The VAR Review | March 2025

The VAR Review is a monthly show that gives Scottish football fans a behind the scenes look at some of the big decisions made across the game – whether they are right or whether they are wrong – and how those decisions are reached. Get unique insight through the use of VAR and referee audio.

Host Gordon Duncan is joined by Head of Refereeing, Willie Collum, for the latest show, which looks back at matches in February and March 2025, across both the SPFL Premiership and Scottish Gas Men’s Scottish Cup.

00:00 – Show Introduction
00:26 – Hibernian v Celtic
04:37 – Dundee United v Hibernian
08:17 – Motherwell v Dundee
10:22 – St Mirren v Heart of Midlothian (Scottish Gas Men’s Scottish Cup)
12:37 – Heart of Midlothian v St Mirren (SPFL Premiership)
18:08 – Rangers v St Mirren
21:00 – Heart of Midlothian v Rangers
22:33 – Celtic v Dundee
26:21 – St Mirren v Celtic
29:06 – Show Outro

© The Scottish Football Association 2025

This video is copyrighted by the Scottish FA and must not be republished either in its entirety and/or clips or still images without the prior written consent of the Scottish FA.

[Boaby-wan-kenobi]

Gordon Duncan, you are an honest host who asks very good genuine questions. I'm impressed (which I'm sure you'll be happy about) and Willie Collum, answering directly, honestly, and with consistency. I am doubly impressed.
Thank you both.

[PacoB]

Can but say thank you to Willie for honestly providing his review of some very contentious items. The "review, discuss and learn" process described by Willie being carried out with the onfield referees and VAR personnel should give the best chance to instill previous experiences into future decisions.

[rowrow]

Big Alan couldn't wait to knock it off 😂😂😂

[olSnakeEyeslo]

Regarding the Celtic incident surely the VAR refs know that it’s got to be 100% proof, so why did Muir chop the goal off? That’s basic stuff

[sparky]

The Dundee United goal was a goal. Remember this same panel tried to say that when the ball is played off your own person onto your hand it doesn’t count as handball after Goldson hand balled it? Then there is clearly a short distance to the ball to hand. It’s a goal all day long.

[megalodon]

1st one of these videos i have watched and I've got to hand it to willie collum he does give good explanations here

[spanielpurray]

Why is Alan muir still officiating at the top level, if he is not incompetent then he is corrupt. One or the other. The man was desperate for the ball to be out of play and completely took over the situation bullying AVAR using closed questions. We keep hearing that the refs are constantly being trained, what kind of training is being carried out if we are having these lengthy var reviews every month? You can’t train staunchness out of someone, he should be demoted as soon as possible

[billyweir]

Trying to work out why there was not enough contact with the Rangers player on the Hearts player, there was contact and the Hearts player lost control, should have been a penalty to Hearts. Sadly, the assistant referee doesn’t get involved anymore.

[Alan-tlil]

Muir bullied the Asst VAR official to disallow that goal....Celtic need to use that audio to go after this cheat .

[LewisNeilson-sg]

Whoever was var for Hibs vs Celtic and Hibs vs Dundee united have some serious explaining to do DO YOU AGREE is all the var said in Celtic game and Dundee united game is just the basics

[chomskybhoy]

The only ‘fact’ in this evidence is that Muir wanted that ball to be over the line. Bullied the A Var into agreeing with him when the boy clearly saw no angle that was definitive to say the ball was out. Muir saying it was a factual overturn was a lie and he should never officiate another game again in Scotland

[andythebud]

Another video, another denied St Mirren penalty that should have been given. Clubs like St Mirren, these are fine margins that can make or break a season.

[keynoteFlyer]

Muir kept asking closed questions of the AVAR. “That looks out DO YOU AGREE”. How many mistakes is he getting away with ?

[stevemcfarlane]

Great communication this. Well done all involved 👏👏

[adamgray]

Get these var reviews every month yet the quality of refereeing doesn't get any better...

[AidenWhitty-pk]

Simple answer it's Alan Muir trying his best to find any angle to rule out the goal while ignoring other angles which prove it's inconclusive.

[scottmackintosh]

It's really interesting for me as an amateur referee watching this. The biggest thing I've learned for myself is this. When you're in the stand or on the sideline of a football pitch, you can tell if something is a foul and what card it is. Almost every time. Even if it's at the opposite end of the pitch. So why can't referees get most things right. I believe the Igamane one is a perfect example of the referee being too close. You just cannot see what happens at that distance. Peripheral vision is absolutely useless for refereeing. You need to be further back to widen the scope of your focused vision. I had a decision very similar to the shoulder challenge once and all I seen was the contact. I presumed he was just going for the ball and ran into the player. I was way too close to make any other call. I was told(by both teams) that the player sprinted into the challenge and deliberately lead with the forearm. I was so close that I never even seen him coming. The only bad thing about being far away from a decision is if you get blocked by a player, which is rare. What I do now is stay in line with the ball, but much further away from it.

[ewankenobi]

Scotland uses far less cameras than English Premiership & the first 3 incidents all show that the number of cameras we use isn't fit for purpose.

[enricopatucci]

Excellent explanations. Keep it up guys. This really helps the game.

[redeye]

The Hearts penalty claim, they say the Ref was in an excellent position several times.... he was directly behind the players.

How do you judge a push from directly behind?