SFA put incompetent Beaton on VAR for Scottish Cup Final

Following his incompetent VAR performance at Tynecastle in March the SFA have doubled down by putting John Beaton on VAR for the Scottish Cup Final on May 25.

Nick Walsh will be the onfield referee. Between shifts guiding the education and fitness of Murray Park starlets at Boclair Academy but Beaton’s involvement on VAR will be a huge concern for Celtic supporters.

In charge of the Glasgow Derby at Ibrox in April the man from the Crown Bar in Bellshill had a bigger influence on the result than any of the home players.

Despite Celtic dominating the first half and leading 2-0 they went in at half-time with three players on yellow cards while the home side went unpunished.

Early in the second half the Walsh/Beaton double act provided the home side with a penalty following a dive by Fabio Silva, continuing his theme from the first half.

Soon after Cyriel Dessers appeared to have scored an equaliser Beaton’s joy was brought back to earth when Walsh highlighted a brutal foul on Tomoki Iwata from Tom Lawrence that he had ignored in the excitement.

The Scottish Cup final officiating team are pretty staunch, are they not? pic.twitter.com/YkevBk9gQ7

— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) May 15, 2024

Dessers celebrated his ‘goal’ by lifting a corner flag and celebrating with fans in the Govan Stand, he wasn’t booked.

By the final whistle 23 fouls had been awarded against Celtic with just 10 for the home side making Brendan Rodgers’ side the dirtiest team in the UK that weekend. The visitors had four players booked with the home side getting off scot-free.

The Celtic boss was back in the dugout for that match after a one match ban for his comments about Beaton’s performance against Hearts.

With Celtic poised to lift the SPFL title it is worth noting that the last points dropped were in the 3-3 draw at Ibrox which Beaton refereed and the 2-0 defeat away to Hearts where the man from Bellshill was on VAR duty to Don Robertson.

Callum Spence will be an assistant referee at the cup final, at the end of December he wrongly flagged for offside when David Turnbull was fouled in the penalty box. The other assistant, David Roome is Bobby Madden’s closest buddy, they once shared a Covid trip to Greece in Fenruary 2021.

Quizzed about Beaton at the Celtic AGM in November Michael Nicholson cracked a joke to the amusement of his boardroom buddies.

CLICK HERE for two faced Keevins makes remarkable Rodgers u-turn

CLICK HERE for Santa Ponsa celebrates Celtic’s victory in the Glasgow Derby.

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