Celtic fans are calling for boardroom action following the audio release of Alan Muir’s justification for disallowing a ‘goal’ scored by Daizen Maeda against Hibs.
For decades the paranoid card has been thrown at hoops supporters, with the release of the audio from Ester Road it is clear that fans weren’t paranoid enough.
The emotion and determination of Muir to disallow the ‘goal’ takes it way beyond Honest Mistake territory.
Only a complete idiot would believe that this is the first time that Muir has gone out of his way to defy the Laws of the Game in matches involving Celtic.
He first came to prominence at the 2015 Scottish Cup semi-final against Inverness Caley Thistle, a decade later he is still going strong, now with the security of a full-time SFA salary.
As the newly appointed Head of Refereeing at the SFA one of Willie Collum’s first tasks was giving Muir a full-time VAR job, as a refereeing colleague for more than a decade Collum knows exactly what his mate Muir is.
Collum has been playing the media game all season, they praise him as a good honest guy but he is as much in the spotlight now as Muir.
Does he continue with a VAR official hell bent on giving the decision that he wants despite the warnings of his lesser qualified assistant (Ross McLeod) that the evidence isn’t there.
In the latest VAR Review Collum says:
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.
However, 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 to prove categorically that the ball has crossed the goal line fully, because we know from previous examples at World Cup’s that a ball can look out from certain angles, but then when you look at the camera above – because in World Cup competitions there’s the spider cam and a clear camera on the goal line.
A slight part, even a millimetre of the ball can be overhanging that goal line, and that’s enough to say that the ball is in play. It’s impossible to prove otherwise.
Well Willie, you’ve left Muir out of two rounds of SPFL Premiership fixtures and the Scottish Cup quarter-finals, will you continue that or slip him back in hoping that none of the Internet Bampots will notice?
Check how progressively more excited Muir gets…
It’s absolutely ripping out him.
He should never be near another one of our games. pic.twitter.com/vdjMWO8iAy
— 🍔 Gastro Celtic 🍀 (@Gastro_Celtic) March 7, 2025
There is one other significant party involved in this issue- the board of Celtic, especially their CEO and Chairman.
Since July 2012 Celtic have barely raised a murmur of complaint against the SFA.
When on-line anger reaches a peak Peter Lawwell or Michael Nicholson will reach out for the Surprised and Disappointed Statement Template, shift the variables, click on publish then go to the back of the bus to stare at their brogues.
Once a year the board are questioned about their meek acceptance of anything thrown out by their friends at the SFA at the club AGM.
2021 Chairman Bankier claims that referees are a deep source of concern when questioned on Nick Walsh and Bobby Madden
2023 CEO Nicholson gives his penalty to Rangers gag when questioned on a John Beaton issue
2024 Nicholson compliments the SFA for the VAR Review bringing transparency to refereeing issues. He had been asked if he backed Brendan Rodgers calling Beaton incompetent after the match at Tynecastle in March 2024, the Celtic CEO refused to back the club manager.
The release of audio from Easter Road is certainly a game changer, it is no longer honest mistakes, this is fresh grounds.
Ross Macleod (Assistant VAR): Potential ball out of play
Muir: Ball out of play
RM: No, it is inconclusive
Steven McLean: They will check it OK?
Muir: OK, checking onfield decision of goal
RM: I don’t think that you can conclusively say that that’s out
RM: Any other angles
Muir: That’s not conclusive either
Muir: There!
Muir: Yeah, happy with that
Muir: We’re going to give a factual review here, overturn
Muir: And I want you to award a goal kick
Now that Muir has been outed the spotlight is on Collum and Nicholson. On past experiences both will attempt to sit it out, next weekend the Celtic CEO welcomes more than 2,000 Ibrox fans to the Glasgow Derby, complete with their songs of poison and hate that fly in the face of the Unacceptable Conduct regulations.
In three and a half years as CEO Nicholson hasn’t once raised his voice. On Wednesday and Thursday statements were issued criticising supporter behaviour, Celtic do love an easy target which is why Collum knows that he can count on the silent backing of Lawwell’s former sidekick that now draws a salary as CEO.
I’ve said this repeatedly
Our board accepts this shit
Why
Years of blatant cheating
The Huns are just playing a game noo with the moaning but deep down they know
Muir
Beaton
Dickinson
Aitken
McCLEANWe all know what after dinner speakers nights they will be attending
— 119☘️THE GREEN FOX☘️119 (@jg2394044) March 7, 2025
This is outrageous,him and the other 2 full time VAR clowns should be sacked immediately
— finnan67 (@Finnan67) March 7, 2025
How Muir survives this will be beyond me! This isn’t incompetence this is meticulous bias! Listen to the “offside” before he then goes on to bully AVAR into siding with his in factual decision! He has well and truly shown his true colours with this one! Get him sacked!
— MM (@marcmcewan_80) March 7, 2025
@CelticFC : I expect the club to pursue this. Alan Muir cannot be allowed to referee games involving Celtic or Rangers.
— McKenzie (@Boaby_Wan) March 7, 2025
He shouldn’t be near any match on VAR again
Not just Celtic’s everyone’s— Richie W (@Richard18719415) March 7, 2025
Disgraceful….
He’s inventing imagery and forcing compliance from his colleagues
Celtic should ensure this guy gets nowhere near our games
Utterly appalling
— Dispirited Dan (@brendybaby1) March 8, 2025
— Peter Getty (@petegetty) March 7, 2025
Question is how many more of them are just the same.
— Jim Doc (@DocMeon) March 7, 2025
Shocking decision. He was desperate to disallow it. Merely confirms what we all suspected. Should be sacked.
— Baggins 🏴 (@BagginsGSX1250) March 7, 2025
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2 Comments
by Valentine's day massacre
And if the attending fans and watching TV public were allowed to hear the discussions in live play between the referee and VAR incompetents , we all would have a better understanding of the massive failings and ineptitude from men in charge who are palpably unfit to do the job ? No such problems in Rugby …..
by Eddie McKelvies Capri
The status quo of the 5WA is the status quo.
You’ve got to look at it through the prism of the dominant Vested Interests of Scottish Football. Scottish Football is a trough and a closed shop. And a lucrative closed shop for the vested interests. Collums appointment ( after a world wide search) told you everything you need to know. I’ve met Michael Nicolson on several occasions. Wetter than a haddocks bathing costume. He’s a place man for the chairman and doesn’t go to the toilet without permission but he earns a fortune and will gladly take the exorbitant cash.