Celtic have written to the SFA to seek clarification over the awarding of the second-half penalty in Sunday’s Glasgow Derby. With Celtic 2-0 up, John Beaton was instructed by VAR to consult the monitor and after reviewing the footage he was shown, decided to give the spot kick, which James Tavernier duly scored from.
The penalty appeared to spark a revival for Rangers, who equalised before Celtic pulled ahead again only to be pegged back by a wonderful strike from Rabbi Matondo. Nevertheless, Celtic are in a good position in their pursuit for their third successive title.
The penalty decision will, however, remain a talking point as Celtic seek clarity over why the penalty was awarded. It is worth comparing and contrasting the decision from Beaton to reward Fabio Silva for going to ground with the penalty shout that was not upheld from Celtic earlier this season.
The penalty was given after a VAR check for a foul by Alistair Johnston on Fábio Silva after the Rangers man had initially been booked for simulation. Your thoughts? ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/IXIzHIuiYn
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) April 7, 2024
Back in August as Celtic exited the League Cup away to Kilmarnock, there was an injury time flashpoint as Sead Haksabanovic appeared to be fouled in the box by Lewis Mayo but neither the referee nor VAR pointed to the spot.
There was an outcry from the Celtic players on the pitch and those behind the goal as they pleaded with Alan Muir to point to the spot. Replays indicated that Mayo caught Haksabanovic’s right foot and the expectation was that Don Robertson would tell Muir about this, prompting a check on the monitor at the side of the pitch. Remarkably, it was not given.
Say what you want but Rangers get this every single day of the week. No debate. Stonewall penalty. pic.twitter.com/vAmvNnePR8
— CelticLisboa (@CelticLisboaa) August 20, 2023
In one scenario it is a penalty while in the other it is not, without getting into the fact that Alistair Johnston gets the ball. Had the penalty call been at the other end, would Celtic have received the penalty or would the Ibrox crowd have successfully got into the ear of the officials?
The title race is in Celtic’s hands and Brendan and the team will be determined to string a run of six wins on the bounce, including the reverse fixture against Rangers after the split takes place. In the remaining six league games, Celtic will have four home games and two away games while Rangers will have five away games and two at Ibrox.
Yes Celtic have been cheated by officails and have the right to here and see the pictures Kilmarnock could have kept us in the cup it’s so blatant by four officails every goal Celtic score gets checked and re checked looking for anything to chop it of