Bobby Madden urges SFA to address Celtic penalty vs Motherwell as Hearts impacted amid 'systemic failures'
The former referee and another ex-official have provided their takes on the Celtic penalty call that impacts Hearts.
Bobby Madden reckons VAR inconsistencies on handball has sparked Hearts anger after Celtic’s controversial spot kick award, with the Scottish FA urged to make comment.
The Hoops won 3-2 over Motherwell with a walk-off goal from 12 yards through Kelechi Iheanacho. It has come with highly-contentious debate over whether or not Sam Nicholson handled the ball when jumping for a challenge with Celtic’s Auston Trusty, VAR official Andrew Dallas calling John Beaton to the monitor, with a penalty awarded. It now means Hearts have to avoid defeat at Parkhead this Saturday against Celtic to win the title rather than avoid a three-goal defeat after they got the better of Falkirk 3-0 at Tynecastle.
Ex referee Madden brought up Rangers’ Dujon Sterling’s alleged handball in Hearts’ win over the Light Blues and Motherwell’s Emmanuel Longelo possibly committing handball in last weekend’s draw with the Jambos. Neither him or fellow ex-referee Steve Conroy thought the Celtic award warranted a penalty as he urged the Scottish FA to clear up the situation.
Bobby Madden on Celtic penalty vs Motherwell
“I don't think they'll come out and admit they've made a mistake,” said Madden on BBC Radio Scotland. “I think they probably would be best served coming out and making comment because as everyone is discussing this and it shows Scottish football in a bad light when really this season Scottish football should be promoted as one of the most entertaining leagues in Europe.
“So I think the SFA should probably come out and release the audio, but at least explain the decision-making process. Were there other angles reviewed? I don't think it will happen but I think it would be for the best if Scottish football did. I suppose it's the responsibility of the SFA and the referee operations to manage the referees and make sure they appoint the best officials for each match. If you go back to the Bank Holiday Monday game at Tynecastle, there was a handball decision in that game, that Michael Stewart actually talks about.
“Handball wasn't given, and apparently the guidance that was given to the club was that Dujon Sterling elbowed the ball and was in the act of challenging, so it couldn't be penalised. Then I think that guidance has obviously been shared with the referees. Then you have the incident at Fir Park at Motherwell v Hearts where a handball, which I believe was a handball and should have had a VAR intervention, wasn't given because of the guidance that came out, that's incorrect in my opinion. Then you have that decision last night which is probably the least clear of all three and it's given. I think that inconsistency is what frustrates people and that's why you'll probably have a lot of Hearts fans who feel aggrieved.”
What is SFA stance on VAR?
Conroy meanwhile feels the VAR debate falls firmly with the SFA, He feels there are failings on the Scottish game’s governing body when it comes to a slate of decisions over the course of this season.
”Before he'd even given the decision and when he came away that quickly, there was only one outcome from it,” said Conroy. “He was going to give that. We've talked about VAR failures, and let's not beat about the bush, VAR failures all season. This is an indication of a systemic failure from the SFA and how we deal with VAR.
“They have not got to grips with it and the same mistakes happen every week and it's with the same officials in the VAR room that are making these same mistakes. The SFA must be happy with what is happening because they keep giving the big games to the same people. The officials will be generous, made a mistake, but they're making a mistake that the SFA seem to repeatedly tell them to make.”
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