After Celtic scored their third goal of the evening last night, there was an outcry of injustice from ex-Celtic captain and now Aberdeen leader, Scott Brown, on the veracity of the offside call for Jota’s match winner. He and many others believed that Liel Abada obstructed the Dons’ defender David Bates in the build up to the finish that ultimately won the points during a difficult encounter.

However, another former Hoops icon and captain of the Club, Tom Boyd, has dismissed the claims made by Brown in the instance of the final Celtic goal at Pittodrie. During his co-commentary of the match with resident commentator Gerry McCulloch, Boyd was less than impressed with the way Brown surrounded the referee, Willie Collum to protest the goal.

“Well, Scott Brown has fouled Starfelt [and]that denied him getting the block out for the goal that got them back into the game,” Boyd noted as reported by Football Scotland. The former Scotland international was challenged by McCulloch on the Abada interference, but he abruptly replied: “Well so was Scott Brown. Two wrongs don’t make a right, Gerry. Starfelt had read that situation and Scott Brown was holding him back. He couldn’t get out to block the challenge.”

He added: “They can have no sense of injustice. If you talk about things being even over the course of the season, or even over the course of a game, that’s what has happened. There’s a foul from Scott Brown on Starfelt. It was the very same as Abada, so there we go.”

Admittedly, the goal for Aberdeen has not been forensically analysed yet, but if Boyd is correct then there really is nothing to complain about from the former Hoops skipper. Brown is a naturally competitive type and regardless, he was always going to remonstrate with the referee in this scenario. It’s partly the reason he is such a great leader; having that desire to never be beaten and spitting feathers if he is on the recieveing end of a defeat.

Although, with the denial of Jota’s free run on the Aberdeen goalkeeper in the first-half being called incorrectly for offside, it would seem as if justice has actually been served with the Jota goal last night. Celtic shouldn’t have allowed themselves to be put in that position, but even Brown must see we were a class apart from his side, with the greatest of respect to our club legend.

And of course the claim that Abada was actually standing in an offside position is debatable as well.

Paul Gillespie

Here are a few video from the back row at Pittodrie…watching Glasgow Celtic, putting on a show!

Here are the teams coming out…

“We’re at the Top of the League, looking down on the Rangers…”

We Shall Not be Moved…The Post Match Celtic celebrations…

Happy Hoops heading for the exits..

More Stories / Latest News
Spirit of ’86 looms over Hearts Scottish Premiership title hopes
Three teams, one title, no clue to who wins Scottish Premiership
28th April – Five Memorable Celtic Moments on This Day