Celtic's Controversial Win Over Aberdeen

Graeme Shinnie got off Scot-free with a double handball in the early stages of Celtic’s 2-0 win over Aberdeen at Pittodrie.

Sky Sports, who used some ropey camerawork throughout the match refused to replay the incident which took place in the seventh minute.

There appears not to have been a single incident in the match referred to VAR where Andrew Dallas was in control and in contact with his close friend John Beaton with both men owing their careers to Hugh Dallas and the dominant Lanarkshire Refereeing Association.

Willie Collum, the Head of Refereeing at the SFA falls into exactly the same category.

Celtic had given early indicators of their threat down the left with Kieran Tierney and Daizen Maeda providing a real threat to the home side.

Shinnie played in midfield but in the seventh minute he found himself in bother close to the goal-line with the Celtic duo applying pressure.

Panicking, the Aberdeen skipper decided to fall to the ground, instinctively both arms went out to ensure that the ball couldn’t be knocked from his control.

One of Shinnie’s team-mates was behind the goal-line preparing to boot the ball up the park, with his team-mate protecting the ball that idea was abandoned.

There were no replays of this handball by the Aberdeen player in their own penalty area.
It also seemed to escape the attention of VAR. https://t.co/0sAGTbw7k5 pic.twitter.com/7Lf6aPl7Lc
— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) August 11, 2025

Beaton was close by but chose the easy option of awarding Aberdeen a goal kick even though the ball remained in play throughout the incident.

Barely a minute later the man from the Crown Bar in Bellshill was waving play on following a clear handball five yards in front of him which led to a spectacular save by Kasper Schmeichel from Adil Aouchiche.

Sky Sports showed a replay of the handball incident that led to the Schmeichel save but refused to replay the Shinnie handball.

Beaton and Dallas are inconsolable at the end of the 2016 Scottish Cup Final, their summers ruined.

Beaton is absolutely no stranger to controversy involving Glasgow clubs, he first came to prominence in 2014 when Albion Rovers were denied a Scottish Cup win at Ibrox when a ridiculous Bilel Mohsni goal was allowed to stand, forcing the match into a replay.

That sealed his accelerated promotion through the ranks, his greatest moment was Celtic’s Ibrox defeat in December 2018 followed by toasting Alfredo Morelos with his mates in Bellshill.

Following another incredible display, on VAR for Celtic defeat at Tynecastle in March 2024 The Sun reported Rodgers saying:

I try to respect decisions and give the benefit of the doubt but I think when I see that level of incompetence, which is the only word I can use, then that makes me worry for the game.

In such a tight title race that can make the difference. I also think that VAR is not the problem here. That’s clear. It’s competence.

The first one is the sending off when there is no force. Show a still image of that and of course and you will see a foot up with the head near it, but it’s not the reality of the move.

Don got it actually right on the field. It was a high boot, so it’s a yellow card – no malice or force.

For John Beaton to actually look at that in VAR, supposedly under no pressure, and say that was sending off? I find that incredible.

The second one is WORSE. If you have a penalty go against you for that then there will be penalties every single weekend and midweek.

Rodgers was given a one match touchline suspension for those comments, Beaton was put in charge of three of the remaining Glasgow derbies played in 2024.Collum got the other as a parting gift.

No doubt there will be plenty more instances of Celtic facing that Lanarkshire based referee, certainly in at least one of this season’s Glasgow Derbies.

I remember seeing this at the time, and thinking they’ll look at it, but they didn’t
You can see all the celtic players claiming for a penalty, and Shinnie does seem to stop the ball with both hands
— mmabhoy (@mmabhoy1888) August 11, 2025

I was going nuts about this yesterday – not even a replay of it 😂😂
— Gerzinho (@fgfmurray) August 11, 2025

Only thing that stops that being a pen is if Var looked and decided it was foul to Aberdeen but we should be told that if the case.
— Robert Stephen (@RobertStephen27) August 11, 2025

Yeah I saw this Yesterday and thought penalty, but the outcome would have been foul Aberdeen, no way Beaton or VAR would have given it.
— Derek Turner (@DerekTu06950845) August 11, 2025