NafisaReferee John Beaton has reportedly addressed the explosive backlash surrounding Celtic’s controversial late penalty against Motherwell, with the experienced official understood to have privately defended the decision that has thrown Scottish football into chaos ahead of the Premiership title decider.
The dramatic incident at Fir Park has dominated headlines ever since Kelechi Iheanacho converted a 99th-minute spot kick to hand Celtic a massive 3-2 victory and keep their title hopes alive heading into Saturday’s showdown with Hearts at Parkhead.
But instead of the focus remaining purely on the title race, outrage over the penalty decision has completely overshadowed the football itself.
Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou branded the call “one of the worst decisions” he had ever seen, while Hearts manager Derek McInnes accused officials of gifting Celtic a huge advantage in the race for the title.
Rangers icon Kris Boyd also erupted live on television after the match, insisting there was “no way” the ball could have travelled the way it did if it had struck Sam Nicholson’s hand first.
Now, amid the growing storm, Beaton is believed to have stood firmly by the decision internally following discussions surrounding the incident.
The controversy began deep into stoppage time when Celtic defender Auston Trusty challenged Nicholson inside the box during one final attacking phase from the visitors.
VAR official Andrew Dallas quickly instructed Beaton to review the incident at the monitor after a possible handball was spotted during the aerial duel.
Following a brief review, Beaton pointed to the penalty spot, triggering wild celebrations from the Celtic players and furious reactions from Motherwell, Hearts and Rangers supporters watching on.
The decision immediately divided opinion across Scottish football.
Some pundits argued Nicholson’s arm was clearly raised in an unnatural position during contact with the ball, while others insisted replay angles strongly suggested the ball had instead struck the Motherwell winger’s head.
Former Hearts striker John Robertson admitted he could not understand how officials reached such certainty from the available footage, while Gary Lineker described it as potentially “the worst VAR decision” he had seen.
However, former Celtic striker Chris Sutton strongly defended Beaton and VAR, insisting the reaction had become “way over the top” simply because many people did not want to see Celtic win the title again.
Behind the scenes, sources close to the situation suggest officials remain convinced the correct protocol was followed during the review process despite the public outrage.
That has done little to calm the anger online.
Social media has exploded with accusations aimed at the SFA, VAR officials and the wider refereeing system in Scotland, with many supporters demanding the release of the full VAR audio and every available replay angle from the incident.
The pressure surrounding Beaton has now intensified massively ahead of the final day of the season, particularly with the title race hanging by a thread.
Celtic now know victory over Hearts at Celtic Park will secure another Scottish Premiership title, while anything else would hand the championship to the visitors.
But regardless of what happens on Saturday, the debate over Fir Park and Beaton’s late penalty decision looks certain to rage on long after the final whistle.
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