Scottish Soccer Affiliation chief of referees Willie Collum believes Celtic and Dundee United ought to have been awarded penalty kicks following VAR critiques in the beginning of the season.
Colum additionally criticized referee Matthew McDermid’s physique language earlier than Rangers striker Cyril Desers scored within the win over St Johnstone at Hampden Park final month.
Former referee Collum, who took cost of Scotland this summer time, defined a few of the large choices made throughout the first 4 weeks of the season in his new month-to-month present ‘The VAR Evaluation’ on the SFA YouTube channel.
He recalled the controversial incident at Celtic Park when Hoops ahead Kyogo Furuhashi touched the ball previous Robby McCrorie earlier than squaring off with Kilmarnock The goalkeepers collided.
Referee Don Robertson and the VAR official concluded that “the goalkeeper simply made himself greater”, however Collum stated: “We expect it was the mistaken determination. We’ve got guided the referee and the VAR officer {that a} penalty ought to have been awarded right here. .
“It was an sudden free-kick and the best way the ball was lower in was a shock to the referee, who struggled to search out an angle across the wall to get the proper view.”
“The Celtic participant was clearly forward and touched the ball previous the goalkeeper and we imagine the goalkeeper’s conduct was reckless. An off-field evaluate ought to have been requested and the referee requested to return to the monitor.”
Colum additionally highlighted the incident when referee David Dickinson denied Dundee United’s penalty declare after the ball struck Dundee defender Luke Graham on the arm.
“It was a handball miss,” Collum stated. “The ball got here from distant first, by means of the nook.
“The Dundee participant, when he jumped, his arms had been in an unnatural place and he did not collide along with his opponent.”
Collum additionally cleared away a controversial purpose for Rangers in opposition to St Johnstone when Desers scored after dispossessing Saints defender Jack Saunders.
Some gamers and head coach Craig Levine stated their defenders had been distracted by McDermid’s name for a Saints free kick.
Collum revealed {that a} recording confirmed that the referee didn’t blow his whistle earlier than the purpose.
“The referee most likely did not present good physique language right here,” Collum stated. “When he was challenged, his physique language was edging in the direction of the free-kick.
“However he delayed the whistle appropriately, he communicated it appropriately so VAR knew what he was going to do if a purpose was scored and when the ball hit the online he blew the whistle and he thought it was a one-time Defensive free company – Kick.
“VAR checked and realized there was no foul dedicated by the Rangers participant, in order that they beneficial an on-field evaluate.
“Other than the physique language, the proper course of was adopted and finally the proper determination was made.”
Sky Sports activities dwell protection of Scottish Premier League and SWPL
Sky Sports activities – From 2024/25, Sky Sports activities’ flagship channel will broadcast as much as 60 Scottish Premiership matches, together with Sky Sports activities Soccer and Sky Sports activities Predominant Occasion, in addition to a minimum of 5 SWPL matches.
Sky Sports activities Information – Scottish followers can watch Sky Sports activities Information (channel 409)’s rolling editorial protection of the Premier League and SWPL all season lengthy, 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.
sky sports activities numbers – Observe all the most recent from Scottish soccer on SkySports.com and the app, together with unique options and interviews, plus devoted dwell weblog protection, dwell match footage from Sky Sports activities and free highlights.
Sky Sports activities Social – Along with protection and visibility of the league throughout all of Sky Sports activities’ main social media channels, bespoke X Page @ScotlandSky will proceed to be the house of all Scottish soccer content material on Sky Sports activities.
Highlights—— Tune in each week for Sky Sports activities Soccer’s unique protection of Premier League matches.
Sky Sports activities is the house of home soccer within the UK and Eire, providing motion from the Scottish Premiership, Scottish Girls’s Premier League, Premier League, WSL, EFL and extra.
Get Sky Sports on WhatsApp!
Now you can begin receiving messages and alerts on the most recent breaking sports activities information, evaluation, in-depth options and movies from our devoted WhatsApp channel!