Celtic fans were left fuming earlier in November when Daizen Maeda was denied a penalty during their clash with Motherwell, even after VAR reviewed the incident. Maeda, who appeared to be bundled over in the box, inadvertently handled the ball as he fell, leading to the goal being disallowed. However, the more pressing issue was the decision not to award a penalty for the challenge itself.
Now, with transparency introduced by the Scottish FA and new head of referees Willie Collum, they have addressed the situation.
Collum’s Analysis of the Incident
Speaking on the matter, Collum outlined why the decision should have gone in Celtic’s favour, stating:
“For us, this is not normal contact. We think the Celtic attacker is more ahead of the Motherwell defender. We think that is an arm movement by the Motherwell defender and also then causes a collision in the ground as well by the legs as well as the arm.” he told the Scottish VAR Review.
Collum explained that the incident warranted a penalty kick and that VAR should have instructed the on-field referee to review the footage. He stressed that both the arm movement and the subsequent tangle of legs contributed to the foul, leaving no room for ambiguity.
VAR’s Role and Inconsistencies
Collum also criticised the inconsistency in decision-making across the board, highlighting the subjective nature of what constitutes “normal contact.” He urged referees to be clearer in their reasoning to help VAR focus on the decisive aspects of incidents.
“We think this should be a penalty kick. We want the referee to be brought to on-field review to award a penalty kick here.”
By ignoring the arm movement and the attacker’s positional advantage, the VAR team failed to assess the incident accurately, which Collum admitted should never have been dismissed so lightly.
A Frustrating Error
While the decision didn’t affect the match’s outcome, it serves as another example of VAR failing to deliver consistency in Scottish football. Celtic fans will take little solace in the admission of error, but Collum’s candid review provides a glimmer of hope that such mistakes might be reduced in the future..
