Pundit Floats Potential Theory for VAR’s Controversial Glasgow Derby Intervention

Michael Stewart has continued to voice his concerns over the officiating in the Sunday’s Glasgow Derby clash that ended in a 3-3 draw.

The match, filled with controversial decisions, left many questioning the effectiveness and accuracy of VAR in Scottish Football.

In the Game’s pivotal moment, Rangers’ Fabio Silva was initially shown a yellow card by referee John Beaton for what was deemed a dive.

However, after the VAR intervention led by Nick Walsh, Beaton was sent to the monitor and subsequently awarded a penalty to Rangers, reversing his initial decision.

Stewart, who has been vocal about his dissatisfaction with the decision, labelling it ’embarrassing’ and ‘disgraceful’.

He further questioned whether the VAR official had missed an initial touch on the ball by Johnston, which would have significantly impacted the decision-making process. “I do wonder if Nick Walsh didn’t see the initial touch of the ball, hence why he never showed it. He wouldn’t be alone. After the Game I had to show the touch to someone who was completely unaware of it,” Stewart posted on X.

For Walsh not to see this would be a massive error on his part. He’s there to see things that the referee has missed in real-time and has the benefit of replays from various angles.

Celtic have written to the SFA to raise their concerns about the footage that was shown to John Beaton on the pitchside monitor.