Celtic penalty awarded at Motherwell: Referee wrong to award match-winning spot-kick after VAR check, rules SFA panel | football news

The Scottish FA’s Key Match Events (KMI) panel has ruled that the match-winning penalty at Motherwell last week that ruined Hearts’ title hopes should not have been awarded.

William Hill’s finish to the Premiership campaign was mired in controversy as the Hoops were awarded a spot-kick in a 2-2 draw at Fir Park.

VAR Andrew Dallas intervened to warn match referee John Beaton that Motherwell winger Sam Nicholson had touched the ball with his hand, while challenging Celtic defender Auston Trusty in the air.

Referee John Beaton, after watching the pitchside monitor for about 20 seconds, pointed to the spot and Kelechi Iheanacho duly scored in the 99th minute to secure a 3-2 win for the Hoops.

The result meant that Celtic only needed to lose by any score on the final day to secure the title, while they needed a three-goal win to win when their match at Motherwell finished all square.

What was the response?

Reaction to the spot-kick award was violent and widespread, with Hearts boss Derek McInnes calling it “disgusting” and Motherwell player Elliott Watt saying it was “the worst VAR decision in history”.

It’s no surprise that the two bosses battling for the title had opposing views, as Celtic manager Martin O’Neill said the decision “seems to be a pretty clean cut” and added, “He gave it for the handball and there’s an elbow on top of that”.

Beaton was placed under police protection last week after his personal information was leaked online.

The KMI panel today confirmed that the referee’s initial decision not to award a penalty and the resulting VAR intervention were wrong.

It was the second huge decision to go against Hearts in the closing rounds of the match which the KMI panel later deemed wrong when Steven McLean controversially stuck to an early decision not to give the Jambos a spot-kick away to Motherwell, with the match tied 1–1, although VAR saw Greg Atikenanda pull off the triad for Teven Alexander. Maswanhise.

The Jambos finished two points behind Celtic, with these two calls ultimately having a huge impact on the title race.

The refereeing body was hit by the misconduct of the officials

The Scottish Senior Football Referees Association, meanwhile, last month condemned the “grossly disproportionate” investigation into match officials.

“The SSFRA stands firmly by our colleagues following the totally unacceptable response to the recent referee’s decision,” a statement released on Friday said.

“Irresponsible comments by some managers, clubs and sections of the media have only added fuel to an already toxic environment.

“No referee should be subjected to this abuse, intimidation, threats or disclosure of personal information in the performance of their duties. This type of behavior has no place in Scottish football or society generally.

“Referees play a difficult role in an intensely demanding environment and deserve the same respect and protection as everyone else in the game. Scottish football cannot thrive in an environment where referees are subjected to personal attacks for making decisions in the course of their duties.

“If this behavior continues, we will reserve all options open to us.”