Scottish Football Association refereeing chief Willie Collum believes Celtic and Dundee United should have been awarded penalties following VAR’s early season assessment.
Collum also criticized referee Matthew MacDermid’s body language before Rangers forward Cyriel Dessers scored against St Johnstone in their Premier Sports Cup win at Hampden Park last month.
Former referee Collum, who has been in charge of Scotland officials this summer, explains some of the big decisions from the first four weeks of the season in ‘The VAR Review’, a new monthly show on the SFA’s YouTube channel.
Please use Chrome browser for more accessible video player
Highlights from Celtic’s 4-0 win over Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership
He reviewed the controversial incident at Celtic Park when Hoops striker Kyogo Furuhashi touched the ball past Robby McCrorie before colliding with the Kilmarnock goalkeeper.
Referee Don Robertson and VAR officials concluded that “the keeper just made himself big”, but Collum said: “We believe it was the wrong decision. We have trained the referee and VAR that a penalty should have been awarded here.
Collum said McCrorie’s actions were “reckless” after Kyogo knocked the ball away
“It was an unexpected free kick with the way the ball was dropped. It surprised the referee on the pitch and it was very difficult for the referee to find the angle on the wall to see it properly.
“The Celtic player clearly stepped forward and touched the ball past the keeper and then thought the keeper’s actions were reckless. An off-field review should have been called for and the referee asked to come to the monitor.”
Collum also highlighted the incident when referee David Dickinson disallowed Dundee United’s claim for a spot-kick after the ball struck Dundee defender Luke Graham’s arm.
Referee David Dickinson did not award Dundee United a penalty in the derby against Dundee
“It was a missed handball,” Collum said. “The first ball went from a distance, from a corner kick.
“The Dundee player, when he jumps, his arm is in an unnatural position and he is not jostling with the opponent.”
Please use Chrome browser for more accessible video player
Highlights from the Dundee derby at the start of the Scottish Premiership season
Collum also completed a controversial Rangers goal against St Johnstone when Dessers scored after beating Saints defender Jack Sanders.
Some players and manager Craig Levein suggested the defenders had been distracted by MacDermid marking a Saints free-kick.
Collum revealed the audio recording confirmed that the official did not blow the whistle before the goal was scored.
St Johnstone claimed the whistle was blown before Rangers scored in their League Cup tie, but an audio review proved that was not the case.
“Here, the referee probably didn’t display good body language,” Collum said. “The body language when a challenge is made is to approach the free kick.
“But he delayed the whistle correctly, he communicated correctly so VAR knew what he wanted if a goal was scored and, when the ball hit the net, he blew the whistle for what he thought was a defensive free-kick.
“VAR checked and realized that the Rangers players did nothing wrong and so they recommended an on-field review.
“Apart from body language, the right process is followed and ultimately the right decision is made.”
Scottish Premiership & SWPL on Sky Sports
Sky Sports – From 2024/25 up to 60 Scottish Premiership games will be available on Sky Sports’ flagship channels, including Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event, plus at least five SWPL matches.
Sky Sports News – Running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Scottish football fans can enjoy Sky Sports News’ (channel 409) rolling editorial coverage of the Premiership and SWPL throughout the season.
Sky Sports Digital – Follow all the latest from Scottish football on SkySports.com and the app, including exclusive features and interviews, plus exclusive live blog coverage, in-game clips from matches live on Sky Sports and free highlights.
Sky Sports Social – In addition to coverage and visibility for the league on all of Sky Sports’ main social media channels, which are booked X page @ScotlandSky will continue to be the home of all Scottish football content on Sky Sports.
Highlights show- Tune in to a dedicated round of Premiership cinch every week on Sky Sports Football.
Sky Sports is the home of domestic football in the UK and Ireland, with action from the Scottish Premiership, Scottish Women’s Premier League, Premier League, WSL, EFL and more.
Get Sky Sports on WhatsApp!
You can now start receiving messages and alerts for the latest sports news, analysis, features and more in-depth videos from our dedicated WhatsApp channel!
Find out more here…
