The Virtual VAR series featuring the Yorkshire Whistler casts their eye over the Glasgow Derby, The Rangers 1, Celtic 2.
Willie Collum was chosen for this one.
BACKGROUND - I outlined a framework to assess the impact of Honest Mistakes in the SPFL.
03/04/22 The Rangers vs Celtic
Incident 1
Referee Willie Collum Game Minute 40th
Incident Maeda goes down in box under challenge from McGregor Outcome No decision Evidence BBC iPlayer - Sportscene - 2021/22: 03/04/2022
At 10:22
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict Maeda breaks through the Rangers backline and the onrushing McGregor spreads himself to block any Maeda attempt on goal.
In real time, my initial thoughts were that the referee had made the correct call. Maeda had simply over run the ball, and that McGregor had got a crucial block on the ball. Maeda then went to ground relatively easily, looking for the penalty.
However, the slow-motion replay does make me question this initial feeling. It appears that it is Maeda’s left foot and not McGregor who makes contact with the ball. Then the question is: Does McGregor’s momentum then result in Maeda being fouled?
What appears to happen is that Maeda initially lifts his left leg to avoid the contact from McGregor’s outstretched left leg. It is very difficult to see if there is any actual contact made at this point.
However, Maeda then appears to ‘sell’ the appearance that contact was made by dropping to floor, with his arms outstretched. As seen at almost any level of the game on any given Saturday, the eyes are then on the referee to make a quick decision, based on the one take he has seen. I suspect Maeda’s exaggerated fall, plays a part in the referee’s decision that a penalty should not being awarded.
Having reviewed the footage several times over, I feel the point of contact if any is inconclusive and so feel the referee makes the correct call not to award the penalty.
Verdict: Correct decision.
Expected Points
Outcome
No impact
Incident 2
Referee Willie Collum Game Minute 61st
Incident Jack cross blocked by Carter-Vickers Outcome No decision Evidence BBC iPlayer - Sportscene - 2021/22: 03/04/2022
At 13:50
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict Jack’s cross is blocked in the box by Carter Vickers’ and the Rangers players appeal for a handball/penalty decision.
Straight forward decision here. Accidental hand ball, Carter-Vickers arm position feels natural and expected for that specific situation, so is NOT deemed to be making his body shape unnaturally bigger.
Verdict: Correct decision
Expected Points
Outcome
No impact
Incident 3
Referee Willie Collum Game Minute 64th
Incident Giakoumakis fouls Jack and Jack places his hand over Giakoumakis face Outcome Free kick to TRFC and YC to Giakoumakis Evidence BBC iPlayer - Sportscene - 2021/22: 03/04/2022
At 14:30
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict Giakoumakis does catch Jack slightly late with a sliding challenge and this correctly deemed a foul and a ‘reckless’ challenge’ that sees a caution correctly issued.
There is a question mark over Jack’s reaction. As both players tangle on the floor, Jack initially appears to put his hand out and it rests on the Celtic player’s face. Although this does not appear to be done in an aggressive manner initially, he then seems to push down on Giakoumakis face to help him regain his footage. A bizarre way of using another player’s face to help you regain your balance.
The laws of the game don’t cater for this ‘passive aggressive’ movement, and I suspect Jack is dabbling in a spot of gamesmanship, maybe to provoke the Celtic player into a reaction.
There is no way that the referee sees any of this transpire and even if he did, Jack is very cute with his use of body language.
Although I have speculated as to what may have transpired in this brief passage of play, ultimately there is no evidence to warrant a caution to Jack here.
Verdict: Correct decision.
Expected Points
Outcome
No impact
Incident 4
Referee Willie Collum Game Minute 78th
Incident Goldson goes down under challenge from Carter-Vickers from corner Outcome No decision Evidence BBC iPlayer - Sportscene - 2021/22: 03/04/2022
At 16:07
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict Goldson & Carter Vickers tussle in the box as a corner is swung in and Goldson goes to ground, claiming an infringement.
Interesting incident to analyse here. What we see initial here the usual and regular grappling/jostling for position between players during a set piece. It starts as the expected ‘contact without clearing fouling the other player’ movement. Goldson & Carter Vickers both trying to get the upper hand from a positional point of view before the ball arrives. I do not believe that either player clearly fouls the other, until Carter Vickers decides to pull down on the front of Goldsons shirt.
This shirt pull is only for a brief second and is done in such a way that the referee has no chance of seeing the infringement, from the angle he is stood at. Bearing in mind he is also trying to watch the various other challenges happening at the same time in a somewhat congested penalty area.
I would also question if this momentary tug of the shirt, actually had any impact on Goldson’s ability to continue to compete for the ball. I suspect not, he simply feels the tug and drops to the ground appealing for the penalty.
Although I do not believe the referee has committed any kind of clear & obvious error here, I suspect if VAR was in use in the SPFL, as it is being used in the English game currently, this incident would have resulted in a VAR review and a penalty kick being awarded to Rangers. Certainly, if you freeze frame the moment the shirt pulls, it would look quite incriminating, hence why I feel a VAR review would result in the penalty.
However, this does not necessarily mean the wrong on field decision was made at the time. I am trying to not to contradict myself here and fully accept my verdict is only my opinion and is likely to be unaccepted by other people.
I just feel that in the context of the contact already happening between Goldson & Carter-Vickers, this kind of momentary shirt pull did not have an impact on Goldson’s movement. When you are refereeing a high tempo, fast moving game, you get a feel for what should be penalised and what you should let go. And my gut feeling would have been not to penalise that particular incident.
Verdict: Correct decision not to award the penalty.
Expected Points
Outcome
No impact
Summary
My thanks as always to the Yorkshire Whistler.
Congratulations are due to Collum for an excellent refereeing performance throughout. Additionally, he got all the big calls correct.
Of course, the professional media fixated on the one the Yorkshire Whistler dismissed in barely a sentence.
No movement in the overall xPts position then.

After this week’s errors, Celtic have 3.64 LESS Points than expected and The Rangers have 1.47 MORE points than expected due to the cumulative impact of Honest Mistakes.
The overall difference, therefore, is 5.11 points.
Celtic currently lead by 6 points with six matches left.