The BBC has revealed details of the VAR discussion that led to Celtic being awarded a penalty against Motherwell during their 3-1 victory at Celtic Park.
The match was level at 1-1 when a corner was floated into the Motherwell box. Emmanuel Longelo and Daizen Maeda became involved in a tussle at the back post, with Maeda going to ground. Referee John Beaton initially waved the incident away and awarded Motherwell a free kick, but VAR official Kevin Clancy intervened and advised Beaton to review the incident on the pitchside monitor. After consulting the screen, Beaton awarded a penalty and showed Longelo a red card for the holding offence. Tomas Cvancara converted from the spot, and Celtic went on to win 3-1.
The BBC Sportsound commentary team offered a range of views on the incident as it unfolded. Former Motherwell player Stephen Craigan felt the decision was a significant call and was not immediately convinced, suggesting Maeda had gone down himself rather than being put down by the force of Longelo’s contact. Pat Bonner acknowledged the difficulty of the situation, noting that Longelo had allowed Maeda to get on his inside and had then failed to use his body correctly to deal with it, while leaving open the question of whether a push had contributed to Maeda falling.
Commentator Liam McLeod gave listeners an insight into the VAR dialogue being shared with the commentary box, confirming it was the holding that officials were examining as Beaton made his way to the monitor.
Craigan then framed the central question precisely, pointing out that holding happens constantly in penalty areas and that the key test is whether the contact materially affected the player’s ability to move or get off the ground.
After the final whistle, former manager Ian McCall said he felt the decision was correct, arguing that Longelo had wrapped his arms around Maeda from behind and hauled him to the ground, and that he was surprised the referee had not spotted it without VAR assistance. Celtic TV pundit Peter Grant was equally emphatic, describing it as a clear penalty that could not reasonably have been given any other outcome.