Celtic’s draw with Hibernian was difficult for fans to accept for a variety of reasons.
The first is that Celtic’s match versus Edinburgh was their first at home since fan demonstrations against the board began.
Fans eagerly awaited the debuts of new Bhoys Sebastian Tounekti, Kelechi Iheanacho, Marcelo Saracchi, and Michel-Ange Balikwisha at Celtic Park.
However, no matter what Brendan Rodgers’ team did, they were unable to break down the Easter Road club, as Celtic drew 0-0 with Hibernian.
As spectators processed the news that Pat Bonner had spotted a potential Celtic penalty in the first few minutes of the Hibs game, former FIFA referee Mark Clattenburg announced his decision on the spot kick.
Mark Clattenburg explains why he was’surprised’ Celtic were not awarded a penalty against Hibernian.
It’s easy to put on the green-tinted blinkers when Celtic loses a game, and opposing fans will always try to claim resentment when missed penalty calls are emphasised.
To acquire an impartial opinion, 67 Hail Hail contacted Clattenburg about the penalty accusation.
Clattenburg exclusively told 67 Hail Hail: “There was a possible penalty claim against Jordan Obita when Anthony Ralston’s cross inside the penalty area touched his arm.
“Handball is so controversial and subjective that referees struggle to achieve consistency. When a player jumps to block a cross like this, I believe he faces the risk of the referee awarding a penalty when the ball strikes the arm, even if there is an argument that the arm is in a natural posture.
“I was surprised that the referee did not award the penalty and if it was awarded, VAR would not have changed the decision.”
So it appears that Celtic were denied the opportunity to break the deadlock in the first minutes when match referee Don Robertson declined to give the penalty.
This is not the first time Mark Clattenburg has identified VAR errors in Celtic games.
VAR is such a contentious issue in Scotland that it’s critical to have an objective voice like Clattenburg weigh in on missed Celtic calls.
In Celtic’s triumph over Aberdeen, Clattenburg observed another penalty that the Hoops had been refused earlier in the season, but the former referee thought VAR was correct not to award the foul for Graeme Shinnie handball.
Clattenburg also condemned a last-minute penalty awarded in Celtic’s win against Kilmarnock, calling it a ‘bad decision’.
So, with the ex-referee providing a neutral judgement on these calls, it’s encouraging to see that VAR does not always favour Celtic, as fans of other clubs frequently allege.
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