Celtic supporters are no strangers to controversy when it comes to VAR and refereeing decisions in Scottish football. The latest incident involving Hibernian’s Kieron Bowie and referee Nick Walsh has once again raised questions about consistency and officiating standards.

The Incident: A Questionable Throw-In

The key moment unfolded in the first half when Hibs’ Josh Campbell took a throw-in several yards ahead of where the ball had actually gone out of play. Despite the clear encroachment, Walsh allowed play to continue, much to the frustration of Kasper Schmeichel and the Celtic players.

Schmeichel’s Crucial Save

As play progressed, Kieron Bowie found himself with an opportunity in the box. His left-footed shot from the centre of the area was heading goalward, but Schmeichel produced a crucial save to keep Celtic level. The ball subsequently went out for a corner, leading to further frustration for the Celtic keeper, who made his feelings clear to the officials.

Would VAR have intervened to chalk this off if Schmeichel hadn’t saved this? Nick Walsh the supposed Celtic fan… pic.twitter.com/TEVPwSch9V

— Timothy Fellowes (@FellowsT1888) March 9, 2025

Would VAR Have Intervened?

Had Bowie’s shot found the back of the net rather than being stopped by Schmeichel, the question remains—would VAR have stepped in to disallow the goal? Given that Campbell’s throw-in was taken significantly further forward than it should have been, there’s an argument that play should have been pulled back.

However, history suggests that VAR rarely intervenes in such scenarios in Scotland when Celtic are involved, with many questionable decisions going unchecked. If Schmeichel had not made his save and Hibs had scored, Celtic fans would justifiably be asking why such an obvious infringement in the build-up was ignored.

Yet Another Example of Inconsistency

This moment is just another example of the inconsistencies that continue to plague officiating in Scotland. Throw-ins being taken from the wrong place might seem minor in isolation, but when they lead directly to a goalscoring opportunity, they cannot simply be overlooked. Celtic fans have seen their team on the wrong end of these calls too often, and it raises serious concerns about the application of the rules.

If the roles were reversed, would VAR have ruled out a Celtic goal for the same infringement? Based on past experiences, many Hoops supporters would likely have their own thoughts given some unbelievable VAR decisions this season.