, it will change the game and the way people defend.
You will stop putting your body in the line of the ball because any sort of contact will be a penalty.
Since that match Postecoglou has made very limited, and restrained comments about VAR.
Greg Aitken, who was on VAR duty for the Viaplay Cup semi-final against Kilmarnock will be on VAR duty again for Sunday’s match with David Munro the fourth official.
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I shall say zis only once! Connor goldson.
As mentioned before: that David Dickinson should just stick to the antiques.
🙂
Does it matter who does it?
They’re aw the fckn same.