Hearts fans will feel aggrieved tonight after their side’s defeat at Ibrox, the defeat wasn’t so much to their direct opponents but to the officials produced by the system inside Scottish football.
Today was the fourth time that the two clubs have faced each other in the last twelve months, the third time this year. John Beaton has refereed all four of those matches.
This season 17 different referees have been in charge of SPFL Premiership fixtures, there were 16 alternatives to Beaton including seven other Grade 1 referees, men that take charge of UEFA matches at various levels.
On November 9 last year Hearts lost 1-0 at Ibrox with Beaton in charge. Similarly he was in charge when the two sides met again in February and May with the man from the Crown Bar in Bellshill in charge.
Towards the end of an uneventful first half Beaton signalled for two minutes to be added, two minutes and 30 seconds into that period he was pointing to the penalty spot but James Tavernier failed to convert.
In the 88th minute the match referee watched players from both side grappling with each other and saw nothing unusual, in the VAR studio Alan Muir picked out a shirt pull on Conor Goldson while various others were pushing and pulling.
Beaton was invited to the monitor, everyone knew what to expect. The team that hasn’t had an SPFL penalty awarded against them in 64 matches were awarded their second penalty of the afternoon. Tavernier scored this time.
It was certainly a busy weekend for Muir, yesterday he was in Edinburgh for the Hibs v Celtic match with the SFA providing a welcome second payment with a VAR gig watching the match from Ibrox.
Surely after the stress and physical exertions from taking a top flight match on the Saturday are best followed by a day off.
Being based in Aberdeen it looks like Muir has enjoyed a hotel night between matches in Edinburgh and Glasgow on top of his mileage and other expenses.
On Wednesday Muir will be the Fourth Official at the St Johnstone v Kilmarnock match, the same night Beaton will be influencing the Celtic v St Mirren match.
It would be a massive shock if Hearts raised any complaint about the choice of officials for today’s match, every other club in the SPFL Premiership faces the same issues,
CLICK HERE for Beaton’s matches last seasons.
He’ll mend them. If they don’t call it out for blatant match rigging. I watched on Hearts TV the commentators were not in the least agitated at the officiating they know they’re place.
Beaton and Muir are the two most biased , corrupt officials in the country
I’ve heard people saying the huns were rotten today and it’s papering over the cracks
But when it’s officials like them who are doing the papering , it’s a big problem for every other team
Muir refs our game yesterday then he’s on Var for them today , Beaton will be involved in one our next two games
Hun supporting ref musical chairs
Then all the ex huns doing the media circuit on the Monday pushing the narrative the penalties were deserved
Nothing too see here , move along
I would like to see our club put forward a proposal that all referrees must declare any allegiance or any conflict of interest in any games they are officiating at. Do it very publicly and let’s hear what possible argument anyone could have against the idea.
It could only be positive for the game.
Editor: No other club is more dependent on a ‘successful/competitive’ club from Ibrox than the one chaired by Peter Lawwell, in 2019 he laughed as told Celtic shareholders that he had never seen the 2012 Five Way Agreement.
You also have to blame the Hearts player, Haring for jersey pulling however slight and giving them the opportunity to award a penalty. He left it a bit late, though.
Yip he was foolish indeed Charlie but he was blocked first by Lundstram so a foul it should have been a free kick to Hearts…
Is it offside as well before the ‘offence’ ? – Therefore another reason for no penalty –
This country is absolutely fcuked when it comes to football cheating…
Just glad that I don’t pay towards that cheating any longer –
GAA a far better sport…
Celtic should chuck it and become The 33rd County !
Var video advantage rangers
Joe ..I posted a comment which seems to have been spiked.. Did I say something offensive…??..
Editor: Nope, nothing deleted, your comments should appear instantly.