The extensive John Beaton cover up

Legacy media outlets are on a mission to bury the decisions of John Beaton from Saturday’s match at Ibrox.

With Livingston equalising and looking comfortable midway through the first half they were presented with a great chance to go in front 10 yards from goal.

Tete Yengi shot at goal, Manny Fernandez swung his left arm towards the ball, saving Jack Butland from having to block the effort.

WHAT HAPPENED AT IBROX?

Rookie referee Ross Hardie is keen to climb the refereeing ladder. He has watched how Beaton, Bobby Madden, Andrew Dallas, Steven McLean, Don Robertson and others have made it to the top of the tree.

Hardie had taken in the reaction to the Auston Trusty booking at Hampden, he knew the consequences of awarding a penalty.

Crucially he knew who was on VAR duty. The man from the Crown Bar in Bellshill wasn’t going to intervene, apply the Laws of the Game and award Livingston a penalty at Ibrox.

The match continued. David Martindale and his players wondered what was going on.

They are accustomed to ‘unusual’ decisions at Ibrox. Strangely the big screens at Ibrox replayed the incident. Martindale knew what had happened.

Often in these situations the cover up is as big as the original wrong doing. That is exactly what happened in this incident.

MARVIN BARTLEY SPILLS THE BEANS

Radio Clyde were presented with a story live in their studio.

Gordon Duncan is building a career with Sky Sports and the SFA, he is Willie Collum’s go-to media guy.

On Saturday BBC Sportsound helpfully passed on the message that the ball had struck Fernandez’s body before he used his hand.

For 99% of listeners that explanation was accepted. But not for those with a Firestick who had watched the incident.

It isn’t normal for Radio Scotland to be briefed about VAR decisions during the match for a game that isn’t live on television.

VAR HQ TUNED IN TO BBC?

Was someone in VAR HQ listening in to Sportsound and felt the need to excuse Beaton?

Was Beaton listening to the radio while on VAR duty and realised he had to get an excuse out. He knew that there would be no awkward follow up question from one of Kenny Macintyre’s colleagues.

On Sunday Marvin Bartley gave a different version of the cover up. The Livingston coach was told that the handball wasn’t intentional.

Live on air Super Scoreboard were given a second version of why Livingston were denied a penalty.

COMPROMISED GORDON DUNCAN

Back on duty on Monday hosting Super Scoreboard Duncan didn’t want to know.

Only a fool would think that he had no contact over the weekend with Collum.

Almost every SSB listener knows why a penalty wasn’t awarded. The answer lies in the Crown Bar Bellshill.

With the issue being avoided by the BBC and SSB the message is for everyone to move on.

This morning the SFA will publish the match officials for two rounds of Premiership fixtures.

It would be a surprise if Beaton isn’t involved in either Celtic’s match at Hibs or at home to Dundee.