HAMILTON, SCOTLAND - JANUARY 28: Head of Referee Operations Willie Collum during a William Hill Championship match between Hamilton Academical and Raith Rovers at the ZLX Stadium, on January 28, 2025, in Hamilton, Scotland. (Photo by Roddy Scott/SNS Group via Getty Images)
The actions of Dougie Potter in the Celtic v Falkirk match go against everything that Assistant Referees are trained to do.
Potter is regarded as one of Scotland’s top Assistant Referee’s, a familiar figure in Premiership matches. Trusted by Willie Collum.
As every frustrated fan knows an Assistant Referee raises his flag only once an incident is completed. Usually offside calls.
That instruction could result in an injury but in matches with VAR it ensures that the correct decision is arrived at. A factual decision, not a guess or wishful thinking.
As Cameron Carter-Vickers pinged a ball behind the Falkirk defence Camilo Duran held his run perfectly. Just behind the last defender.
The forward’s run panicked Scott Bain. The Falkirk ‘keeper wasn’t the only person spooked by Duran.
As Bain realised that he could end up handling the ball outside the penalty box panic set in with Potter.
With Duran in the process of turning to score Potter raised his flag. Wrongly.
Duran proceeded to put the ball in the net. Referee Chris Graham agreed with his Assistant as the stadium waited on a VAR decision.
Fortunately VAR got the decision right.
Potter was bang out of order. One of Scotland’s top Assistant Referees with Collum into his third year in his job as Head of Refereeing.
CAN POTTER BE TRUSTED IN FUTURE CELTIC MATCHES?
Why did he do something so clearly wrong, against his instructions, something that has been part of football for years.
Five years ago, pre VAR, Duran and Celtic would have been denied that opening goal against Falkirk.
Perhaps Potter was acting out of sympathy for David Roome who wrongly flagged against Daizen Maeda’s dramatic goal against Hearts in the 25/26 SPFL decider.
Potter was brought up in Dundonald Ayrshire and is now a Police Officer.
Watch the linesman
Only after Bain drops the ball,and it falls at the feet of Duran, does the linesman raise his flag for offside
I don’t particularly like VAR
But, that would be another, in a list of many goals that would have been chopped off https://t.co/AG4c3kRExD— Fraudulentsilverwarefreezone (@Paidallthebills) August 30, 2026
This isn’t the first time that VAR has been required to correct the over enthusiastic decisions of Potter.
In May 2025 he achieved a lifetime ambition when he was appointed to referee the Glasgow Derby at Ibrox. Waving his flag in front of the Govan Stand.
Although Celtic had already clinched the title there were still high stakes involved with Barry Ferguson desperate to become permanent manager.
During the first half Nico Raskin found the net with a header from a free kick. With play halted it should have been an easy decision for Potter to make, raise his flag once the ball is in the net then wait on the VAR decision coming through.
Potter failed to notice that the Ibrox midfielder was offside. VAR correctly disallowed the ‘goal’.
It was frenetic. Another set-play looked to have undone the visitors when James Tavernier’s deep cross was met by Raskin and his header crept home. Celebrations were curtailed by a VAR check that deemed him just offside.
In the second half Potter was sharper with his flag as Celtic attacked his end of the pitch.
When Adam Idah found the net in the 57th minute Potter raised his flag for offside.
Daizen Maeda had raced down the left. The ball eventually fell to Idah, who turned brilliantly and slammed it home via a deflection.
The drama continued as that was called offside, only to be overturned as Maeda was not interfering with Kelly’s view as the ball hit the net, despite being offside.
Apparently he could see that Daizen Maeda was interfering with the vision of Kelly. He wasn’t.
Thankfully VAR corrected the on-pitch decision.
I was surprised the goal was given because I think the referee blew his whistle before the ball crossed the line and I think under those circumstances VAR cannot intervene.
I welcomed VAR and I still welcome it. We would never have won the league last year without it. I’m not thinking of the match at Fir Park but Hibs at Easter Road where we had a goal wrongly chalked off by Douglas Ross and yellow card upgraded to red. We should have had another penalty in the same match for the foul on Johnston. Then the final game of last season against Hearts we had another goal wrongly chalked off.
In the past commentators would have given childish sniggers and used the “honest mistakes” get out phrase.
Perhaps the guy from Celtic by Numbers could look at the amount of points we would have lost last season if VAR had not existed. While we are not the only team affected by this incompetence, or whatever nameyou want to give it, but we seem to be the one most negatively impacted by incorrect calls.
Back to yesterday’s game and people calling out the performance of sevco,Derek Ferguson is all excited about the win and will take that style if play al day long.
Another win,again from a penalty,they ain’t always going to get them for the win.
Didn’t see wee midget baws on the park or hear his name get a mention,was he on the park,or are they taking no more chances incase he gets injured and F***S up more millions.
That was just another example of why not one referee or assistant referee was deemed good enough to be selected for the officiating pool at this past Summer’s World Cup where the guys who did get selected could not push a pin into a cork planning board ! A bunch of officials who were so ridiculously bad at their jobs at the biggest gig on the football planet …yet nobody from Scotland was invited to the party because they were deemed third rate at best by FIFA . If it’s not lack of VAR camera angles …or decisions being made by VAR from angles 50 yards off the play then it’s the referees and assistants who are evidently not up to doing the jobs either . Combined with Scottish team’s being found out again in Europe as being third rate also ….it’s not a very good overall look ..is it ? No matter how the SMSM still dress it all up and regard their pet project as being ‘superior’ and the establishment clumpany !