Reticence is no longer an option as SFA go to war with Celtic

As expected Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has been charged by the Scottish FA, following his post-match comments at Tynecastle on Sunday after Celtic’s 2-0 defeat against Hearts.

The hearing is set for 28 March and this sets Rodgers on course to have to sit out the Glasgow Derby at Ibrox on 6 April. Celtic will defend the manager to the hilt on this one and the one good thing to come out of this is that at long last Celtic is maybe prepared to take on the Scottish FA on their bias and favouritism towards the various clubs playing out of Ibrox.

If Brendan is found guilty as charged then he is likely to miss the away games against Livingston at the end of the month then the vital trip to Ibrox a week later. The Scottish FA yesterday threw out the Celtic appeal against the Yang red card after John Beaton’s intervention to re-referee the game. The player will now sit out two matches as the Scottish FA go to war with Celtic.

Heart of Midlothian v Celtic –  Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers following the cinch Premiership match at Tynecastle  Sunday March 3, 2024. Photo Andrew Milligan

And it’s about time we took the fight to them, Celtic. Maybe start by linking the different treatment that they seem to have for theRangers with the Scottish FA’s Five Way Agreement – maybe Peter Lawwell the Celtic chairman should actually read it, as he continually denies knowing anything about it. We all know that you know, Peter.

Celtic softly, softly approach has got us nowhere. And this is going to lead to the Celtic manager not being anywhere near his players in the build-up to kick-off up to well after the game is finished in the Ibrox Glasgow Derby in April. TheRangers supporting John Beaton has really hit the jackpot with this one, despite no-one at all backing his call to manufacture a penalty for Hearts on Sunday.

Here’s what the Scottish FA is charging the Celtic manager with…

Brendan Rodgers Notice of Complaint

Disciplinary Rule allegedly breached: Disciplinary Rule 72

“No recognised football body, club, official, Team Official or other member of Team Staff, player or other person under the jurisdiction of the Scottish FA, shall in an interview, a ‘blog’ on the internet, on a social networking or micro-blogging site, or in any other manner calculated or likely to lead to publicity (i) criticise the Decision(s) and/or performance(s) of any or all match official(s) in such a way as to indicate bias or incompetence on the part of such match official; or (ii) make remarks about such match official(s) which impinge on his character. For the avoidance of doubt this Rule applies (i) whether reported to the Scottish FA by a match official for Misconduct or otherwise, and (ii) where remarks are brought to the Scottish FA’s attention, or of which the Scottish FA becomes aware, by whatever manner or means. There shall be a presumption that any material published in such manner was published in the name of and/or with the authority of the person or body bearing to have published the material.”

Heart of Midlothian v Celtic – Greg Taylor and Cameron Carter-Vickers speak with match referee Don Robertson after he awards a penalty to Heart of Midlothian during the cinch Premiership match at Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh. Picture date: Sunday March 3, 2024. Photo Andrew Milligan

After theRangers supporter, John Beaton sent the referee Don Robertson to look at his monitor after initially issuing Yang with a yellow card and after Robertson – like everyone else watching the game – saw nothing of note in the Tomoki Iwata jump. So instead of Celtic getting a yellow card for Yang with was changed to a red and also a penalty on top.

Brendan Rodgers called out Beaton and not a single said was incorrect yet these people will protect theRangers supporter John Beaton but will instead go after Rodgers.

Here’s a reminder of what Brendan said:

“I try to respect decisions and give the benefit of the doubt. But I think when I see that level of incompetence, which is the only word I can use, then that makes me worry for the game. In such a tight title that can make the difference. I also think that VAR is not the problem here. That’s clear. It’s competence.

“The first one is the sending off when there is no force. Show a still image of that and of course and you will see a foot up with the head near it, but it’s not the reality of the move. Don got it actually right on the field. It was a high boot, so it’s a yellow card – no malice or force.

“For John Beaton to actually look at that in VAR, supposedly under no pressure, and say that was sending off? I find that incredible.

“The second one is WORSE. If you have a penalty go against you for that then there will be penalties every single weekend and midweek.”

Celtic Chairman Peter Lawwell and Chief Executive Michael Nicholson in the directors box. Celtic v Kilmarnock, Cinch Scottish Premiership, 17 February 2024. Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock

Michael Nicholson, Celtic’s CEO is a lawyer to profession and is well versed in the rules of the game. He is about to have his biggest test as the Celtic CEO. In truth this is a confrontation that was always going to happen, but Celtic have been reluctant to engage.

John Beaton – Photo Malcolm Mackenzie PSI

That’s reticence is no longer an option as the Scottish FA have launched their own attack on Celtic, through John Beaton, their panel and their compliance officer who must have been away on holiday when Clement was screaming blue murder at Christmas because he never got a penalty that was offside anyway.

About Author

The Celtic Star founder and editor David Faulds has edited numerous Celtic books over the past decade or so including several from Lisbon Lions, Willie Wallace, Tommy Gemmell and Jim Craig. Earliest Celtic memories include a win over East Fife at Celtic Park and the 4-1 League Cup loss to Partick Thistle as a 6 year old. Best game? Easy 4-2, 1979 when Ten Men Won the League. Email editor@thecelticstar.co.uk

12 Comments

  1. This pre-planned corruption is designed to not only cost Celtic £40M, ot is also equally designed to provide the same £40M to the establishment club founded in 2012. This new club is afforded the same corrupt support as the now extinct club were, ironically the club who became extinct because THEY were caught out by several government agencies as being corrupt themselves!
    Unfortunately, John Beaton has the ability to be the best referee in the country. But when it comes to the sharp end of the season, if his club have any hope, he is blinded by his aprons!
    The SFA are no different today than they have always been, yet still they wonder why our game is laughed at throughout the world.
    So one corrupt ref is allowed to blatantly cheat his way through for even the most bigoted pundits to be embarrassed at him, as long as his team was not hurt on the weekend.

  2. Did they go to war with the Huns when the hills have eyes had a go at the ref after the last derby match??

  3. Doesn’t matter if Brendon right or wrong with his opinion the rules state that he can’t call into question the competence or incompetence of match officials. I think he’s working his ticket to get out and go back south

    • Wasn’t Clement that commented about Gollum it was their board
      He said he would not have commented

  4. John Feggans on

    TheRangers punishment after Clements rant about Willie Collum is to give him what he wanted despite saying the contrary, Collum hasnt been near a theRangers league game since, as for Cheatin Beaton his ‘reward’ is a trip to Pittodrie in the Scottish Cup this weekend.

    Celtic need to make a stand on this ruling as it protects incompent and biased officials

    • The rules state that you can’t call a match official incompetent
      On sky sports he called Beaton incompetent
      That he is but you are not allowed to call an official that
      Black and white
      He goes on to bbc and questions his competency twice
      He is setting up a narrative so he can walk away again
      Judas

  5. Rabbie Burns on

    The double standards and hypocrisy from theRangers, the Masonic refs & the SFA are out in the open now. The cheating is not even being hidden, we are in a new world, a new normal left by brazen liars like Trump & Boris Johnson where the bigger the lies the better.
    We cannot stand for this any longer.
    The club has to fight it and the fans have to make their voices heard now too. We’ve been cheated for far too long & VAR has made it even worse/ easier for them to cheat.

    • Always an outburst when not winning
      When trebles are win it is just poor officials
      When loosing its cause being cheated

  6. Patrick Cullen on

    only in scotland can people like the sfa and the spfl get away with lying and cheating, their baw as they say,when will we call them out for what they are,

  7. You can be sure Beaton and his corrupt mates will try their best to give Kilmarnock every possible chance to knock out Aberdeen just in case rangers get a home draw against Aberdeen who will be harder to beat

  8. That rent-a-ref Dimwit Gallagher, says the key decisions were all correct. His rationale for the Hearts penalty being called correctly was that the referees in Scotland have consistently applied harsh rulings on handball. Well he’s clearly missed Goldson’s basketball demonstrations for a start and anyone who thinks that was a penalty knows SFA about the game, unbelievable.