JOHN BEATON got full marks for his performance on VAR during the recent Hearts vs Celtic match, it has been claimed.
The match officials were at the centre of major controversy during the 2-0 Jambos win, with Brendan Rodgers later hitting out at the ‘competence’ of the officiating team of match referee Don Robertson with Beaton in the VAR room.
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He has since been handed a one-match ban – with another match suspended – for those comments, which frees the Northern Irishman to take his place on the touchline at Ibrox next Sunday.
But previewing his Sportsound show on BBC Off the Ball, host Kenny MacIntrye revealed that he had been informed that Beaton was applauded for his performance on VAR.
On a day full of controversial decisions, Don Robertson awarded a disputed penalty for Celtic for a coming together between Yang and Alex Cochrane.
On the advice of Beaton, he then upgraded a yellow card against Yang for a high foot on the same player to a red.
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Beaton then directed match official Robertson to VAR as the referee agreed that Tomoki Iwata was guilty of a handball which led to a Hearts penalty against Celtic.
Asked about how VAR and the inconsistency of it’s implementation was affecting the Scottish game, MacIntyre said: “Unfortunately it is affecting some big calls.
“For example, in the game you are talking about, at Tynecastle, the one that Brendan Rodgers was hauled in front of the disciplinary board for, I am told that the VAR that day got full marks for his decisions.”
But he also added: “I’ve been told by a senior match official for example that the penalty award that Hearts got was just ridiculous.
“The two incidents at Fir Park [Motherwell vs Aberdeen] the same match official told me that the Lennon Miller goal should have stood and he couldn’t understand why the referee came over.”
Meanwhile, a former top class referee has criticised the SFA for putting Don Robertson in charge of Celtic’s trip to Livingston tomorrow.
He was one of two match officials whose performance was branded incompetent by Brendan Rodgers following the 2-0 defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle.
Rodgers received a one-match touchline ban for the dispute – with another match suspended – meaning he will watch the clash in West Lothian from the stands.
But Robertson will be in the middle of the action again – and former Category One referee Des Roache reckons it is an error from the governing body.
Referees’ chief Crawford Allan recently announced that he was set to retire at the end of the season.
Roache told the Daily Mail: “I think there could have been better appointments made this weekend.”
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