Ask The Ref: Celtic v Hearts | With Des Roache of Behind The Whistles Podcast

Celtic v Hearts was a game littered with contentious calls as VAR once again became the main talking point.

In the aftermath of such a game we're possibly not the best people to ask for an unbiased and rational assessment of the key decisions, and this is where the guys at Behind The Whistles Podcast step in.

Fronted by ex-Category One Referees Des Roache and Steve Conroy they aim to provide impartial analysis and insight on the big decisions on any given matchday,

Tino was joined by Des for this one so tune in to hear what he had to make of a day of drama in Edinburgh.

===================================================

All Celtic Exchange episodes are now available on YouTube📺 or wherever you get your podcasts🎧

📰 The Celtic Exchange Weekly
⌛ The Countdown To Kick-Off (Every Game)
⚽ The Final Whistle Show (Every Game)
➕ Additional Bonus Episodes

🍀 More Podcasts | More Reaction | More Celtic

[richardsmith]

As a Celtic supporter I agree it was never a penalty for Celtic

[sussyboi]

I respect Des' opinion, but when comparing the Yang and Tate tackles, he states that there was no malice I. The Hearts players tackle. Where was the malice in Yang's tackle to warrant a Red Card?

[tedtrainor]

The rule was made to stop cheating and “playing “the ball with your hand
How tough is that to call.

[francismcmenaman]

John beaton has seen his chance and took it.

[willielarsson]

In the cool light of a new day and taking the emotion out of the result and red cards etc, I think you're right Tino, its more incompetence as opposed to cheating.

[supersal]

So Beaton was correct to reccomend the referee look at Yangs high foot tackle Conspiracy yeah ?

[patmc]

A problem that isn't highlighted here, but is mentioned is "referee's opinion". Surely a high boot or hand ball shouldn't come down to opinion, but the rules. If we are saying that either is a penalty or booking then they should always be. Not just the opinion of any referee on any given day. The problem with these decisions in the Celtic game and many others in the league, is that one week it's an offence and the next week it's not, one week VAR intervenes and the next week it doesn't. I get that there are some grey areas that a Refs opinion has to come into play, but surely the problem is that one ref's opinion doesn't match another on the same offences or worse, that the same ref's opinions don't match game to game.

[jackhackett]

1. Which Scottish Premiership side has had the most penalties this season?

2. Which Scottish Premiership side has had the least penalties awarded against them?

3. Which Scottish Premiership side has had the least red cards?

4. Which Scottish Premiership side has had the fewest yellow cards?

5. Which Scottish Premiership side has conceded the fewest fouls?

6. Which Scottish Premiership side is allowed to commit around double the fouls of any other team before they get a booking?

7. Which Scottish Premiership side was awarded a league title before the league was completed?

8. Which Scottish Premiership side got the winter break moved to allow them to bring in new players?

9. Which Scottish Premiership side was able to force their rivals to play 4 games in a week by pretending they were going to Japan?

10. Which Scottish Premiership side thinks there is a conspiracy against them?

[andrewh]

Fair play to you for doing this interview with Des. As football fans, we all have an idea of how the game should be refereed. Just because we don't like the rule about endangering an opponent doesn't mean the decision made was wrong.

The referees are there to officiate the game according to the rules. I agree with Des that the only decision that Celtic can be aggrieved by is the Iwata handball decision.

[GerrynNeil-qlod]

What is his opinion on the mugabe one last game .

[ajsctech]

Var should only be user for penalty box incidents and offside issues. It should never have been extended to upgrading yellows up to red. Keep it simple and scale back the use of Var

[sanfranceltic]

Might disagree with Des but you have to respect his knowledge .Good show.

[willreid]

When everything is said and done the result was correct.
Celtic had a pen they shouldn’t have had, didn’t score, Hearts had a pen they shouldn’t have had, they scored. The sending off was a sending off and that’s that.
Both benefited from a wrong call but only one team took advantage of it.

[duneideann]

You never asked about Johnstone’s earlier tackle on Tait ?

[georgebarr]

What is important and not really considered there, Yang try’s the flick - then Cochrane steams in (not from the front but at an angle) if Yang was directly in front it would be different - I don’t believe there was any contact with Cochrane - he fell about like he had been battered with one peaking through his fingers
Not dangerous in real time
Looked bad in a blurry still

[paulmcguire]

Is he gonna play khun cause I don't see any other options

[alexbowman]

Don't remember Celtic fans complaining about the St Mirren player sent off 3 weeks ago for a similar incident against Celtic. At the time Rogers said if was a "clear red card".

[greengo-svhi]

Brendan is angry at the sending off decision due to VAR stating that the referee made a mistake and missed something? However, the ref did not miss the incident in regards to the infringement as the ref booked the player and deemed the infringement as a yellow card offence? Rightly or wrongly this is the debate? Was it a sending off or was it a booking in regards to the infringement? Was VAR correct to overrule the yellow card which the ref deemed fit for the offence? Should VAR have intervened in the refs decision? As the ref punished the offence? The offence was not missed so there was no clear and obvious mistake! This comes down to a matter of opinions within the referees rule book and interpretations just like any other incident that the on field referee makes during a game?

Then we have the 2 penalty decisions which are very debateable in regards to the nature of VARs usage for clear and obvious mistakes? Celtic penalty was soft in nature was this foul justified in terms of a penalty award being given by the on field official? Should have VAR stepped in, in regards to a clear and obvious mistake being given in regards to the penalty award? The second penalty award should have VAR intervened in the referees decision not to grant a penalty for accidental hand ball? It seems to be that it is VAR its self which is getting all the big calls wrong! The one piece of technology that's being introduced the VAR officials are using wrongly and would suggest that VAR needs to be removed, especially from match day officials! As match day officials are miss appropriating the usages of this technology and are responsible for bringing the game into disrepute!

This is were things get interesting with the SFA is the referee going to be at this hearing backing up his initial yellow card or is the referee going to say that he was incompetent? Now the focus turns to the standard of refereeing and if the refs are incompetent well every manager has the right to highlight those who are incompetent. At the end of the day the refs are paid to officiate and if they are not fit for the job and need to be overruled by VAR? Then that's incompetence officiating...! One says it a yellow card but the other says its a red So for me the SFA meeting should be about the referee and VAR to find out who was incompetent? All the manager done was highlight the issue and was asking the question? Who is responsible? For the sake of our mismanaged football games by match day officials! According to VAR, VAR is not there to re-referee the game! But VAR did re-referee that decision? John Beaton has broken the VAR rules by re-refereeing the game!

[keynoteFlyer]

If putting your foot that high is serious foul play why are there no red cards for overhead kicks ?

[eugeneritchie]

Michael Smith last season at same ground, deliberate hand ball, nothing,
Goldson Tynecastle,
nothing, same player Ibrox many tines nothing, Beaton is the problem, END OF, CALL IT OUT