Scottish FA Panel – VAR Alan Muir wrong to disallow Maeda goal at Easter Road

The Scottish FA KMI Panel outcomes on key decisions in matches played last weekend has now been released and it covers Celtic’s trip to Easter Road last Saturday where a second Daizen goal in the game was disallowed due to a ‘factual’ intervention by Alan Muir on VAR duties…

Brendan Rodgers
Brendan Rodgers. Hibs v Celtic. 22 February 2025.Photo: Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Brendan Rodgers and the Celtic bench were adamant that the goal should have been awarded and that both the referee and linesman had made the correct on-field decision – a view that has been supported on a 4-1 basis by the panel members.

Brendan Rodgers suggested that Muir had simply guessed that the ball was out because it was impossible to determine one way of the other using the camera footage from the 18 yard line. The Celtic manager reckoned that the lineman had the best view of all and had kept his flag down, believing that the ball had remained in play.

Muir’s embarrassment was worsened the following day when Hibs Vlogger released footage from a much better touchline angle and from that it was impossible to say that the ball was out of play. It’s not known if that footage was viewed by the five members of the Scottish FA KMI Panel as it may have satisfied the one member who supported Muir’s guess work.

Curiously as we reported earlier Brendan Rodgers said today that he has NOT had a telephone call from Willie Collum but Dundee United have confirmed that the Head of Referees has called them about their own issues with the faltering VAR operation which seems to be floundering on low grade equipment and an even worse standard of personnel.

Here’s what the Scottish FA Panel Outcomes report. (PS they also said that Hibs should NOT have had a penalty).

The majority (4:1) of the panel deemed the on-field decision of goal to be correct. They felt the factual VAR intervention for the ball being out of play was incorrect. One panel member felt VAR was correct to intervene as they belived (sic) one of the angles showed the ball out of play.

Daizen Maeda scores
Photo: Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Alan Muir needed to have evidence to change the on-field decision and that was clearly not available to him. Brendan Rodgers said he had taken a guess and the Celtic manager has been shown to be 100% correct in that assessment. Muir’s position in the game is now untenable. It’s now up to Willie Collum to fire him once and for all.

Celtic should be getting the audio tape and Willie Collum should let us hear what was said in his VAR Review video.

Sign up and receive a free copy of Henrik Larsson new book…

Sign up and receive a free Henrik Larsson book!
Sign up for Weekly Lottery on Celtic Pools and receive a FREE copy of Henrik Larsson’s book!

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

6 Comments

  1. Christopher Quinn on

    Regardless of Var ,please let’s address the bigger issues at Celtic park
    Why are we allowing this disgraceful show of support for Hamas / Palestine
    As a Celtic fan I supportrd Celtic for 65 years and it’s now troubling me that whe I’m abroad or anywhere in UK that now rather than greet me happily when I’m wearing the Hoops I am villified because of the non entities from the north curve
    Who are disgraceful imposing their politics on the vast majority, PLEASE CELTIC GET RID AS WE DO NOT NEED THEM
    HAIL HAIL

    • The topic of conversation is a disallowed goal against Celtic , yet you manage to make it all about you AND bring Genocide into it … ? Are you serious ?

  2. The on-field referee did not have the guts to stand up to Muir who should have followed the rules and not interfered as there was no conclusive evidence that the ball was fully over the line. This is the rule. No interference unless there is unequivocal evidence against the on-field decision, which there was not! Muir guessed, or perhaps it was more sinister than that on his part. He seems to have past history for that.