Former Celtic manager Ronny Deila was this week confirmed as the new head coach of MLS side Atlanta United as he gets ready to start a new chapter in a far travelled career…
Ronny had a couple of successful seasons in Glasgow, but left on sour terms due to the Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to theRangers at Hampden back in April, 2016.
The Scottish cup was the only trophy that eluded the Norwegian during his stay in Glasgow and one major reason for that was the club falling victim to one of the worst refereeing blunders ever seen in Scottish football.
The game in question was the Scottish cup semi final against Inverness Caledonian Thistle back in 2015 when Alan Muir (a man who’s been in the headlines this week) failed to call for a penalty kick for a blatant handball offence on the goal line despite being a goal line official!
It was a decision that shocked the whole of Europe as no one could quite understand how Muir (in particular) the referee and his two assistants failed to spot ICT defender Josh Meekings keep Leigh Griffiths goal bound effort out with his hand.
The correct decision should of course have been a spot-kick for Celtic who were leading 1-0 at the time, and a red card for Meekings.
We might not have scored, but we would have been on the front foot with a man advantage and would have very likely went on to win the game. Instead Inverness rallied and won the game 3-2 and advanced to the final where Falkirk would be their opponents.
That was a massive missed opportunity for Ronny to win a treble, and despite making our fair share of mistakes on the day it still rankles that we were the victims of such a horrendous ‘blunder’
It wasn’t enough to warrant a full scale investigation or demands of a replay, but it still hurt all the same, and I’m sure it’s something that still irritates Ronny to this very day.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
Celtic in the Thirties
We have been the victims of untold amount of cheating decisions, that have affected the outcome of many a game?
Yet things have hardly been any better since the introduction of VAR either?
Would be very confident that if a top 10 worst decisions made since VAR came into operation?
Then we would be the team been on the receiving end on the most occasions, and the scum would be the team that has benefited moreso than anyone else?
This is the factual pattern, and hardly one of coincidence either?
So nothing has really changed within Scottish football really, and very doubtful that it ever will either?
Be fair, it happened quickly and none of the officials could see it properly as they were too close, although everyone around me in the north stand about 80 yards from it saw it at once.
Hmm…..
I’m sure they were all great guys who will have been very disappointed, no , gutted at this mistake….