News Focus
- SFA refereeing chief Willie Collum confirms Hearts should have received a penalty at Fir Park on 9 May
- Celtic’s last-minute spot-kick against Motherwell on 13 May was correctly awarded for handball
- VAR decisions from the Old Firm clash and Celtic’s match at Hibernian also reviewed
- Hearts lost the league title to Celtic by just two points despite having a superior goal difference
The Scottish Football Association has acknowledged that Heart of Midlothian were unjustly refused a penalty during their recent clash with Motherwell. This admission comes from Willie Collum, the governing body’s head of refereeing, who oversees Video Assistant Referee operations.
Collum delivered his regular monthly update on VAR calls this week. He addressed several controversial decisions from the final stages of the Scottish Premiership season. The most significant admission concerned the incident involving Tawanda Maswanhise and Alexandros Kyziridis at Fir Park on 9 May.
During the 1-1 draw, Maswanhise appeared to trip Kyziridis inside the box. Referee Steven McLean initially allowed play to continue. He then reviewed the footage at the pitch-side monitor but still declined to award the spot-kick.
Audio recordings revealed McLean stating he had “not seen enough” evidence to change his decision. However, Collum disagrees with this conclusion. “My personal opinion is that that’s a penalty kick,” he stated. He added that once a referee approaches the monitor, the expected outcome should be a penalty award in such circumstances.
The controversy carries extra weight because Hearts ultimately finished two points behind champions Celtic. Remarkably, the Edinburgh club boasted a better goal difference than the title winners.
Meanwhile, Collum defended the added-time penalty awarded to Celtic in their 3-2 victory over Motherwell on 13 May. Sam Nicholson handled the ball inside the area during the dying moments. Kelechi Iheanacho converted the resulting kick to seal the win.
Collum cited “clear evidence” supporting referee John Beaton’s decision. He noted that Nicholson’s arm was in an “unnatural position” when the contact occurred. The official explained that the SFA has been consistent regarding handballs above shoulder height.
The refereeing chief also examined two other incidents from Celtic’s 3-1 win against Rangers on 10 May. He confirmed that Yang Hyun-jun’s equaliser was correctly allowed to stand despite offside claims. Collum explained that Jack Butland’s view was not blocked by the offside player, who made no attempt to interfere with play.
Additionally, Collum supported Nick Walsh’s decision to book Alistair Johnston rather than send him off for a challenge on Mikey Moore. The tackle showed recklessness but lacked the excessive force or brutality required for a red card.
Regarding Hearts’ match at Fir Park, Collum agreed with McLean’s refusal to penalise Emmanuel Longelo for handball. The ball struck the defender’s shoulder, which sits above the “t-shirt line” that officials use as a guiding principle.
Finally, Collum addressed Celtic’s 2-1 win at Hibernian on 3 May. He stated that Josh Campbell should have conceded a penalty for a two-handed push on Benjamin Nygren. However, he backed the decision to allow Joe Newell’s equaliser after officials found no conclusive evidence of handball.