As Ibrox statements crank up the paranoia Celtic silently approve of Turnbull offside decision

Soccer Football - Scottish Premiership - Kilmarnock v Celtic - Rugby Park, Kilmarnock, Scotland, Britain - April 16, 2023 Celtic non-executive Chairman Peter Lawwell in the stands before the match REUTERS/Russell Cheyne

Earier this evening there was a third Ibrox statement over the Abdallah Sima offside from Saturday’s defeat from Celtic.

Following the lead from their fan media partners the Ibrox board has been screaming at Willie Collum to cover the multiple failings in the match from Philippe Clement.

Urged on by Sky Sports who think that Kris Boyd is some sort of authority on the Scottish game the attack has been relentless over a handball incident next to a player who was clearly offside earlier in the move,

Sky Sports had audio access to the conversation between VAR and Nick Walsh but have been selective over what they have released, with direct quotes not permitted as Andy Walker discovered last season.

Just as typically Celtic have remained utterly silent on the real refereeing scandal of the day where assistant referee Callum Spence and Walsh acted very differently.

Fearful of ending a run of 73 SPFL matches without conceding a penalty Walsh seemed incapable of applying the Laws of the Game when James Tavernier bundled David Turnbull over three minutes into stoppage time.

Perhaps sensing his referee colleague getting into bother Spence decided to raise his flag incorrectly for offside as John Souttar was breaking free with several Celtic players out of position.

Spence had a more obvious offside call to make with the Sima incident but chose to keep his flag down.

In trademark style Celtic have kept quiet on the matter when everyone knows that the time to make your points is when your team has won.

Not a peep has come out of the Celtic boardroom, no request for audio, no nudging into the background of Spence to accompany the fact that Walsh works on the education of Murray Park starlets on a daily basis at Boclair Academy.

Spence is from the Aberdeen Refereeing Association.

While the Ibrox PR machine plays to the gallery a clear message is going out to referee and VAR’s with Andrew Dallas complying yesterday against Kilmarnock.

Celtic’s silence gives the green light for continued honest mistakes against Brendan Rodgers side, only after an extreme fan reaction to a decision will Celtic dig out the surprised and disappointed template before quietly slipping to the back of the bus as John Beaton and Steven McLean can testify to.

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