While 67 Hail Hail believes Celtic’s recent penalty decision against Motherwell was the correct call, Dermot Gallagher’s comments in the aftermath have once again highlighted ongoing confusion over how VAR is applied in Scottish football.
The former referee’s disagreement with the decision to award Celtic a penalty wasn’t as clear-cut as some might think. Much of his reasoning focused on uncertainty, instinct, and how officials interpret what they see on replays.
That in itself exposed why fans remain frustrated with the lack of consistency in VAR interventions.
Ex-SFA referee’s take on the KMI Celtic penalty verdict vs Motherwell.
The bitterness continues. Let us know your thoughts Celtic fans 👇
Dermot Gallagher’s Celtic penalty comments raise VAR issue
The penalty caused Derek McInnes to melt down, but effectively, by the letter of the IFAB Law, it was a handball and the decision to award Celtic a penalty was correct.
Gallagher made it clear he wouldn’t have given the penalty, explaining on Sky Sports Ref Watch, “I didn’t think it was a penalty. The reason I didn’t think it was a penalty, I was struggling to think how that ball could rebound so far off his hand.
“So I thought it came off his head, but what I said, it was such a big, big call that I just feel you need to be absolutely certain before you send the referee to the screen. And I couldn’t have felt certain.”
Images since the incident have shown that the ball made direct contact with the Motherwell player’s hand so how Gallagher can still sit there and have this viewpoint is just baffling.
From a Celtic perspective, there was enough evidence. The Motherwell player’s hand was above shoulder height and made contact with the ball, and the officials decided that was enough to meet the threshold for intervention.
The bigger issue remains how those thresholds are determined, and whether they are being applied consistently.
Celtic penalty call highlights Scottish football’s VAR hypocrisy
Gallagher’s wider comments hinted at a deeper issue, one that is not unique to Scotland but is playing out across the game.
When asked if John Beaton should have taken more time to review the footage, Gallagher replied, “But what’s he going to see? The pictures won’t change.
“This is the thing I say when I watch people looking at something over and over and over again. And I go, ‘Well, it’s almost like the more times you watch it, the more you’re looking for a reason to doubt yourself.’
“I think a lot of what we see is gut reaction, isn’t it? We see something. When you’re a player, it’s gut reaction. When I was refereeing, my gut reaction is my first instinct.
“And the more you tell me to look and look and look, the more I’m thinking, have I got this right? Have I got this wrong? And you’re just sowing a seed of doubt. So, I think, look, make up your mind and move on.”
There is a contradiction at the heart of modern VAR. Referees are expected to slow incidents down and strive for total accuracy, yet the game has always relied on quick, instinctive decisions. Gallagher’s comments underline that tension.
It is a balance that still does not feel settled in Scottish football. Whether supporters agreed with the Celtic penalty or not, Gallagher’s remarks made it clear there is still confusion over how much certainty VAR actually demands before stepping in.
That uncertainty is becoming just as controversial as the decisions themselves.
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