The call to award Celtic a penalty against Livingston continues to be a talking point.
Everything and anything happened in that first half, including four goals being scored inside ten minutes, with Livingston taking the lead on two occasions.
But Celtic went ahead after 31 minutes through Benjamin Nygren’s brilliant strike, before the away side were awarded a penalty from a corner.
Daniel Finlayson was punished for handball, with Arne Engels putting away his spot-kick, but that call has caused a bit of a stir.
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Dermot Gallagher’s verdict on Livingston’s handball against Celtic
Dermot Gallagher praised the Scottish officials for remaining consistent by awarding the penalty on Sky Sports News (29/12/25).
The only question Gallagher raised is whether or not Daizen Maeda pushed the Livi player, and that resulted in him handling the ball.
“They are 100% consistent,” said Gallagher. “You can’t knock the Scottish referees. Everything that hits the arm like that, they punish.
“They have punished for the last two seasons every single one. The only thing is, is there a push on his back? The referee has the perfect view. He says, ‘No.’ He doesn’t see the hand.
“Once he goes to VAR, it does strike his arm. I knew the minute he went to VAR, and it struck his arm. They are going to give a penalty.”
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Jay Bothroyd and Gallagher argue over Celtic’s penalty award
But whilst Gallagher was sharing his verdict on the call, Jay Bothroyd shared an entirely different view because he called it ‘ridiculous’ and ‘crazy.’
That’s when the former Premier League forward got into an argument with Gallagher about officials being ‘consistently wrong’ with their decisions, as he was clear that a penalty should never have been awarded.
Bothroyd: “It’s a ridiculous decision. I am sorry. The defender is going back. He is stretching for the ball with his head. He is in the right position.
“When you are defending, you have to be in a position where you can push off with your, in his situation, his right foot, up to the ball. Or you can drop off. So, he has to be side on. He is going to win the ball. He is stretching. His arm is there.
“The fact that it’s hit him. And they have given a penalty? That’s crazy. Crazy that a penalty has happened because of that. And the attacker is very close to him. I don’t understand that. I really don’t understand that.”
Gallagher: “Let’s get back to reality and your word ‘consistency.’ For 18 months…”
Bothroyd: “Yeah, they are consistently wrong. When you are giving fouls like this. They are consistently wrong. It’s a joke. How can you give decisions like that?”
Gallagher: “So, you don’t want consistency now?”
Bothroyd: “I don’t want that kind of consistency. If you are consistently wrong. I don’t want that. I want to be consistently right.”
Gallagher: “So, let’s have a think, then. You want a penalty for Jaidon Anthony (for Burnley against Everton) because one was given against.”
Bothroyd: “I said, I didn’t think either of them were penalties. But one has been given, and one hasn’t. I don’t like that. I want consistency. That wasn’t consistent.”
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