In traditional fashion the SFA and their media messengers have fallen silent over the real moment/s of controversy during Celtic’s 3-0 win at Dundee yesterday.
Sky Sports offered token coverage of the match with 15 minutes of build up followed by thirty minutes afterwards that included interviews with players and management from both clubs.
Set pieces into the penalty box provides VAR with the perfect opportunity to eliminate the dark arts as the defending teams literally push their luck to see what they can get away with.
Celtic don’t possess much of a physical threat from set-pieces but Cameron Carter-Vickers clearly had Trevor Carson very worried.
In the first incident, in the 34th minute the Dundee keeper wrapped both arms round the USA internationalist with the ball in flight. Two minutes later he was joined by Joe Shaughnessy with Carter-Vickers sandwiched in full view of the Sky Sports cameras.
Scottish football should consider introducing VAR so that incidents like this don’t go unchecked. pic.twitter.com/i1ZZuVCOB9
— Kyogoals. (@celticminded1) December 26, 2023
For reasons not clear, other than through background checks, Greg Aitken didn’t consider either incident worthy of checking over, or suggesting that Don Robertson has another look on the monitor.
Aitken comes from Kilmarnock, his Facebook page shows him sharing touchline gags with Ally McCoist, earlier this year he was given a full time VAR post alongside long time pal Andrew Dallas.
Challenged about refereeing issues by shareholders at the Celtic AGM Michael Nicholson and Peter Lawwell decided to crack some jokes on the issues.
In April 2015 Lawwell asked for an explanation over Steven McLean’s decision not to award Celtic a penalty in the Scottish Cup semi-final against Inverness Caley Thistle, the SFA put McLean in charge of the 2016 Scottish Cup Final.
In January 2019 Lawwell asked for transparency over John Beaton’s decisions not to send off Alfredo Morelos in a Glasgow Derby at Ibrox. The SFA said nothing, Beaton was in charge of the 2020 and 2023 Scottish Cup Finals, generally regarded as recognition for Scotland’s best referee.
At the 2021 Celtic AGM Chairman Ian Bankier admitted that the club had deep concerns over Scottish referees, Celtic’s main domestic opponents are on a 73 match run without having a penalty awarded against them including a year with VAR checking every penalty box incident.
Should Lawwell and Nicholson demand publication of all VAR conversations?
Yes, things are getting ridiculous
No, we have great, impartial officials
? “Penalty Rangers”
Celtic chief Michael Nicholson’s cutting reply when quizzed on referees and VAR at AGMhttps://t.co/6vJYJ8p66Ihttps://t.co/6vJYJ8p66I
— Scottish Sun Sport (@scotsunsport) November 22, 2023
Shocking ? imagine thinking refs would cheat for the new rangers like they cheated for the dead rangers ? Greg Aitken was the guy who gave a penalty for morelos diving into a defender but missed a 2 handed push on the same defender in the rangers box ????? honest mistakes eh ? pic.twitter.com/1LJ1FbKUTT
— Yogi il Tempo (@Yogi_theTim) October 5, 2020
And in that video above showing the CCV foul[s],
at the very beginning of the video, you can clearly see
the linesman standing at the corner flag, with a clear, unimpeded view
of the shirt pull and the manhandling by the 2 Dundee players.
The keeper’s raised hand to CCV’s head is a straight red just by itself?
So, why did the linseman NOT raise his flag?
Yes, there are plenty of VAR issues,
but – ‘coincidentally’ – the linesman seem to be ignoring everything as well…?
A fuckin disgrace – So glad I’ve chucked going !