NafisaCeltic seem to have delivered the final response to Wednesday night’s VAR controversy after publishing new behind-the-goal footage of the late penalty incident against Motherwell.
The Premiership title race was plunged into turmoil at Fir Park when referee John Beaton awarded Celtic a stoppage-time penalty following a VAR review deep into injury time.
Kelechi Iheanacho then converted from the spot to secure a huge 3-2 victory for Celtic, leaving the title race entirely in their own control heading into Saturday’s showdown with Hearts at Celtic Park.
Since then, discussion surrounding the decision has dominated Scottish football.
Kris Boyd, Derek McInnes and the Foundation of Hearts all challenged the award, while social media spent most of Thursday debating whether Sam Nicholson actually handled the ball during his aerial duel with Auston Trusty inside the penalty area.
Now Celtic have shared fresh footage from directly behind the goal which appears to show the ball clearly making contact with Nicholson’s raised hand before deflecting away.
The angle is considerably clearer than the original television replays shown during the live broadcast and has rapidly circulated online among supporters.
From that perspective, it becomes easier to understand why VAR instructed John Beaton to examine the incident on the monitor.
The main complaint from those against the decision had been uncertainty over whether the ball touched Nicholson’s hand at all. The new footage appears to eliminate much of that uncertainty.
Nicholson’s arm is also positioned above shoulder height as he competes with Trusty in the air, which was another major factor behind the referee eventually awarding the penalty.
The response online has predictably been intense once again.
Some rival supporters still argue Nicholson could do little about his arm placement because of the physical tussle with Trusty. Others now accept the ball did hit his hand but disagree with how the law itself has been interpreted.
From Celtic’s perspective, though, the release of the footage feels intentional.
The club had remained largely silent publicly while criticism around the decision intensified over the previous 24 hours. Rather than directly entering the wider argument, the footage appears to speak for itself.
It also arrives at a moment when scrutiny around officiating has increased ahead of Saturday’s title decider.
Hearts manager Derek McInnes strongly criticised the award following Wednesday’s fixtures, while the Foundation of Hearts later issued a statement expressing concerns regarding recent VAR decisions.
Celtic now head into the final day knowing victory over Hearts will secure the title.
And after an entire day dominated by arguments surrounding the penalty, the club may believe the latest footage finally settles at least part of the debate.
Nafisa
