A curious narrative has been circulating, led by none other than Kris Boyd, as rival fans—especially those of Rangers—grasp at straws following Celtic’s late win against Ross County on Sunday. With the Hoops leaving it late to snatch victory from the jaws of a potential slip-up, disgruntled supporters are now pushing the theory that Celtic are somehow refereed to a different standard. The focus of their latest conspiracy? Nicolas Kuhn’s goal celebration and the fact he wasn’t given a second yellow card.
Boyd, speaking on Sky Sports, bemoaned Kuhn not being sent off for jumping into the crowd after his match-winning goal, sarcastically asking if the rules had changed. Well, let’s clear this up for Boyd and anyone else struggling to understand the SPFL guidelines.
The rule Boyd is referring to isn’t the iron-clad, automatic booking he seems to think it is. In fact, the SPFL rulebook clearly states: “A player must be cautioned for unsporting behaviour if, in the opinion of the referee, they leave the field of play during a goal celebration without permission. This includes excessive celebrations, such as climbing over barriers, approaching the fans in a way deemed inappropriate, or leaving the pitch entirely to celebrate.”
The key phrase here is “in the opinion of the referee”. That’s right—it’s subjective. Referees are given the discretion to decide what constitutes an “excessive” celebration. So, while some fans—and apparently Boyd—want to see Kuhn shown a second yellow and sent packing, Kevin Clancy made the perfectly legitimate call that the celebration wasn’t excessive or unsporting. The idea that it’s always a yellow is simply for the birds.
What makes the narrative even more bizarre is the selective memory at play. Only a couple of months ago, Aberdeen played at the very same stadium in Dingwall, scoring a 98th-minute winner against Ross County. In the aftermath, players left the field and fans spilled onto the pitch, but not a single Aberdeen player was booked. Funny how no one was claiming a conspiracy then.
The reality is that referees make subjective calls, and in this case, Clancy clearly saw nothing wrong with Kuhn’s celebration. To suggest it’s all part of some grand Celtic-specific refereeing agenda is, quite frankly, absurd. Rival fans can clutch at these straws all they like, but the rules are clear, and Kris Boyd might want to brush up on them before spinning another narrative.
