If Celtic had not stepped up their performance in the second half against Livingston on Sunday, another controversy involving refereeing and VAR could have easily dominated the headlines in Scottish football.
Kyogo Furuhashi appeared to have been brought down by Mikey Devlin in the penalty box just before halftime, but referee Don Robertson did not make the call. Despite clear replays showing the foul, the VAR team at Clydesdale House did not intervene to prompt Robertson to review the incident.
Luckily for Celtic, this decision did not cost them as they scored three goals in the second half to secure the victory and reclaim the top spot in the Scottish Premiership.
However, the consistent errors by referees in Scotland when it comes to crucial decisions that could impact the title race remain frustrating. BBC Sportscene pundit Michael Stewart expressed surprise at the lack of intervention from VAR on the potential penalty incident.
Stewart pointed out the clear contact in the last angle replay, stating it should have been a penalty kick. He criticized the speed at which VAR dismissed the incident without a thorough review.
Stewart’s analysis was echoed by other pundits such as Chris Sutton and Robert Snodgrass, with the exception of Kris Boyd, who took a different stance. Kenny Dalglish also criticized the Scottish FA, suggesting they focus on their own issues before commenting on managers like Brendan Rodgers.
With the upcoming derby match against Rangers at Ibrox looming, the hope is that controversial refereeing decisions do not play a role in determining the outcome.
