Willie Collum admits Celtic VAR decision vs Hibs was wrong – but Hoops got off with another incident

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Celtic were livid last month when they had a goal disallowed against Hibs at Easter Road.

Daizen Maeda netted from an Alistair Johnston cross and the goal was initially given by referee Steven McLean as Celtic appeared to claw back a 2-0 deficit to 2-2.

However, Hibs would beat Celtic 2-1 after VAR decided the whole ball was out of play before Johnston delivered and the strike was disallowed.

That left manager Brendan Rodgers raging at the “guess work” from officials as they could not have known conclusively that the ball had wholly crossed the line.

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Willie Collum says Celtic’s goal vs Hibs should have counted

The KMI panel deemed it an incorrect VAR decision and vindicated the boss and now referee chief Willie Collum has also deliberated and decided that he concurs and that it was a wrong call.

Speaking on the Scottish FA’s VAR Review show, Collum said: “Let’s think what the starting point is? The starting point is the on-field decision. The on-field decision is the assistant referee keeps the flag down and a goal is scored.

“So, as far as the assistant referee is concerned, the ball has not gone out of play. The VAR and AVAR of course go into a check, which they are expected to do so. They need to assess with the cameras and the footage available if the ball is out of play.

“You hear the VAR at one point say that it looks like it’s gone out of play from a particular angle, and then AVAR correctly says ‘I don’t think you can be conclusive there’. Then an angle appears from the main camera and you hear a reaction, the VAR and AVAR both think at that point that’s evidence to say the ball is out of play.

“Now, what I want to be very clear about, and we coach the VAR’s and AVAR’s to be certain about this, you need 100 per cent conclusive evidence to disallow the goal here and prove that the ball is over the goal line. And in this case, that is not possible. It’s not possible.”

The VAR call that Celtic actually benefited from

Celtic may have felt aggrieved in Leith but there was also some controversy last weekend during their 5-2 romp over St Mirren at the SMiSA Stadium.

Again it was Johnston involved and he took down Roland Idowu inside the area in that game.

VAR checked as they always do and no spot-kick was given and Celts went on to win comfortably.

Collum, though, felt the Hoops got away with that one and that it should have been a penalty against the Canadian full-back.

He said: “This should have been a penalty. I think there is a difference with touching the ball and playing the ball. It is a minimal touch on the ball, it’s not playing the ball then reckless contact.”