Honest Mistakes 2025/26 - To Week 29
Covering the Derby, Celtic games at Aberdeen and home to Hibernian, and The Rangers' visit to Livingston.
The latest review of the big calls for the large Glasgow sides covers Celtic’s matches at home to Hibernian, away to The Rangers and away at Aberdeen. For the Ibrox side it also includes the tie at Livingston.
21/02/26 Celtic vs Hibernian
Incident 1
Referee: Matthew McDermid
Game Minute: 14th
Score At Time: 0-0
Incident: Ball hits Iredale in the box
Outcome: No decision
Evidence: Provided
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
Ball hits Iredale in the box
IOD: No decision
A high ball is played into the Hibs box and Iredale is stood close behind his man. At the last second the Celtic player opens his body up and this allows the ball to strike the defender as he is adjusting his body position.
Although there is accidental handball contact, Iredale is in the process of pulling his arm back into his body.
His body movement appears natural and expected and no offence is committed here.
Verdict: CORRECT decision
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
Incident 2
Referee: Matthew McDermid
Game Minute: 22nd
Score At Time: 0-0
Incident: Cvancara and Bushiri challenge in the box
Outcome: No decision
Evidence: Provided
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
Cvancara and Bushiri challenge in the box
IOD: No decision
The Celtic player has the ball into his body and the defender is very touch tight. There is mutual grabbing contact here and as all good strikers do - they lean and push into their man to shield the ball.
This contest sees both players off balance and fall to the floor. Even though you can say that the Hibs player doesn’t make contact with the ball, I feel there is not enough to see a penalty kick awarded. Both players are off balance and leaning backwards as they fall together.
Verdict: CORRECT decision
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
Incident 3
Referee: Matthew McDermid
Game Minute: 72nd
Score At Time: 1-1
Incident: Trusty and McGrath grabble at a corner
Outcome: Red Card to Trusty
Evidence:
At 3:04
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
Trusty and Mcgrath grapple at corner
IOD: Foul against Celtic and Trusty sent off after VAR review
McGrath and Trusty are getting handsy with each other just before a corner is swung into the box. McGrath right had is grabbing Trusty’s left arm and in attempt to break free of his grip, Trusty appears to strike down onto McGrath with his free right arm. VAR believe this striking motion is of sufficient aggression to constitute an act of violent conduct and the on field ref agrees.
My opinions is that they made the wrong decision and had focused on the striking action rather than the actual contact or impact. He is trying to break free of the close marking attentions of McGrath and is probably a bit frustrated and swings his arm downwards to break free.
At most this is a yellow card worthy ‘adopting an aggressive attitude’ but not enough intent or malice for me to see it as violent conduct.
Verdict: INCORRECT decision - Caution the expected outcome
Expected Points Outcome: Celtic -0.31 xPts
Incident 4
Referee: Matthew McDermid
Game Minute: 74th
Score At Time: 1-1
Incident: Scales challenges for a corner
Outcome: No decision
Evidence:
At 4:03
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
Scales challenges for a corner
IOD: No decision
Scales goes to ground whilst under the attention of his marker. We see the usual set piece grappling and competing for space involving several players from both teams.
For me any contact between Scales and the other defender is minimal, not sustained and certainly not significant enough to make him drop to the floor, appealing for a penalty the way he does. No foul for me.
Verdict: CORRECT decision
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
21/02/26 Livingston vs The Rangers
Incident 1
Referee: Ryan Lee
Game Minute: 60th
Score At Time: 2-0
Incident: Montano challenges Gassama
Outcome: Foul to TRFC; RC to Montano
Evidence:
At 2:13
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
Montano challenges Gassama
IOD: Foul to Rangers and Montano sent off
After a pass is played behind the Livingston back line, Montano is caught flat footed by the Gassama, who appears odds on to get through one on one. Montano makes a desperate lunge just outside the box and makes no contact with the ball but does catch the Rangers player. This is correctly interpreted as a foul outside the box and, as it is a denial of obvious goal scoring opportunity, the offending player is rightly sent off.
Verdict: CORRECT decision
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
Incident 2
Referee: Ryan Lee
Game Minute: 90th
Score At Time: 2-2
Incident: Kerr challenges Moore
Outcome: No decision
Evidence:
At 4:22
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
Kerr challenges Moore
IOD: No decision
As Moore appears to be through on goal, Kerr makes a last ditch and genuine slide challenge. In full speed it is difficult to be sure if he plays the ball or man first. Upon replay it shows that Kerr does not make contact with the ball but rather he catches the left hand side of Moores leg and it is then the Rangers player leg that knocks into the ball as he crashes to the ground.
I’m surprised VAR did not recommend an on field review here as I feel a penalty kick should have been awarded for the foul.
Verdict: INCORRECT decision. Penalty kick and yellow card the expected outcome.
Expected Points Outcome: The Rangers -1.23 xPts
01/03/26 The Rangers vs Celtic
Incident 1
Referee: John Beaton
Game Minute: 88th
Score At Time: 2-1
Incident: Sterling blocks Maeda’s header
Outcome: Penalty to Celtic for handball following VAR referral
Evidence:
At 4:40
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
Sterling blocks Maeda header
IOD: Handball and penalty to Celtic after VAR review
As a cross comes over Maeda looks to head home from close range only for his goalbound header hit the out stretched arm of Sterling before then deflecting onto the keeper then away.
Sterling has to jump to make the challenge and from that proximity his arms need to be out somewhere. Although his arms are in a natural position they are outwards and if the ball doesn’t hit his arm, then it looks like being a goal.
On this basis, although I have some sympathy for the Rangers player, this is correctly identified as accidental handball that denies a goal scoring opportunity and so the penalty call, I feel is correct. As this is accidental, a red card is not expected in this scenario and the penalty award is deemed enough of a sanction. If it was deliberate, it would have also been a sending off for the DOGSO.
Verdict: CORRECT decision
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
04/03/26 Aberdeen vs Celtic
Incident 1
Referee: Nick Walsh
Game Minute: 18th
Score At Time: 0-1
Incident: Scales challenges Olusanya
Outcome: Penalty to Aberdeen
Evidence:
At 0:37
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
Scales and Olusanya challenge in the box
IOD: Penalty to Aberdeen
As the ball bobbles around on the Celtic box Scales and Olusanya both go to kick the ball at the same time with the Aberdeen with his back to the defender. He drops to the ground claiming Scales kicked him rather than the ball.
In real time Scales doesn’t look to have done much wrong here. However, upon replay it appears that Scales catches the back of Olusanyas knee as the Aberdeen players leg makes contact with the ball. I can see why the penalty was awarded in this instance.
Verdict: CORRECT decision
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
Incident 2
Referee: Nick Walsh
Game Minute: 41st
Score At Time: 1-1
Incident: Olusanya and Tierney challenge
Outcome: Foul to Celtic; YC to Olusanya
Evidence: Provided
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
Olusanya and Tierney challenge
IOD: Free kick to Celtic and caution to Olusanya
The Aberdeen man has possession of the ball as he looks to break into the Celtic box, closely marked by Tierney. We appear to see him stretch his right leg out in an effort to block off the attentions of Tierney and protect the ball, but this motion actually results in him standing down on the foot of the Celtic player.
I believe this is accidental and there is no intent to injure Tierney in my opinion, as his eyes are firmly fixed on retaining possession of the ball. This action is correctly adjudged to be a reckless challenge and nothing more, punishable as a yellow card offence.
Verdict : CORRECT decision
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
Incident 3
Referee: Nick Walsh
Game Minute: 45th
Score At Time: 1-1
Incident: Milne blocks cross into the box
Outcome: No decision
Evidence:
At 2:15
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict:
Milne blocks cross into the box
IOD: No decision
A cross of the left accidentally hits the arm of Milne. This is at close proximity and the arms are not unnaturally extended in any way. Comfortable with this being seen by the ref as accidental handball and no foul expected.
Verdict: CORRECT decision
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
Summary
My thanks, as always, to the Yorkshire Whistler.
The teams were caught up with the back log after these fixtures.
The Derby itself was relatively quiet from a major call perspective, with the late penalty to Celtic deemed correct.
In the post Crawford Allan world, it is rare for two errors to be called out in the same edition of this newsletter.
Both could be impactful in the long run.
The failure of VAR to highlight The Rangers potential late penalty at Livingston could have denied an addition two points to the visitors in a tight title race.
And the sending off of Auston Trusty at home to Hibernian, on the back of the erroneous decision to send him off at Heart of Midlothian has been highly damaging to Celtic. A win became a draw at Tynecastle, and a draw became a defeat at home to Hibernian. A three-point swing.
Additionally, Trusty was then suspended for three matches at a time Celtic’s squad is injury stricken.
Continual poor decisions, which at least impact all sides more or less equally, continues to be the theme under Willie Collum. The lesser of two evils for most.
The Rangers have been estimated to have been hampered by 1.64 expected points thus far although both are in “negative” territory now.
Celtic led The Rangers by one point after 29 matches.