“Coincidence is the word we use when we can’t see the levers and pulleys”. Emma Bull
Moritz Bauer and Ryan Christie are both scratching their heads today. Both are mystified as to how they weren’t awarded penalty kicks when fouled in the box in Celtic’s 1-1 draw against Hibs at Easter Road yesterday.
Let’s clear the mystery up for both of them. They are ‘Honest Mistakes’ lads. It’s simply a coincidence that Celtic get more than their fair share of these baffling decisions.
Ryan himself must be thinking the world is conspiring against him. Booked against Kilmarnock for simulation despite being clearly fouled, this right on the back of being denied the clearest penalty you are ever likely to see the Thursday prior, against Rennes in the UEFA Cup and then onto yesterday’s head scratcher.
Ryan had his own say on it all: “I’ve seen it back and I think it is a stonewall penalty, It is frustrating because, at that point, we were very much on top in the match.
“I think it is probably because I got a cross away that the referee didn’t give it. They seem to just try to play on, but, for me, it is a definite penalty. I think everyone can see that,” Christie said, as reported by The Celtic Star this morning.
See that? The lad is trying to work it out. He is looking for a reasoned rational for the obvious being denied. Maybe indeed it was because he played on and tried to cross the ball, except it wasn’t and we know that. It isn’t even a justified reason when the referee is supposed to be up to speed on advantage rules. He could easily have brought the play back but somewhat conveniently he chose not to.
The Ryan Christie booking against Killie was possibly the worst I’d seen in some time until I witnessed Scott Brown being booked for a ‘foul’ on Scott Allan yesterday lunchtime. Now that was simulation Mr Clancy and that was right in front of you too.
While the rest of the footballing world is expected to explain their decisions in incredible detail, usually live on TV and when emotions run high, Scottish referees hide. No scrutiny, no accountability.
Moritz was also perplexed he didn’t get his penalty. He was interviewed on Celtic TV. His own assessment was clear. ‘He doesn’t touch the ball, he’s only going for the man’. Ah Moritz I’m afraid it doesn’t quite work out like that in Scotland. You’ll be learning that fast enough.
One could be a Mistake. In my own opinion two looks like ineptitude or wanton avoidance.
There is a pattern starting to appear already this season. We have also been denied stonewall penalties against Dunfermline in the League Cup at Celtic Park and again against Kilmarnock. Both blatant handballs before or after the rule changes on interpreting a deliberate act came into force.
There are no excuses. It is all too convenient. Add in the inexplicable penalties the officials have awarded against us versus Killie and Hearts and it’s like they are trying to outdo each other. Maybe they all meet up in The Crown Bar in Bellshill for a pint and to compare and contrast their interventions.
It is of course possible we’ve got the green tinted specs on here. However BBC also seemed to be a little bemused by the decision making. Michael Stewart the Sportscene analyst was covering the game for radio with BBC Sportsound.
Firstly on the Christie incident he said “Lewis Stevenson has got away with one there, he’s very lucky. He shouldn’t have gone in there. He didn’t need to commit, he could’ve blocked it without making a lunging tackle.”
Then on the Moritz Bauer incident the neutral Stewart piled in with this stinging assessment of not just the referee but all the officials. “That’s another one. It looks a penalty to me. You could see it happening before it did. Horgan dangles his right leg and to me, he runs a massive risk.
“It’s been a poor afternoon for the officials. They’re giving things that shouldn’t be given and not awarding other things. It’s not just Kevin Clancy, it’s all the officials. We can see these decisions from the stands.”
Given those comments it is fairly clear it isn’t just the paranoid rambling of the Celtic support seeing what we see. It’s a bit of a surprise to the neutral observer as well.
All that aside yesterday was a day when it shouldn’t have mattered. In fact every week, if the evidence seen to date holds firm and for the rest of the season will be down to us. We’ll have to rise above it all.
Both teams had chances in the final stages on Saturday but it was the Hoops in particular who had the best of the opportunities it would have been enough as per recent weeks to make referee influence redundant.
Odsonne Edouard flashed a header just over when he should have got it on target. Vakoun Bayo fashioned himself a brilliant opportunity only to lose a touch of composure when pulling the trigger. Jonny Hayes and Scott Brown had their own sights of goal but lost their bearings at crucial times. Callum McGregor also fell short he couldn’t quite get a chance out from under his feet. On another day one or more of those end up in the back of the net.
The main thing is we keep playing well, the chances are being made. It is not as if we’re plodding through games bereft of creativity or opportunity. We just ran out of luck yesterday nothing more and nothing less. On our side at least.
A final comment from me at least on the officiating. It is only September. The clocks haven’t even gone back. If previous refereeing performances are anything to go by Celtic are in for a long and frustrating winter at the hands of our impartial referees. We are however good enough and creative enough to leave their interventions meaningless over the course of a season. We do have to get smarter though and we do have to question rather than meekly accept.
Anyone who is a regular reader or contributor to the Celtic Noise site will know of Sandman, also a star turn on The Celtic Star of course. I could try and wax lyrical on our lack of fighting our own corner but why try and reinvent the wheel. I’ll leave the last word to him. He puts it far more succinctly than I ever could.
“At the FIRST denied penalty EVERY SINGLE CELTIC PLAYER who was NOT on a yellow should have been in Clancy’s face, pointing out his error. The fact we were NOT only made his call on the second claim easier to defy us.
We need to work on this – they blatantly flaunted the rules of football to favour Celtic’s opponents – something many, many of us have postulated upon pre-season and are now witnessing come to pass.
So stop it. So stop it, Celtic. Wise up to the FACT they will defy your every legitimate move upon the pitch to aid their corrupt institutional bias. Call it out at every moment. If we want NINE, this is the only method to succeed. Get down and dirty as they want, kill them in the pit of their own despair. Make no mistake – yesterday was a taster of mendacious things to come”.
Niall J
ALSO ON THE CELTIC STAR…
Both Stonewallers! Christie and Bauer call out Clancy for his Honest Mistakes…see HERE.
‘Lawwell’s step towards mediocrity – Celtic’s European star is descending,’ Niall J…see HERE.
Sandman’s Definitive Ratings – ‘Clancy Moments’ on Easter Island…see HERE.
Post Match Reaction – ‘Bad day, still top, we move on’, ‘Blame the poor refereeing, two stonewall penalties’…see HERE.
‘Title Winners make their own luck,’ David Potter…see HERE.
Hibs 1 Celtic 1 – Bhoys Pay the Penalty for Clancy’s Honest Mistakes…see HERE.
Glasgow Derby and Bank Holiday weekend feels????
Rangers 0-6 Celtic ????@kenzibrownx @DarcyMolley pic.twitter.com/1imN4UEcYA— CelticFCWomen (@CelticFCWomen) September 29, 2019
