NafisaThe controversy surrounding Celtic’s dramatic late penalty against Motherwell refuses to die down, and now SFA chief Willie Collum has reportedly delivered his verdict on the incident that has completely divided Scottish football.
Celtic secured a chaotic 3-2 victory at Fir Park on Wednesday night after Kelechi Iheanacho converted a 99th-minute penalty deep into stoppage time, a goal that massively shifted the Premiership title race heading into the final weekend of the season.
Motherwell had looked set to earn a crucial point after Liam Gordon’s late equaliser made it 2-2, while Hearts supporters across the country believed the title race was swinging firmly in their favour.
But the drama exploded moments later.
A long throw into the Motherwell box sparked confusion inside the area before Celtic defender Auston Trusty challenged Sam Nicholson for the loose ball. Referee John Beaton was then instructed by VAR to review a possible handball offence on the pitchside monitor.
After a short review, the referee pointed straight to the penalty spot.
The decision instantly triggered outrage from Motherwell players and Hearts fans, while social media erupted with debates over whether the ball had actually struck Nicholson’s arm or his head.
Several pundits also weighed in heavily against the call, with many arguing there was not enough clear evidence to overturn the original on-field decision.
However, despite the growing backlash, it now appears the Scottish FA are standing firmly behind both Beaton and the VAR team involved.
According to emerging reports surrounding internal discussions, SFA refereeing chief Willie Collum believes the officials followed the correct process under the current laws of the game and had enough justification to award the penalty after the review.
The key factor reportedly centred around Nicholson’s arm position during the challenge, with officials believing the arm was away from the body in an unnatural position as the ball travelled through the area.
Collum is also understood to support the intervention from VAR, believing the incident met the threshold required for an on-field review due to the potential handball offence occurring inside the penalty box during a decisive attacking phase.
The stance is unlikely to calm tensions across Scottish football.
Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou already described the decision as “one of the worst” he has seen in football, while Hearts manager Derek McInnes accused officials of producing another “disgusting” call during the title run-in.
Meanwhile, Celtic supporters have defended the officials and argued the laws clearly support the award once the arm position and contact are examined closely.
The decision now leaves Scottish football split straight down the middle ahead of the title decider at Celtic Park this weekend.
Instead of needing a huge swing on goal difference, Celtic now know a simple victory over Hearts would secure the Premiership crown once again.
Nafisa
