A 19-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with a data protection offence after the home address and personal details of Scottish football referee John Beaton were leaked online. The leak followed the penalty controversy during Celtic's 3-2 win over Motherwell on Wednesday evening.
Police Scotland confirmed the arrest on Friday, stating that the teenager is due to appear at Hamilton Sheriff Court at a later date. The force had been alerted on Thursday night after Beaton's personal information was shared on social media. The official had been placed under police surveillance following the match.
The incident has sparked a strong response from the Scottish Football Association (SFA), which released a statement condemning the leak and criticising what it described as a culture of 'scapegoating' match officials. The SFA said: 'John Beaton and his family spent last night at home under police surveillance following a leak of personal details online. Such vigilantism, motivated by decisions perceived to be right or wrong on a field of play, is a scourge on our national game.'
The controversy stems from a late penalty awarded by Beaton after a VAR review for handball against Motherwell's Sam Nicholson. The decision allowed Celtic to win 3-2, keeping the Scottish Premiership title race alive until the final day. Had the match ended in a draw, Celtic would have needed a three-goal victory against Hearts on Saturday to clinch the title; instead, Hearts must avoid defeat to prevent Celtic from winning.
The SFA's statement also criticised media pundits, clubs, and supporters for contributing to an environment that endangers officials, adding: 'This is the consequence of a hysterical media narrative, fuelled by irresponsible knee-jerk post-match media interviews, commentary and official social media posts.'
