In the aftermath of Celtic’s match against St Mirren on Saturday, former referees Des Roache and Steve Conroy are calling for Celtic midfielder Reo Hatate to face a two-game suspension for what they perceived as a dive during the game.
The incident, which occurred in the 18-yard box, did not result in a penalty as the referee chose not to award one, waving play on instead.
The call for retrospective action was voiced through a tweet from the Behind the Whistles podcast account, managed by Roache and Conroy, stating: “If we want to get this kind of thing out of our game the Governing Body needs to bring in retrospective sanctions like a 2 game ban.”
This statement comes amidst a week of heated discussions regarding Fabio Silva’s diving during the last Glasgow Derby match.
Minimal contact led to a dive that was initially punished, then overturned to a penalty after VAR intervention.
Hatate’s fall in the penalty area was a result of a mere coming together with an opponent, the midfielder did not appeal for a penalty. There was contact, but it did not warrant a penalty, aligning with the referee’s decision during the match.
The former referees’ call for a ban is wild and an overreaction, there were no such claims last week.
