Celtic have confirmed they will appeal the red card shown to Auston Trusty during the defeat to Hibernian, and Michael Stewart has voiced his full support for the decision.
Stewart said he was not at all surprised by the appeal, and that he completely understands why the club is pursuing it, particularly given the widespread criticism directed at officials following a difficult weekend of refereeing decisions. Trusty’s dismissal proved to be the turning point in the match. The scores were level when he was sent off, and Kai Andrews then struck the winner for Hibs with just three minutes remaining. Celtic are firmly of the view that their player was wrongfully dismissed, and Stewart is firmly in their corner.
His broader concern with the decision is the standard it sets. Speaking on Premier Sports, Stewart argued that the bar for red cards has been set far too low, and that this trend is damaging the spectacle for players and supporters alike. He drew a direct connection between the King sending off for St Mirren against Motherwell the previous Saturday and what happened to Trusty, suggesting that had the King red card not occurred, Trusty would likely have stayed on the pitch. He described the situation as ridiculous.
When asked specifically about the Celtic appeal, Stewart said he understood it entirely. While he acknowledged that Trusty’s action was more forceful than King’s, he questioned whether that threshold should constitute a red card at all. His view was that a strong word from the referee and a yellow card would have been the appropriate response, allowing the game to continue. He highlighted the very real consequences for players in these situations, noting that individuals lose their place in the team, miss out on appearance money and bonuses, while supporters are denied the chance to watch a competitive match played with a full complement of players on each side.
Celtic released a statement on Monday evening confirming the appeal. It is worth noting that Trusty was also sent off at Hearts in January for fouling the last man, and while that red card was appealed, the club was unsuccessful in having it overturned. Celtic will be hoping for a different outcome this time around. The club’s statement confirmed they believe Trusty was wrongfully dismissed and that the decision was the product of VAR intervention rather than a call made by the referee in the moment.