The fallout from Celtic’s League Cup triumph has taken yet another twist, as SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell today admitted Rangers should have been awarded a penalty during Sunday’s final. Maxwell, speaking publicly on the controversial decision, acknowledged that mistakes can happen and hinted at human error playing a role in the referee’s call.
The Admission
Addressing the incident directly, Maxwell told RecordSport:
“Decisions will be wrong, that’s a given. We’ll eradicate them as much as we possibly can. We’ve done that in the vast majority of cases, but there are always going to be one or two that will fall outwith that, because there’s people involved.
“Anything that involves a person in any walk of life, there will be decisions made that don’t go the way we want them to, or are incorrect. That’s just part of human nature.”
While his comments stopped short of a formal apology, Maxwell’s words were enough to set the Rangers fanbase alight. For Celtic fans, however, the admission only makes their Hampden triumph all the sweeter.
Delicious Irony
For years, Rangers have enjoyed a reputation for receiving favourable penalty decisions, with the Ibrox side seemingly benefiting from a generous streak in Scottish football. From soft spot-kicks to eyebrow-raising VAR interventions, penalties and Rangers have often gone hand in hand. That makes the current outrage from the Ibrox faithful, and now the SFA’s admission of error, a source of immense amusement for the Celtic support.
Adding to the irony is the fact that, even if Rangers had been awarded the penalty, there was still plenty of time on the clock for Celtic to draw back level had they converted the penalty and given the way the two teams played, you wouldn’t have bet against it.
Spectacular Fallout
The fallout from this decision has been nothing short of spectacular. Rangers have kept the controversy alive all week, with pundits, fans, and even the club itself piling pressure on the SFA.
It’s clear that the admission from Maxwell will only embolden their narrative of injustice—but for Celtic fans, it’s yet another example of Rangers’ inability to take their medicine and move on.
Celtic’s triumph on Sunday wasn’t about one refereeing decision—it was about a team rising to the occasion, overcoming adversity, and showing why they remain the dominant force in Scottish football. No SFA admission can take that away.
And we finally avenged John Hartson at Hampden after all those years!
Offside goal ruled out and Celtic sent packing from Hampden.
