My eternal thanks to the Yorkshire Whistler who has caught up after my various absences to clear a large backlog.
You’ll need a full pot for this one. Slippers on, sit back, brew up!
05/09/26 The Rangers vs Motherwell
Incident 1
Referee: Duncan Nicholson
Game Minute: 29th
Score At Time: 1-0
Incident: Gassama goes down on the box
Outcome: Penalty to TRFC
Evidence:
At 2:05
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
IOD: Penalty awarded to Rangers
Ball is swung into Motherwell box from right hand side. Gassama appears to be favourite to win the aerial ball, under the challenge of a Motherwell defender. The defender appears not to sense the proximity of Gassama until it is too late. Although the challenge is not a heavy one, he clearly impedes Gassama who is already in mid flight jumping for the ball and is knocked off balance. A foul is committed here.
Verdict: CORRECT decision.
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
05/09/26 St Mirren vs Celtic
Incident 1
Referee: Ryan Lee
Game Minute: 22nd
Score At Time: 0-0
Incident: Scales blocks a shot
Outcome: Penalty to St Mirren
Evidence:
At 0:00
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
A volley is drilled at Scales, at force and he has a small amount of time to redact as the ball comes at him. I agree that the contact on the arm is just inside the box and it does clearly strike his arm accidentally. To be considered an offence, the referee has to believe that Scales body shape was made unjustifiably larger as a consequence of this action.
On balance, I can see why the referee felt these criteria had been met, although it does seem a tad harsh on the Celtic man.
As the St Mirren player lines up the shot, Scales positions both arms behind his back, aware of the possible handball offence he is wanting to avoid. However, at the last moment he then puts his arms out wide before, realising the danger and starting to bring them back in again. This outward movement unfortunately goes against him, as the ball strikes his partially extended left arm and so the penalty is given. A subjective call, but one that I can justify why it was made.
Verdict: CORRECT decision.
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
Incident 2
Referee: Ryan Lee
Game Minute: 29th
Score At Time: 1-0
Incident: Duran scores for Celtic
Outcome: Goal disallowed for offside
Evidence: Provided
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
IOD: Goal initially given, but disallowed after VAR review for offside
As the ball is squared from the left-hand side, Duran bundles the ball home from close range under pressure from a defender. VAR decides this is the narrowest of offside calls at the point of contact of the cross being made. Having watched back multiple angles of this incident, my gut feeling is that Duran was exactly level as the cross is delivered. Without the benefit of the exact footage VAR used to determine this call, I cannot say it is a clear and obvious error, but given all the evidence available to me, I feel benefit of doubt should have been applied here as it is not conclusively offside and I believe the goal should have stood.
Verdict: INCORRECT decision. Celtic goal, the expected outcome.
Expected Points Outcome: Celtic -0.6 xPts
Incident 3
Referee: Ryan Lee
Game Minute: 40th
Score At Time: 1-0
Incident: Scales goes over in the box
Outcome: No decision
Evidence:
At 1:51
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
IOD: No decision
As a corner is delivered, Scales appears to be about to win a header, before he drops to ground claiming to have been fouled.
In real time, it is difficult to see why he is appealing, as he jumps, with a defender directly behind him. However, the replay does appear to show a two-handed push from the defender closest to him & believe this contact was significant enough to knock him off balance and impact his ability to win the header. I believe a foul was committed here.
Verdict: INCORRECT decision. Foul and penalty kick to Celtic the expected outcome.
Expected Points Outcome: Celtic -0.54 xPts
Incident 4
Referee: Ryan Lee
Game Minute: 90th
Score At Time: 1-2
Incident: Mheuka scores for Celtic
Outcome: Goal awarded, VAR then cannot decide to ask referee to monitor who then disallows the goal
Evidence: Provided
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
IOD: Goal initially awarded, but then VAR recommends an on-field review of this incident to the referee who makes an offside call and disallows the goal.
As Mheuka latches onto a through ball and slots home, VAR recommend an on-field review, I believe due to technology issues regarding the placement of the lines to determine position at time ball is played. Clearly, there was a failing of the usual process followed here in terms of what VAR would normally do for factual black & white offside decisions.
However, that is for other people to debate, I will stick to my remit, of overseeing the final decisions made in games. Based on the video footage provided, it does appear that Mheuka was narrowly offside as the ball is played to him. Ultimately, I feel the correct decision was therefore reached.
Verdict: CORRECT decision (if not the expected process followed to arrive at this correct decision).
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
09/09/26 The Rangers vs St Mirren
Incident 1
Referee: Don Robertson
Game Minute: 16th
Score At Time: 0-0
Incident: Kabia crosses under challenge from Fernandez
Outcome: No decision
Evidence: Provided
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
IOD: No decision
As Kabia crosses, there is a question of if he is fouled by Fernandez. In real time this would have been easy to miss, but it does appear that Fernandez’ left foot makes no contact on the ball and treads down on the top of Kabia’s right foot. I suspect if VAR had brought this footage to the referee’s attention, a penalty would have been awarded.
Verdict: INCORRECT decision – foul & penalty kick the expected outcome.
Expected Points Outcome: TRFC +0.46 xPts
Incident 2
Referee: Don Robertson
Game Minute: 54th
Score At Time: 0-0
Incident: Gassama goes down in the box
Outcome: No decision
Evidence:
At 1:15
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
IOD: No decision
As a ball is swung into the St Mirren box, Gassama and his marker both go down. Upon watching the replay, Gassama is clearly tugged back and impeded by his marker. However, as this shirt pull happens just outside the box & isn’t deemed to be a potential red card offence, Var can’t recommend an on-field review.
Verdict: INCORRECT decision – direct free kick & yellow card for stopping a promising attack, is the expected outcome.
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
Incident 3
Referee: Don Robertson
Game Minute: 63rd
Score At Time: 0-0
Incident: Sterling fouls Agrafiotis
Outcome: Foul to St Mirren; YC to Sterling
Evidence: Provided
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
IOD: Foul to St Mirren. Sterling cautioned
Agrafiotis is hauled back by Sterling, and the foul is rightly penalised and Sterling cautioned. Given how far wide Agrafiotis is when he is fouled and it looks likely his next touch is not going to be directly bearing down on goal centrally, I agree this is not the denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity (red card) & that it is stopping a promising attack (yellow card).
Verdict: CORRECT decision.
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
20/09/26 Celtic vs The Rangers
Incident 1
Referee: John Beaton
Game Minute: 16th
Score At Time: 0-0
Incident: Fernandez on YC challenges Nygren
Outcome: No decision
Evidence: Provided
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
IOD: No decision
Fernandez does appear to impede Nygren in this passage of play, but the contact is accidental and for me just a foul. I’m not convinced it meets the criteria of stopping a promising attack (and therefore a 2nd yellow card) on the basis Nygren’s touch is quite heavy and its likely the covering Rangers defender who played the ball, would still have got there first, even if Nygren isn’t impeded. I can’t say with 100% certainty who would have got there first, but there is enough doubt for me to support not showing a second yellow card for an SPA here.
Verdict: INCORRECT decision (Celtic free kick only, no yellow card, the expected outcome).
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
10/10/26 The Rangers vs Motherwell
Incident 1
Referee: Matthew McDeirmid
Game Minute: 24th
Score At Time: 0-0
Incident: Kelsey scores for TRFC
Outcome: Goal to TRFC
Evidence: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cq98zdd3ggj8t#Line-ups
At 1:30
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
IOD: Goal awarded to Rangers
Kelsey sees the ball strike his body whilst he is off balance on the ground, before he picks himself and scores. Under current handball laws, the guidance is, even if it is accidental handball, If the ball touches the scorer’s hand or arm and he scores immediately afterwards, the goal is disallowed, even if the touch was a complete accident. On this basis, I do not believe the goal should have stood.
Verdict: INCORRECT decision – goal disallowed for handball, the expected outcome.
Expected Points Outcome: TRFC +0.6 xPts
11/10/26 Motherwell vs Celtic
Incident 1
Referee: Steven McLean
Game Minute: 53rd
Score At Time: 0-1
Incident: Fadinger blocks McGregor shot
Outcome: No decision
Evidence: Provided
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
IOD: No decision
McGregor’s shot is blasted at the Motherwell defender, at speed & proximity. There is accidental contact on his left arm, and he swings his body around to block the shot. For me, the hand/arm is not unnaturally extended and is slightly tucked in, if anything. I feel the correct, no decision, call was made here.
Verdict: CORRECT decision.
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
Summary
My thanks, as always, to the Yorkshire Whistler.
You’ll note no Heart of Midlothian games reviewed in the last period. Sadly, bandwidth at both ends precludes extending scope.
Whilst the last weekend past off relatively issues free, there were plenty of errors over the period when I was away. Whit ye like!
The sum total is as follows:
So far Celtic are estimated to have lost 1.14 points from refereeing errors and The Rangers benefitted by 0.46 points. A difference of 1.6 expected points in The Rangers favour.
After nine matches, Celtic leads The Rangers by four points.