Celtic can be pleased as Rodgers escapes Ibrox ban but sits out Livingston

Celtic were represented at today’s meeting by top Sports Barrister Nick De Marco and the outcome will be one that is satisfying to the Celtic camp with Brendan being free to take his place in the dug-out at Ibrox a week on Sunday. Rodgers was facing a two-match ban so the large fee in recruiting De Marco for a second time to take on the Scottish FA on behalf of Celtic has once again proved to be money well spent.

Brendan pleaded his case today as he said he would and with the backing of De Marco a result that Celtic can live with has been achieved. Given that the most likely outcome was a two match touchline ban, you can certainly draw reasonable conclusions on what those on the panel may have thought of Beaton’s decisions as the pondered Rodgers’ comments where he called the VAR official incompetent.

Or the Scottish FA may have got a wee fright with the usually passive, businesslike Celtic, actually showing some mettle for a change and with justifiable cause. Beaton must now be sidelined with Celtic calling for him to be allowed nowhere near our games. The Scottish FA has already shown that this is allowed and can be accommodate, just ask Willie Collum when he was last allowed to referee a Scottish Premiership match involving theRangers.

The Celtic manager was accused of breaching Rule 72 Article 96.1 of the SFA’s disciplinary code which clearly states that you can’t call a match official incompetent.  Brendan said:

“I try to respect decisions and give the benefit of the doubt but I think when I see that level of incompetence, which is the only word I can use, then that makes me worry for the game. In such a tight title race that can make the difference. I also think that VAR is not the problem here.

“That’s clear. It’s competence. The first one is the sending off when there is no force. Show a still image of that and of course and you will see a foot up with the head near it, but it’s not the reality of the move. Don got it actually right on the field. It was a high boot, so it’s a yellow card – no malice or force. For John Beaton to actually look at that in VAR, supposedly under no pressure, and say that was sending off? I find that incredible.

The second one is worse. If you have a penalty go against you for that then there will be penalties every single weekend and midweek.”

That seemed to point to an open and shut case and a two match ban. So today’s outcome is a victory of sorts for Celtic who maybe now realise that the tactics elsewhere that they disapprove of – screaming blue murder when they don’t get a decision that was OFFSIDE anyway – actually works.