Dermot Gallagher has expressed the view that the offside scenario during Celtic’s victory over Rangers is inconsequential, as no penalty would have been awarded regardless.
Rangers have requested the VAR audio from the Scottish Football Association (SFA) following Willie Collum’s choice not to award a penalty for an Alistair Johnston handball. The referee deemed the contact inadequate to warrant a foul, which allowed play to continue in Celtic’s 2-1 victory at Parkhead on Saturday. Subsequently, an offside was detected following the restart, providing further evidence that a penalty would not have been awarded. However, the visiting team expressed frustration over the lack of communication regarding the decision.
Former Premier League referee Gallagher has clarified that no penalty would have been granted, rendering the subsequent offside determination unnecessary.
“I think there are a few issues, Rob. I believe Alistair Johnston was fortunate on Saturday as he was lucky not to concede a penalty and could have easily been sent off later in the game. That’s just the nature of the game,” Gallagher explained to Sky Sports.
“This incident was scrutinized for a potential penalty. VAR official Willie Collum concluded that it wasn’t a penalty, therefore a goal kick was given. Although an offside was later revealed, if the penalty had been awarded, the subsequent check would have been for the offside. Therefore, if the penalty was initially awarded, it would have been subsequently overturned due to the offside.”
Regardless of when the offside came to light during the game, Gallagher emphasized that it is immaterial, as it would have been brought to attention once the penalty was given.
“Once the decision was made not to award a penalty, there was no need to check the offside. He believed it wasn’t sufficient for a handball. Alistair Johnston was fortunate because he clearly directed his hand towards the ball. The goal kick was awarded because it deflected off Sima, which was the official’s decision. Hence, the offside would not have been reviewed because it was irrelevant,” Gallagher added.