McCoist Demands Rule Change After Celtic Park Flashpoint

Ally McCoist had plenty to say about Celtic’s 2-2 draw with Aberdeen, focusing on a disallowed goal for the Dons that could have sealed a dramatic comeback. The former Ibrox player and manager, speaking on Talksport Monday morning, stated that he’s “not anti-Celtic” but had an issue with the decision to rule out what would have been a potential winner for Aberdeen.

Aberdeen fought back from 2-0 down to level the match. They believed they’d grabbed a potential winner, but VAR stepped in and chalked off the goal. McCoist shared his thoughts on the decision, which has sparked plenty of debate.

McCoist: Decision Correct, But Rule Needs Reconsideration

McCoist acknowledged that the decision to disallow the goal was correct by the letter of the law, but he argued that the handball rule itself needs to be re-evaluated, claiming Aberdeen were unlucky in the situation.

“You can’t argue with the law,” McCoist said. “The decision to disallow it is the correct one. Now, forget about the two teams taking part, people will say I am anti-Celtic. I am not. This is the gospel truth.”

The goal was ruled out after the ball made contact with Aberdeen forward Duk’s arm. While it was unintentional, the current rules meant the goal couldn’t stand. McCoist pointed out that Duk had no control over the situation and that the accidental nature of the handball should have been taken into account.

“That man, I think it’s Duk’s arm it comes across, he has got absolutely no chance,” McCoist continued. “He is facing the other way. So, he has absolutely no idea about that ball hitting him. It goes down as unintentional. And, for that, I think that goal should probably stand.”

McCoist Calls for Rule Change

McCoist’s main contention lies with the fact that intent is no longer a consideration in handball decisions. According to the current rules, even an accidental handball can lead to a goal being disallowed, as it did in this case. McCoist believes this part of the law needs revisiting.

“They’ve got to bring the word ‘intentional’ back into the law, I think,” he added. “It’s not an anti-Celtic thing because Celtic will win the league this year, there is no doubt about that, and they are the best team in the league. But that is a talking point.”

Host Jeff Stelling agreed with McCoist, adding that revisiting the handball rule would “clear up a lot of things.”

McCoist had no such concerns about the handball rule when VAR’s initial run in Scotland saw Celtic on the receiving end of some wild handball decisions. We suppose it only resonates when things go for Celtic? But it’s not anti-Celtic, absholutely not.