Celtic VAR Farce Strikes Again: Three Goals Chopped Off in Two Games — How Long Before It Costs Us Points?
Celtic have taken six points from St Mirren and St Johnstone, but three disallowed goals and two very different interpretations of “conclusive evidence” should set alarm bells ringing.
Phillip Cooney 
The Celtic VAR farce has struck again. Celtic have six league wins from six, but the discussion after another three points at McDiarmid Park should not simply be about Mika Baur’s winner.
It should be about a refereeing and VAR process that is becoming impossible to understand.
Celtic had the ball in the net for a second time against St Johnstone when Sebastian Tounekti’s cross was headed back across goal by Kasper Høgh and Haissem Hassan finished.
The assistant referee had already flagged because he believed Tounekti’s cross had gone out of play.
The television replays did not provide anything resembling conclusive proof that the whole ball had crossed the line.
Sky Sports explained that VAR could not intervene without definitive evidence to overturn the on-field decision. On the face of it, that principle is perfectly reasonable.
The problem is what happened four days earlier.
Celtic VAR farce now has a consistency problem
Against St Mirren, Celtic had two goals disallowed in a 2-1 victory.
Camilo Duran saw one ruled out after an extremely tight offside check. Shim Mheuka then had another goal overturned despite the VAR system being unable to produce the normal offside lines.
Martin O’Neill was left openly questioning the process.
So what exactly is the standard?
If inconclusive pictures mean VAR cannot overturn an assistant referee who says a ball went out at McDiarmid Park, why was inconclusive evidence considered sufficient to deny Celtic goals in Paisley?
That is the issue.
It is not about demanding every marginal call goes Celtic’s way. It is about demanding one evidential standard.
Even Kris Boyd, speaking on Sky Sports, said he did not believe the ball had gone out.
Celtic supporters will know that Boyd is hardly a pundit who routinely gives their club the benefit of the doubt. If even he looked at the replay and was unconvinced, it underlines how far the incident was from being clear-cut.
Celtic VAR farce will eventually cost points
Three Celtic goals have now been chalked off across two matches.
Celtic beat St Mirren 2-1 and St Johnstone 1-0, so those decisions have not changed the points total.
That should not make them easier to dismiss.
In fact, it makes this the moment to ask the questions.
One day Celtic will not find another goal. One day a marginal decision will arrive in the 88th minute of a 0-0 game, or in a title decider, a cup tie or a derby.
Then everybody will suddenly admit the process matters.
VAR is supposed to reduce uncertainty. Instead, Celtic have just experienced two matches where the apparent threshold for intervention seems to change depending on the incident.
That cannot continue.
Scottish football does not need officials to guarantee perfect decisions. It does need them to apply the same principles consistently.
Because “not definitive enough to intervene” cannot be the rule on Wednesday after apparently not being the rule on Saturday.
Celtic have escaped with six points.
Sooner or later, if this continues, they may not escape at all.
I think you give Boyd too much credit. The goal was chopped off, of course he will say it was legit because we didn’t get it. Imagine there was the suggestion the ball went out , we scored and the goal stood, even without the proof he would be spraying half eaten monster munch everywhere screaming conspiracy and unseen Fenian hand. It suits him to say it should stand knowing full well we ain’t getting it. He is nothing more than a clown and a troll.