Former SFA referees make John Beaton claim during Celtic’s League Cup win vs Rangers

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Celtic’s League Cup win over Rangers has brought with it a little bit of controversy over what John Beaton did during the Hampden final.

Celtic beat Rangers in a penalty shootout after both clubs played out a 3-3 draw over 120 minutes of football in the League Cup final.

Daizen Maeda scored Celtic’s winning penalty as the Japanese hero helped bring the cup back to Parkhead but the result could have been really different if John Beaton hadn’t missed a ‘clear and obvious error’ during the Hampden final.

That is, according to former SFA referees Steve Conroy and Des Roache.

The ‘clear and obvious error’ John Beaton made during Celtic’s League Cup win vs Rangers

Both ex-refs were asked on social media about Celtic defender Liam Scales’ foul on Vaclav Cerny where Philippe Clement believed Rangers should have had a penalty.

And it seems both Roache and Conroy agree with the Ibrox gaffer.

Speaking through their X social media channel, The Ref’s View, Roache and Conroy said, “This is what VAR is for.

“The foul is on the 18-yard line, therefore in the penalty area, therefore it is a penalty.

“The officials had a fairly decent game until this point but it is a clear and obvious error that went unnoticed.”

Former referees asked to clarify Celtic penalty claim

But when asked to clarify when the referee blew his whistle and if the first foul where Scales appears to kick Cerny rules out the shirt tug, the reply was, “Don’t know when he blew his whistle.

“It doesn’t matter if there’s a foul before the tug. The Ref can allow an advantage for simple fouls. IFAB allows for the foul to be given in the area if it continues into the area. It is undeniably a penalty.”

The ex-referees’ points were challenged by a Celtic fan who said it did matter when Beaton first blew his whistle because the shirt tug would have been ruled out if the foul was given for the Scales kick, it looked like some backtracking started.

The reply stated, “Sorry I wasn’t clear on the first point. I said I didn’t know when he blew. Hope that clears up any confusion caused.”

So if two former referees can’t decide if there was anything ‘clear and obvious’ about Scales’ challenge on Cerny why would they suggest that this passage of play was ‘undeniably’ a penalty for Rangers?

It seems the clarification of the rules is just as difficult for the on-field match officials as it is for the retired ones sitting on their couches at home.