Kasper Schmeichel Branded ‘Pathetic’ by Former SPFL Referee

Former SPFL referee Steve Conroy hasn’t held back in his criticism of Kasper Schmeichel after the Danish goalkeeper tried to tamper with the penalty spot during Celtic’s 2-1 win over Ross County on Sunday. Schmeichel attempted to disrupt the penalty spot before Ronan Hale took the first-half penalty, a move that’s drawn ire from Conroy.

Schmeichel initially saved the penalty, but his heroics were short-lived as VAR deemed him off his line, allowing Hale to retake it and equalise. Celtic went on to secure all three points in Dingwall, with a second-half comeback, but the goalkeeper’s antics left Conroy unimpressed.

Speaking on his podcast Behind the Whistle, Conroy didn’t mince his words, likening Schmeichel’s behaviour to something you’d expect in a playground:

“That stuff is what you b****** people coming through doing bloody primary school Games, trying that stuff. Grow up,” Conroy fumed. “Apart from it should be a yellow card for stupidity, that is vandalism. That is someone’s property, stop digging that up. It is embarrassing.”

Conroy’s frustration extended to the wider Footballing ethos, stating that Schmeichel’s actions reflect poorly on both the player and the club.

“What these people forget is he is just in the door and he will pretend he knows about the History and all that, but no matter what team you are playing for, they represent your team and what your team stands for. I don’t think anybody, no matter what team, would stand for someone digging up a penalty spot like a school kid. It’s pathetic.”

Commonplace Antics?

Unfortunately, this is becoming all too familiar in modern Football, particularly with the increased reliance on VAR. The lengthy waits for decisions have led to more incidents of players loitering around the penalty spot, sometimes attempting to scuff the ground to gain an advantage.

Celtic have faced similar situations, with their players needing to protect the penalty spot on several occasions during VAR checks at Celtic Park. The behaviour is disruptive and unsporting, but it’s something that’s creeping more and more into the Game.

While Conroy’s frustration is understandable, some may argue that his reaction is overblown. There’s no denying that Schmeichel’s actions were unsporting, but to call for a yellow card and label it as ‘vandalism’ may be taking things a bit far.

Schmeichel will likely be under scrutiny moving forward, but the focus remains on Celtic’s comeback victory, which keeps them on track at the top of the table.