GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 27: Referee Don Robertson during a William Hill Premiership match between Celtic and Hibernian at Celtic Park, on September 27, 2025, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Celtic should have been awarded a penalty in their 2-1 win over Hibs according to an official SFA publication.
With the match level at 1-1 Ben Nygren was pushed over in the penalty box by Josh Campbell.
The Hibs substitute used both hands to prevent the Swede cutting the ball back from the goal-line.
Referee David Dickinson and his assistant Calum Spence were both close to the incident. Liam Scales and Campbell were booked for squaring up but no action was taken for the foul on Nygren, play restarted with a goal-kick to Hibs.
SFA OFFICIALS FALL SHORT DESPITE VAR EQUIPMENT AND SKY SPORTS CAMERAS
Sky Sports replayed the incident once but there was no mention of the incident being checked over by Don Robertson and Duncan Nicolson on VAR duty.
Last night the SFA published their weekly KMI Panel report which noted:
The panel unanimously agreed that the on-field decision was incorrect. The panel highlighted VAR should have intervened to recommend an OFR and a penalty should have been awarded.
The KMI Panel is made up of former players, referees and pundits.
It is unusual for them to state that ‘VAR should have intervened’.
Two officials were paid to make those interventions, clubs pay heavily for VAR equipment.
Once VAR steps in it should be a fairly obvious outcome but VAR and the KMI Panel were in agreement that there was nothing wrong with Joe Newell’s goal.
John Collins CALLS OUT VAR For “BLATENT Penalty” Missed For #Celtic | Hibs 1-2 #Celtic (RonnieJ67) https://t.co/3sWxOtmLo3
— Celtic news now (@Celticnewsnow) May 3, 2026
The KMI Panel were in agreement with the two VAR interventions in the first half.
Firstly, after a pitch-side review Kieran McGrath’s yellow card for a foul on Alistair Johnston was upgraded to a red.
Then the offside call from Douglas Ross on Daizen Maeda’s goal was over-ruled.
Not many fans or pundits will be impressed by the decision to allow Newell’s goal to stand but the main issue will be the Nygren penalty call.
For two on pitch officials to miss it is bad. For VAR to not even review the incident is very difficult to explain.
The SFA have two rounds of fixtures left to appoint officials for.
So far there is nothing on their website for the fixtures on May 13 and 16.
Fans will be looking out to see if Dickinson and Robertson are involved in any of those matches after failing at Easter Road.
That was an easy call to make I watched it on sky why didn’t Sutton call it out on sky he just as bad as the rest of them. That’s 2 goal we could be to the good on that game with that handball decision, could be costly for us