So it finished Motherwell 0 Celtic 0.
I have been playing organised football, that is, 11-a-side team matches, since I was 8 years of age but I must admit that occasionally, some of the incidents that occur on the field of play today utterly confuse me!
Now, I must confess to seeing very little of this game. My wife had been operated on last Friday for a knee problem and I had gone to visit her in hospital. On my way home, a couple of my children had phoned me – hands free of course – to ask how their Mum was doing.
So, when I eventually got back into the house, turned on the TV and sat down to watch the final few moments, I could see from the info provided that the match was tied at 0-0 but the fact that Motherwell had lost a man was not immediately apparent.
Within seconds, the ball was knocked up to Motherwell forward Curtis Main who, to my mind, was manhandled by Jack Hendry as he attempted to turn. The referee obviously did not think so and waved play on. To put it mildly, I was astonished. The Steelmen’s fans were furious, the Hoops supporters delighted. And a few moments later, the referee blew his whistle to end the match.
Would a VAR have made a difference? I do not think so. The man in charge obviously did not think that an offence had been committed so there would have been no reason for him to refer the incident upstairs. My worry is his judgement. In my mind, it was a blatant foul and before Celtic fans accuse me favouring the opposition, let me state my case.
It is crucially important that the correct decisions are made. There are times in a season when a Celtic forward will be similarly treated and what would their support think then.
I thought that the choice the referee made at Fir Park on Sunday was a wrong one! But I’m happy to take a point from the match rather than lose.
Jim Craig
