Referee John Beaton put under police surveillance after penalty controversy in Celtic win over Motherwell, say SFA
The Scottish Football Association said referee John Beaton and his family “spent last night under police surveillance at home after personal information was leaked online”.
The association says it calls for “tolerance and perspective to prevent further escalation of unthinkable tensions.”
Police Scotland also confirmed that a 19-year-old man had been arrested “in connection with data protection offences”.
Beaton came under criticism after he was awarded a late penalty in Celtic’s 3-2 win over Motherwell on Wednesday.
The incident at Fir Park, which involved VAR, was the latest in a series of controversial referee decisions as the Scottish Premiership title race comes to an end.
Celtic’s win kept them in the leading Hearts spot. These two teams will meet at Celtic Park in the last six matches on Saturday.
The SFA, which organizes refereeing in the SPFL, said: “The Scottish Football Association condemns in the strongest possible terms any attempts to compromise the safety of match officials.”
“This type of vigilance, motivated by perceived right or wrong decisions on a playing field, is a scourge on our national game and we are grateful to Police Scotland for their swift response.
“As we approach what should be an exciting finale to the season, we ask those who personalize and exaggerate their views, those who seek the easy way out by blaming defeats on perceived refereeing errors, and those who approve of provocative statements and posts, to reflect on their contribution to creating an environment of intimidation, fear and alarm.”
Police Scotland said in a statement: “Officers investigating a complaint that personal information about a Scottish football official was shared online have arrested a 19-year-old man in connection with a data protection offence. Investigations are ongoing.”
