The Scottish Football Association's Key Match Incident (KMI) panel has ruled that Celtic should not have been awarded the controversial penalty in their 3-2 win at Motherwell, a decision that ultimately decided the Scottish Premiership title race.
Deep into stoppage time at Fir Park, VAR Andrew Dallas alerted referee John Beaton to a potential handball by Motherwell's Sam Nicholson. Beaton, after a brief pitchside monitor review, awarded the spot-kick, which Kelechi Iheanacho converted to secure a dramatic victory. The KMI panel confirmed on Friday that Beaton's initial decision not to award a penalty was correct, and the VAR intervention was incorrect.
The decision sparked widespread backlash, with former England striker Gary Lineker calling it 'maybe the worst VAR decision I’ve seen', and Hearts manager Derek McInnes describing it as 'disgusting'. Referee Beaton was placed under police protection after his personal details were leaked online.
The KMI panel also deemed another decision against Hearts incorrect: a penalty not awarded to the Jambos in their 1-1 draw at Motherwell, when Alexandros Kyziridis was tripped. Hearts finished two points behind Celtic, with these calls having a significant impact on the title race.
The Scottish Senior Football Referees Association condemned the 'entirely disproportionate' scrutiny on officials, stating that 'irresponsible commentary from some managers, clubs and sections of the media has only served to fuel an already toxic environment'. Meanwhile, the SPFL has opened disciplinary investigations into five matches from the closing days of the season, including the Celtic-Hearts title decider, which was marred by a pitch invasion after Celtic's third goal.
