Two correct VAR calls at Celtic Park sent two fan bases into meltdown

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The Celtic Star

·16. September 2024

Two correct VAR calls at Celtic Park sent two fan bases into meltdown

Two correct decisions by referee Colin Steven, assisted by VAR on Saturday afternoon in the Celtic v Hearts match sent TWO fan bases into a complete weekend meltdown…

Celtic v Hearts Referee Colin Steven during the Scottish Premiership match at Celtic Park on 14 September 2024. Photo Malcolm Mackenzie/Hearts FC PSI

The talking points from Saturday’s match with Hearts are undoubtedly the two penalty kicks. The Hearts one was correctly overturned by VAR after it was given by referee Colin Steven on first viewing while ours was completely blanked by the man in the middle before being correctly awarded after being reviewed by VAR.

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If I’m being honest the Hearts one I didn’t see clearly at the game, but after seeing a replay at half time and several times afterwards I’m in no doubt the right decision was made.

The ball hit Liam Scales on the shoulder, which isn’t considered a handball offence so it would have been wrong to award the penalty as it’s against the rules of the game. Even if it did hit him on the arm or hand it wouldn’t have stood as it was hit straight at him from a matter of inches.

Arne Engels scores from the spot. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

As for our own spot kick, I thought at the time it looked a bit harsh, but on a second viewing it was certainly the right decision, as within the laws of the game it was a penalty, end of discussion.

Are people really still debating these 2 penalty calls? Ones a shoulder from point blank range and the other is arms moved out to block cross…. Question should be why VAR was needed to get to tight decision n both!!!
– Sonntag, 15. September 2024

That however hasn’t stopped two fan bases from going into a complete meltdown. The Hearts supporters are furious, and secondly their big cousins in Glasgow are equally livid. Both should take a long hard look at themselves and wonder why they are in their current league positions. It’s got nothing to do with VAR decisions correcting a referee’s mistakes that’s for sure. Indeed that’s what the desired outcome of having VAR is after all, to help make sure that the correct decisions are made.

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Arne Engels celebrates scoring the opening goal during the match between Celtic and Hearts at Celtic Park on September 14, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Anything to deflect from their current woes eh?

Hearts penalty correctly overturned ✅ Celtic penalty awarded after review ✅
– Montag, 16. September 2024

Seems like some are yearning for their good old days of benefiting from honest mistakes. Celtic got nothing from both incidents at the weekend other than VAR assisting the rookie referee to get to the correct call in the end. So supporters up and down the country should be applauding VAR for a change, but let’s be honest those two fan bases would have much preferred that two errors would not have been corrected and instead it would have been the Celtic support talking about yet more Honest Mistakes.

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