After all the friendly pre-season media coverage it was business as usual with VAR at Pittodrie today.
As soon as the SFA announced that Andrew Dallas would be involved in the match it was certain that there would be some flash points with decisions going in a very predictable direction.
Mentored by his Daddy there was never any doubt that Andrew was heading up the ladder with membership of the Lanarkshire Refereeing Association seeing him on the FIFA list before he took charge of his first Celtic match, a Scottish Cup tie at Stranraer in January 2016.
On the circuit his defining moment came in February 2019 when he awarded four penalties against St Mirren on a visit to Ibrox. Earlier that season he had come to the rescue with two late penalties to ensure an away win for Steven Gerrard away to Hamilton.
Handball penalty shout Aberdeen v Celtic.
Not given. pic.twitter.com/8HUauMLN6b— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) August 13, 2023
Last season the introduction of VAR to the Scottish game was a farce, in the first few weeks various dubious explanations were given out to explain why Hearts twice, Ross County and Dundee United were awarded penalties against Celtic.
Meanwhile the league leaders and top goalscorers had to wait until match 12 to be awarded a penalty.
With today’s match goal-less at Pittodrie Shayden Morris decided to extend his natural silhouette as he coped with a high ball in the penalty box.
After the ball bounced it came up to strike him around the elbow, exactly the sort of decision that VAR is there to detect.
A very quick VAR review was carried out with Sky Sports listening in. One replay of the incident was shown with the message going out from Dallas that the ball struck him in the t-shirt area of the body.
It was nothing of the sort although certain areas of Lanarkshire have very unusual dress sense, especially during the summer months.
Celtic should have been awarded a penalty, Morris got away with one unlike Cyriel Dessers in midweek when he decided to handle in the penalty box in a UEFA match.
Although Celtic went on to win the match it could have been easier had they been awarded and scored from an early penalty.
It wasn’t until January 2 at Ibrox that VAR decisions finally cost Celtic points- until the SFA publish explanations or better still broadcast the VAR conversations Dallas and others will get away with these sort of decisions.
