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Unforgivable if we don’t scrutinise a decision thoroughly and clearly- Greg Aitken on his VAR role

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Image for Unforgivable if we don’t scrutinise a decision thoroughly and clearly- Greg Aitken on his VAR role

Greg Aitken has admitted that it would be unforgiveable if he didn’t scrutinise a decision as thoroughly and clearly as possible.

In March as Celtic played Hearts at Tynecastle where from a standing position Yang Hyun-jun raised his boot towards the ball as Alex Cochrane raced towards him.

Don Robertson judged it to be a yellow card, in the VAR room John Beaton reviewed it, suggested a pitchside review with Robertson happy to upgrade to a red card.

When Celtic appealed against that decision it was rejected, the decision stood with Yang suspended for two matches. He has barely started a Celtic match since.

There were no rule changes in regard to foul or dangerous play over the summer, the same Laws of the Game applied for St Mirren’s visit to Ibrox.

With time running out and hanging on to a 2-1 lead Connor Barron raced towards Toyosi Olusanya, raised his boot towards the St Mirren forward and broke up a promising move.

Referee Calum Scott decided that a free kick was sufficient punishment, in the VAR room Aitken refused to get involved despite the precedent set against Yang earlier this year.

Speaking to Sky Sports a year ago about the first 12 months of VAR, Aitken explained:

As an on-field referee we’re making decisions in split seconds, we’ve seen one angle. In the VAR room, we’ve got the privilege of six cameras on every match and many more on our live broadcast match, so it possibly is unforgivable if we don’t scrutinise a decision as thoroughly and as clearly as what we should, having the bonus of the six different angles that we do have.

So the pressure’s different, it’s maybe a bit more intense, but having the beauty of the six angles gives you the confidence that you’re going to get to the right outcome.

Don Robertson will be on VAR duty at Pittodrie tomorrow night with Alan Muir, who ‘missed’ the Daizen Maeda penalty claim at Motherwell the VAR official for Sunday’s League Cup semi-final involving the Ibrox club.

On the opening day of the season Aitken failed to award Celtic a penalty when Kyogo Furuhashi was wiped out by Robbie McCrory eight yards from goal, Robertson was the match referee.

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13 comments

  • Terence Nova says:

    I appreciate you have articles to write and I support and applaud your efforts to shine a light into dark corners…However I would also question our Club’s silence on incidents like this…and continually wonder why there is silence…..Fair play to you for continually exposing what I would class as corruption by Officials.. and it serves to remind me why I gave up my long held Season Ticket…Our Board is not fit for purpose….Keep up the good work.

    Editor: The issues all come back to the Celtic board, since July 2012 they have been terrified to question the SFA in case details from 2012 are leaked out. That is the reason Celtic are on mute, this site has highlighted it often, at the 2019 AGM it was my question that brought the reply from Lawwell that he had never seen the 2012 Five Way Agreement, that could very easily be exposed, Nicholson and Lawwell wouldn’t dream of questioning anything thrown at Celtic by the SFA as we witness every week from Beaton, McLean, Walsh, Dallas, Muir, Aitken and others.

    • Terence Nova says:

      But still the “Faithful through and through ” buy their season tickets and merchandise.
      Then come on Blogs to scream from the heavens about the injustices.
      No wonder our Board couldn’t care less.
      Kerching…kerching.
      The support gets what it deserves,

      • TicToc says:

        When you gave up your cherished season-ticket did you write to the Celtic Board and tell them why? Did you write to the SFA and tell THEM why? Did you consider uniting with other Tims and creating a protest?
        Your final remark: “The support gets what it deserves,” is an insulting, blunt instrument based on your own views and is probably actually aimed at yourself. You just don’t (won’t) see that. There’s always a solution when supporters unite and take action. Many in the Celtic support may be apathetic but that doesn’t invite your ignorant assertion above. For the larger part I often agree with you but I think you’ve rashly chosen to fire this out without really thinking about it and I’m certainly capable of that too. We’re all on the same side, with strongly held views but unity is the answer to all of this and a damn site more too, e.g. exposing Lawwell for his part in the 5(6)-Way Agreement. Note he didn’t say the 5-Way didn’t exist just that he “hadn’t seen it” yet later on Michael Nicholson, trained in law, but saw no problem with it. He must’ve been a conveyancer or such-like if he sees “no problem” with that abomination against ALL genuine Scottish football supporters for the sake of one club which changed status to a company in 1899, the original Rangers and Sevco Scotland Limited (not even a club just an off-the-shelf company) now pretending to be a club having changed it’s name (but not status) to The Rangers Football Club Limited. I’ll never let this go as long as I live and nor should anyone else. And breathe…….. 🙂

        • Terence Nova says:

          Your angry, bordering on abusive response, leaves me with no option but to tell you…Don’t bother responding to this.
          I’m not interested in anything you have to say.

          • TicToc says:

            Calm down and read it again. And you could always answer my questions.
            Just where exactly is what I said “…. angry, bordering on abusive….?”
            I pointed out that I too get lots wrong, it’s the interpretation of the written word that leads to unnecessary argument that would be solved in a jiffy face-to-face.
            I mentioned the need for unity amongst our support which is surely accurate?
            If I upset you I apologise but it wasn’t my intention, my main argument is with Lawwell and has been for a very long time, and it’s ongoing. I only saw your response as I was reviewing something but I hope it clarifies things.

  • Captain Swing says:

    It was always thus. The peculiarity is that they usually only ‘go blatant’ like that when there is a close title race and a lot at stake – a helping hand here and there on the occasions when it will actually help.

    This season isn’t exactly shaping up like one where anybody will be needing to provisionally book a helicopter for May unless Aberdeen stay the course and given they have a weaker squad overall than we do and are picking up almost twice as many yellow cards as us that seems unlikely.

    Maybe there is some more strategic benefit – like they need to keep Clouseau in post because they haven’t currently got the cash to pay the useless Gareth Hunt off…..

  • Johnny mcglinchey says:

    Orange bastards, simple. HH

  • Valentine's day massacre says:

    Fraser Wilson of the daily Record theRangers scoops cabal of print ,said that the Connor Barron high kick was never a penalty . He of the LoonyJunes column ,argued that because Barron is a ‘ wee guy ‘ he has to kick higher to get to the ball…I know , I know ! He also asked the question ” was the guy hurt ” when Barron had his foot in the air ? He also asked if the guy’s ” head was down rather than Barron’s foot very high ” ? In other words the St Mirren player was equally at fault as wee Barron ,according to loony Wilson .It’s quite extraordinary how these dud hacks are continuously employed by the tabloids for the same drivel and piffle stories …each and every time ?

  • Tony B says:

    These people are corrupt.

    They appear to have no problem with this total lack of professional or moral integrity.

    Neither do the football authorities, the media or indeed Celtic F.C.

    Are there no honest men or women in Scottish football?

  • Bob (original) says:

    “…Celtic are on mute, this site has highlighted it often, at the 2019 AGM it was my question that brought the reply from Lawwell that he had never seen the 2012 Five Way Agreement…”

    And which beggars belief why Lawwell was brought back after he had retired.

    As a club WE can’t move on from 2012 until all the Celtic Board members involved

    in that shameful period for Scottish football have shuffled off,

    [and maybe not even until DD has sold up too?]

  • scousebhoy says:

    you are spot on with your opinion of the celtic board i made the same point in a previous post they are neglecting their duty to the team and the support. from day one at tynecastle with the handball incident var is a complete embarrassment and nothing will change .

  • TicToc says:

    Joe,
    “The issues all come back to the Celtic board, since July 2012 they have been terrified to question the SFA in case details from 2012 are leaked out.”

    Whilst I would say that Lawwell (CEO at the time) MUST have known (he was sent the 5-Way email), and been involved in, the 5-Way (hence 6-Way) neither he nor Celtic were DIRECTLY involved as the “5” were the SFA, the (then) SPL, the SFL, original Rangers Administrators and Charles Green (Sevco Scotland Limited). So Celtic’s hands are only tied to protect HIM (Lawwell). Against recognised ‘best business practice’ he was shoe-horned back in as Non-Executive Chairman, no doubt with the help of the major shareholder. But why should this only taint Celtic if it all comes out?
    The “5” are surely the most involved hence most to lose? It should be a lever for US not THEM! My own view, having read the email and the 5-Way sent with it as an attachment, is that it’s FRAUD and should be called out as such and those involved should face the consequences of their actions as we all have to do.
    I hope this is clear and look forward to your clarification here.

  • Alex Brown says:

    Corruption dressed up as paranoia. 100% double standards

Comments are closed.