I'm watching the game back, and at the disallowed sheep goal McFadden states that Sterling "needs to be stronger" and then "goes down very easily".
The Sky Ref Watch programme panel this morning was unanimous in about 0.4 seconds that it was a clear foul and there wasn't even a debate.
So either:
a) McFadden is a hopeless pundit
b) he was indulging some wishful thinking, due to bias perhaps
Either way, it's symptomatic of Sky Sports' stale coverage of Scottish football which needs a complete revamp and new faces, with actual insight. McFadden didn't even clock the potential offside or that a VAR scrutiny was inevitable.
His shelf life as pundit has long passed and he has entered Andy Walker territory. See also Crocker.
Celtic response to stadium closure ruling: they say they are shocked with ruling, adding Rangers were responsible for stadium safety for Scottish Cup match last season
Celtic response to stadium closure ruling: they say they are shocked with ruling, adding Rangers were responsible for stadium safety for Scottish Cup match last season
Luke McCowan has had to close his Instagram because of the abuse he's getting from his own fans. Shame, really.
If that game had been played in Scotland, LASK's fifth gets ruled out for a foul on Luke, VAR spends four minutes finding an angle to justify it, and his Instagram is still open this morning
European referees just don't understand the rules
MARCH 2026 DEBATE
Connor Barron ‘accidental handball’ versus Aberdeen led to a goal being scored by Miovsk but it was disallowed.
So let’s go in reverse order.
⚽️ Yesterday, at Tannadice, it was an accidental handball but the goal stood. Why? According to Willie, It was an ‘accidental handball’ so the goal stands.
⚽️ The Falkirk goal was chopped off, for handball, even though all replays were inconclusive so there was no clear and obvious error. The goal should have stood but it didn’t.
Let’s say it does strike his arm then it was also clearly accidental but they disallowed it anyway.
⚽️ In March, Barron gets the ball fired at him, 40 yards from goal, and it strikes his forearm tucked into his body. 23 seconds later Miovski scores but the goal is chopped off even though it’s clearly an accidental handball.
The handball rule is a joke and Willie Collum has got himself tied up in knots over it.
#Celtic #Falkirk #Rangers
Seen a lot over the last few days about how the SFA is run like a bowling club. A bunch of dinosaurs with no real progress being made. I don’t think there’s a better example of that than the U21 setup. 🧵
Scotland is a really toxic place. There is no footballing set up like it. An absolute shambles of a bowling club. Bitterness and jealousy at every turn. Self preservation the only priority. Nothing to better the game.
@JamTarts You can clearly see from the footage that the police officer is escorting the players off the pitch, while the referee, Don Robertson, proceeds to ask whether they’re coming back out. This match was abandoned on police orders - it was not finished!
"As Celtic made clear prior to the recent Old Firm match with Rangers, they are responsible for the policing arrangements inside their own stadium. When they cannot guarantee the safety of players on the field, they don’t have a leg to stand on. Shameful."
https://t.co/KAoJVUUGCG
This was really the start of the VAR corruption. Clancy awarding a foul on Alistair Johnstone (the most protected player in Scottish football) Morelos scored a perfectly good goal. As Clancy had blown the whistle, VAR could not award the goal.
Since then there have been loads
My take: the ball hitting a hand is not always a handball offence. You have to either
1.) deliberately touch the ball with your hand, or
2.) ball hits your hand/arm when it's made your body unnaturally bigger.
This isn't deliberate, and if the ball hits his hand - which is on his forehead in the middle of a normal footballing challenge - he hasn't made his body unnaturally bigger. Because the ball would have hit his head anyway, so his hand on his head does not make his body unnaturally bigger.
Furthermore, VAR can only recommend an on-field review for a clear and obvious error. There is only one camera angle available, which does not show that the referee has missed a clear and obvious error. We can't see clearly where the ball hits.
This is categorically not what VAR was brought in for, and it all needs ripped up in the summer. This is a really poor look for Scottish football, as you can see from the international condemnation online since the game.
You really have to feel for Hearts. Unless you're a Celtic fan of course, that must have been class. But if you're not a Celtic fan. Deary me. Could be a generation defining decision, never mind season defining!