Scottish referee responsible for controversial Celtic VAR call placed under police protection following leak of personal information online as 19-year-old is arrested
The Scotland referee responsible for what Gary Lineker described as the “worst VAR call ever” has been placed under police protection after his personal details were leaked online.
Official John Beaton awarded Celtic a highly controversial 96th-minute penalty against Motherwell following a clash between Sam Nicholson and Auston Trusty.
Beaton, 44, was directed to the pitchside monitor by VAR Andrew Dallas and duly pointed to the spot, although replays were inconclusive at best. It was decided that Nicholson handled the ball while objecting to a header.
Police Scotland confirmed on Friday that a 19-year-old man had been arrested and charged following a complaint about personal information shared online; The Scottish Football Association confirmed Beaton and his family spent Thursday night under police surveillance at home after details of his address were published online.
“The Scottish Football Association condemns in the strongest possible terms any attempts to compromise the safety of match officials,” the SFA, which is responsible for refereeing in the division, said.
Official John Beaton was placed under police protection after personal information was leaked online following the referee’s decision.
‘Such wariness, 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 provocative statements and posts, to reflect on their contribution to creating an environment of intimidation, fear and alarm.’
They added: ‘Sadly, we are also clear that this is the inevitable result of increased criticism, intolerance and scapegoating this season by media pundits, fans, official supporter groups, clubs, players, managers and former match officials.’
‘As a national association, we do not take this issue lightly. But this is an uncomfortable truth. Those who seek to apportion blame and conspiracy to match officials to avoid defeats or perceived injustices throughout the season have contributed to an environment that compromises the safety of our staff and match officials.
‘This is the result of a hysterical media narrative fueled by irresponsible post-match media interviews, commentary and official social media posts.
‘The cumulative impact affects our ability to provide sufficient referees to serve our game at all levels. If it jeopardizes the safety and welfare of our most senior match officials, enough is enough.’
There have been a number of criticisms of officials in the Scottish Premiership, with the championship decision coming down to the final day this weekend.
Former Match of the Day presenter Lineker told X that Celtic’s penalty decision was ‘the worst VAR decision I have ever seen’, while former Football Saturday star Jeff Stelling said: ‘Seriously this is never a handball at Fir Park. The boy went 20 meters forward. The referee takes another look after VAR calls him.
‘It’s a shame for Scottish football.’
Hearts were on the verge of being crowned champions when Celtic edged out Motherwell, but goals from Benjamin Nygren and Kelechi Iheanacho, who took advantage of a penalty call, ensured the two sides would face each other on the final day.
Motherwell’s Sam Nicholson penalized for handball in stoppage time against Celtic
Hearts know that a win or a draw will declare them champions; Celtic, on the other hand, needs to claim victory in the match to get a dramatic title.
The Scottish FA added: ‘Mistakes will be made on the pitch and subjective decisions will be made in front of the VAR monitor, just as managers will pick the wrong team, goalkeepers will concede soft goals and strikers will miss from five metres. But the response to these inevitabilities could not be more opposite.
‘What happened yesterday is not an isolated incident. There are many examples of match officials being put in harmful situations but individuals are afraid to speak out for fear of making the situation worse or further alarming friends, family and colleagues.
‘We won’t let this become normal. We will not allow a situation where match officials need special preparations to protect their children at school to be treated as an occupational hazard. We will not allow a situation where staying home with the front door locked and avoiding the dangers of social interaction becomes a coping strategy.
‘The Scottish Football Association will seek to strengthen its rules to better protect integral parts of the game and will encourage those who would join us in condemning such incidents to support these proposals, not to contribute to the dilution of these incidents on the basis of self-protection.
