The other wrong call against Celtic that’s been overlooked

In the closing seconds of Celtic’s incident packed 4-3 win over Hearts at Tynecastle Liel Abada was flagged for offside – this is NOT the incident where the Israeli winger put the ball in the back of the Hearts net only for the flag to go up but no proof was ever provided that he was actually offside. This one was even more clear-cut and again Celtic deserve an explanation.

As a result of this decision Hearts were afforded one last throw of the dice, launching the ball into the Celtic penalty area where all VAR eyes would have been fully focussed looking for anything amiss that could have resulted in a third penalty against Celtic in the game.

Referee Nick Walsh signals a penalty to Hearts after consulting var during the cinch Premiership match at Tynecastle Park, Edinburgh. Picture Neil Hanna / Sportimage

Have a look at the offside decision for yourselves…

Kevin Barry here calls for an explanation from the Scottish FA, which he’ll never get. Remember last season when the Head of Referees in Scotland left the lodge to go on the radio to apologise for Kyogo’s goal against Hearts at Celtic Park being allowed to stand despite Sky TV looking at the goal from every angle and being unable to determine one way or the other if it was on or off?

So many corrupt decisions today that this was overlooked. 40 seconds over the allocated injury time this was flagged as offside so that Hearts could have one more chance to throw the ball into the box. The Scottish FA is beyond corrupt!

“Please explain how this could possibly be offside? Corruption beyond belief. Desperate to give Hearts a final chance to equalise……as if the officials and VAR hadn’t already done enough!” Kevin states.

Celtic chief executive Michael Nicholson (centre) Photo: Jeff Holmes

“That will always be the case until the Celtic board grow some balls and challenge SFA,” Des replied. Another added: “The evidence and stats are there, how hard can it be for UEFA to study favouritism for one team? At the hands of a request, surely to they’d need to look into it. Our officials should be vetted first and foremost, that common practice, every country does it bar SFA.”

And this: “It was done to give hearts a chance to get one last attempt to score there is no other explanation Celtic should speak out against this nonsense! I would love to know what explanation the linesman would give.”

Greg Taylor asked Nick Welsh why Celtic didn’t get a penalty just before the interval…

READ THIS...“The referee said the VAR said it was close to his body,” Greg Taylor

Chris Sutton on the decision not to award Celtic a penalty…

“I think a lot of Celtic fans would have issue with the incident just before half-time. It was James Forrest and Michael Smith. Steven McLean was the (VAR) referee. It looked like a penalty, and most people would say Michael Smith moved his hand towards the ball. Why did it take so long for the award of the Hearts penalty, where most people would says in real-time that it should have been a penalty? Then it took such a short space of time to rule out the Celtic one, when that looked an absolute stonewaller?” Chris Sutton told told BBC 606.

That’s the same Steven McLean who robbed Celtic of a treble…

No wonder Sandman was exceptionally angry in his Definitive Ratings last night, if you missed it, it’s a must read…

READ THIS…Sandman’s Definitive Ratings – Celtic at Gargoyle Grove

About Author

The Celtic Star founder and editor, who 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

9 Comments

  1. A theatre of cheating! The only reason the rangers complain about refereeing decisions is to make it look like tit for tat when we legitimately complain about them; its all a highly coordinated system of cheating to benefit one club, that club being the rangers!

    Well there’s that and the fact they can’t take being beaten by a club they see as their rivals despite having all these advantages; they’re the proverbial spoilt child club

    • OMG …. it doesn’t matter where his arm is in context to his body… the rules clearly state that any arm movement TOWARDS the ball is a penalty…

      HH

      • He turned his body away from the ball but left his arm out, so its a clear penalty, well, a clear penalty to anyone who doesn’t have an agenda

  2. Celtic …Denied a goal, a penalty, a clear corner and 2 clear throw-ins, with Jenz booked at the first opportunity, whilst several Hearts players kicked everything, but the ball and that was just the first half ….VAR..definitely as someone said, “Video Assisting Rangers ” technology.

    • Yeah i said that of VAR, Video Assisting *rangers, last week; no idea if i was the first to say it but i definitely won’t be the last!

      One weekend of VAR and its already obvious how it’s going to be used, to penalise Celtic & help *the rangers!

      Is there another country in Europe that has to deal with this level of obvious sporting corruption that favours one club!?

      They know no one can challenge them on it as they chastise and fine anyone who speaks the truth about their corruption, then they rinse and repeat the next week!

      Surely this is tantamount to match fixing!? …which makes is a huge UEFA problem given their stance on sporting integrity

  3. Rob O’Keeffe on

    The simple thing for the defender to do is put both of his arms behind his back when it looks like a cross is coming in so that the ref isn’t given the chance to make a decision.You see this from good defenders all over Europe.You just had to look at the defender to know he knew it was a certain penalty,except of course,it was Celtic who don’t get penalties despite being the most attacking team in Scottish football.

  4. I have to say. McLean has blatantly denied Celtic many decisions over the years in full view of 60,000 supporters and all the TV viewers. I really could never see him and his ilk having any difficulty, hiding in a room and nodding his thick skull from side to side, when acting as an additional VAR cheat Was always going to happen and will only get worse. Remember this is the first week and that was certainly no “teething problem” as their rhetoric goes.

  5. Yesterday’s performance by the match officials and their VAR mates must rank up there with the most biased I have witnessed in 60+ years of supporting the Hoops.
    Thankfully we had our scoring mojo back.
    The only answer.
    Hail Hail.