GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - MARCH 30: Referee David Dickinson signals for a VAR check before awarding a penalty to Rangers during a cinch Premiership match between Rangers and Hibernian at Ibrox Stadium, on March 30, 2024, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Martin O’Neill has described two of Scotland’s top referees as absolutely crap!
A week ago there were a number of controversial decisions made during Celtic’s 2-1 win away to Hibs.
David Dickinson refereed the match with Don Robertson on VAR duty at Clydesdale House.
Dickinson has refereed 20 SPFL Premiership matches this season with Robertson in charge of two more.
When they aren’t on the pitch they tend to be in the VAR room.
Out of six Glasgow Derbies played this season Robertson has refereed two. Nick Walsh referees his second today with Steven McLean and John Beaton in charge of the others.
O’Neill said very little about the decisions at Easter Road after the match but there has been a flow of criticism through the week.
O’NEILL TIMES HIS CRITICISM OF DICKINSON AND ROBERTSON
In a Celtic TV interview on Wednesday he was critical of the decisions made.
At Friday’s broadcast media conference he called out assistant referee Douglas Ross for flagging for offside while four yards behind play.
That was one of two decisions overturned by VAR in the first half.
Celtic fans were angry about Joe Newell’s equaliser which appeared to strike his arm twice. In the second half a blatant push on Ben Nygren wasn’t checked by VAR.
O’Neill spoke separately to daily and Sunday newspapers on Friday afternoon. Later that day the KMI panel of the SFA ruled that a penalty should have been awarded for the push on Nygren.
O’Neill didn’t hold back when he was asked about the refereeing issues as he spoke to the Sunday papers.
The Sun reports the Celtic boss saying:
To tell you the truth, I thought they were pretty crap really.
I hadn’t realised how bad the foul was when the boy pushed Benjamin Nygren over.
It was a definite penalty.
At the Hibs goal, the boy admitted to everybody in the aftermath of the game that he handled it.
Now he’s wheedling out of it. He’s saying, ‘I’m not sure whether I handled it’.
Well, either you did or you didn’t.
But it looked pretty clear that there was a handball.
I spoke to Willie. I’ve never done this, honestly.
This time I made up my mind and phoned, just to see what his thoughts were on it.
If the referee had disallowed the goal for handball, then VAR couldn’t have overturned it.
But the push on Nygren was an absolute definite penalty.
People say, and I’m sure it is true, that it’s over the whole season.
But now that it’s got down to three games, or four games as it was in the time, you might as well try and get the decisions right if you can.
In normal circumstances O’Neill could be in line for a disciplinary charge from the SFA for those comments.
His tenure at Celtic officially has two weeks to go, ending with the Scottish Cup Final on May 23.
All eyes will be on Walsh at Celtic Park today with Beaton in charge of the VAR operation.
On Friday O’Neill also gave an interview to Sky Sports News which made no reference to the match against Hibs.
I’m fu**in DELIGHTED that Martin did this and thank you St.Martin as it could be the difference today…
But where the f*ck is the £17,000 wage thief…
Hang your spineless fu**in head Lucan !
I think “absolute crap” should be replaced by absolute cheats and I think that’s what MON meant but ‘understands’ you can’t do that in Scotland.
Walsh was an utter disgrace today so they, the LRA et al, know with our board they can kick sand in our faces day after day and escape any punishment. This was shown worldwide and ANYONE with integrity and a wee bit of knowledge of the game could see that Walsh was cheating. He broke up our play with giving ‘fouls’ every time one of that scum threw themselves down at 50/50 challenges. He booked 6 of us to 2 of ‘them’ despite ‘them’ being the aggressors. FFS, Celtic PLC just HAS to do something once the board is replaced by genuinely talented Tims and no more fukkin Irish (or any other) billionaires allowed any where near our special club.
“TAL” should be consigned to history and replaced with ‘OUR DAY IS NOW’ and hunt them board bastards out of Paradise.
Not Another Penny, Bin the Board, no more tory scum at CP.
It’s not for tomorrow, we go from a position of reasonable (thanks to MON and all) strength and get them tory bastards gone forever from OUR (the supporters’) Club.
OUR DAY IS NOW!