KILMARNOCK, SCOTLAND - FEBRUARY 26: Referee Don Robertson during a William Hill Premiership match between Kilmarnock and Rangers at the BBSP Stadium Rugby Park, on February 26, 2025, in Kilmarnock, Scotland. (Photo by Alan Harvey/SNS Group via Getty Images)
John Collins has called on the SFA to sack the VAR team on duty at Easter Road today. That consists of Don Robertson and assistant VAR Duncan Nicolson.
There were a number of puzzling decisions, the most critical being allowing the Hibs goal to stand.
Joe Newell used his arm twice before shooting past Vil Sinisalo in first half stoppage time.
Over two minutes was spent reviewing the incident. Using Sky Sports and VAR cameras before deciding that Newell hadn’t used his arm.
Early in the second half there was another flashpoint.
As Celtic opened Hibs up down the right flank Ben Nygren burst towards the bye-line.
DON ROBERTSON WATCHES AND DECIDES TO DO NOTHING
Josh Campbell tried initially to obstruct the Celtic midfielder. When that didn’t work he just used both hands to push Nygren off the pitch.
Referee David Dickinson had a clear view of it. As did his assistant, Callum Spence. Both bottled out of it as players squared up.
While Campbell and Liam Scales were being booked there was adequate time for a VAR Review. Sky Sports never mentioned that a review was being carried out.
There is not a world where this shouldn’t be a penalty ???
A decision like this could be the difference between winning or losing a title, crazy. pic.twitter.com/PQzqMgETms
— Everything Celtic (@aboutceltic) May 3, 2026
Listening to BBC Sportsound The Sun reports Collins saying:
I’ve just watched that on the screen.
If the VAR have not given that as a penalty, then every single one of them involved should be sacked.
It’s an absolute shambles.
That level of decision making was in keeping with the rest of the game.
Out of 180 officials involved in 104 matches at the World Cup none are from the SFA.
Had the Hibs goal been correctly disallowed and Celtic awarded and scoring a penalty the SPFL table would look very different tonight.
Hearts are ahead of Celtic with a goal difference four better off.
Had Celtic won 3-0 that gap would have been halved.
Football is often described as a game of small margins.
This season’s SPFL Premiership title race is incredibly tight.
After matchday 38 it could well be decisions made by Robertson today that decides the destiny of the SPFL Premiership title.
Should Celtic demand the removal of Don Robertson from all matches?
YES- He took things too far against Hibs
NO- He made mistakes but is a top referee
Until the day the fans and TV viewers are allowed to hear the dialogue between referees and VAR nodding dogs on all contentious decisions we are in for plenty more for the same ! It works beautifully in Rugby Union which enhances the overall product of the game but our authorities are still reading’ Troglodytes – the original cave dwellers books …’ as a guide ! It’s almost like a secret society meeting with the officials ? Tickly handshakes and facial expressions . A nod is as good as a wink to a blind bat … and all that stuff ! Monty Python lives on .
It is basic corruption.
We ALL know this.
Our club must immediately request that both VAR officials are suspended and are not allowed to officiate in any more games this season and the SFA following up by announcing that this is setting an example that “Honestly, honest mistakes” will no longer be tolerated.
HH
They know they can get away with it because our £1 million a year CEO is a mute
Why do u think the big push came to get rid of Mikey ?
He would have called that out all day long including any convo being had by VAR.
Wait till the morra….u ain’t seen nothing yet.
Canny wait to hear wee Deek crying like a baby…tbf….it’s gotta be better than his singing.
Glad of Collins comments…
But – Why Collins who as far as I know isn’t employed in a senior role at Celtic…
Where’s Martin on this…
Where the fu*k is Lucan on it !
This is all on our board with their refusal to complain about cheating, FFS we had 10 years of EBT cheating and they sat on their hands.
Not
Another
Penny
Martin doesn’t get a pass on this . He should have called these 4 incidents out .