Celtic’s VAR controversy at Easter Road against Hibs did not end with the decision, it only got worse when the explanation began to fall apart live on air.
Celtic found themselves questioning a major decision after Joe Newell scored for Hibs in a moment that immediately sparked VAR controversy.
What came next only added to it, as a live exchange between Kris Boyd, Aiden McGeady and James McFadden exposed a clear divide and one argument that could not hold up.
How about that, Celtic fans? Three massive points
Kelechi Iheanacho yet again!
Kris Boyd’s Celtic VAR argument collapses under his own words
Kris Boyd opened with a firm stance, insisting that the VAR decision should stand if inconclusive and that Celtic would simply have to deal with it.
The Sky Sports pundit said, “There are people out there moaning about VAR. If VAR wasn’t there, the goal was given, the referee gave the goal. They’ve checked it.
“The referee has given the goal on the field. So that stands if it’s inconclusive. So Celtic are just going to have to get on with it.
“Come out the second half and see if they can go and find a winner.”
That position quickly became difficult to maintain once the analysis shifted back to the incident itself.
Boyd then added, “I said it before we went to the break, for me, there’s an argument to say it hits his hand twice.
“Okay, it’s on the t-shirt line there, but I think it goes down and then brushes off his hand, his arm at the bottom of it, before it hits his thigh, and then he puts in the back of the net.”
The contradiction is clear. A decision cannot be defended as inconclusive while describing multiple points of contact with the arm.
McFadden and McGeady shut down Boyd’s Celtic VAR narrative
James McFadden immediately took a different view, stating plainly that it hits his arm and questioning why the goal stood.
Aiden McGeady backed that up without hesitation, adding “I’m in agreement” before directly challenging Boyd on whether the evidence was really unclear.
Turning to Boyd, the former Celtic winger asked, “Do you think that’s inconclusive? The angle shows the ball hitting his arm.”
McFadden pressed the point further taking a dig at Boyd, “He actually thinks it hits his arm. He’s not caring it’s not given.”
Boyd’s response then shifted away from the decision entirely and hit back, “But look, I know that people want to blame the referees, blame the officials and everything, but if Celtic don’t get three points today, they only have themselves to blame here today, because that first half I thought they were good. And then the usual from Celtic defensively, switch off and have been punished for it.”
The incident remains the same, the handball happened and Boyd’s words used to describe it confirm it. Once the contact with the arm is acknowledged, the attempt to defend the decision becomes increasingly difficult to back up.
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