Rangers were seconds from handing Celtic a title-winning party yesterday afternoon.
2-1 down and looking like they were on their way to another defeat, a last-minute equaliser means now, that Celtic will wrap up the title in their next post-split SPFL fixture.
But the game at Pittodrie wasn’t without referee controversy. Aberdeen had a goal chalked off for handball to put them 3-1 up with just minutes to go and it could have handed Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers his fourth title as Hoops boss.
It wasn’t to be as Rangers embarrassingly celebrated another draw to rescue a point to delay the Celtic celebrations. However, Rangers also had a goal chalked off in the first half after the ball ran out of play, but a former referee has bizarrely blasted the match official’s decision and the Parkhead support will know exactly why he did it.
Ex-ref slates match officials for chalking off Rangers goal vs Aberdeen, Celtic fans know why
Celtic fans will know of former Premier League referee Keith Hackett. Not for his work in Scotland but for his contribution to Rangers fan media site Ibrox News.
So when Hackett blasted the Pittodrie officials for getting the decision to chalk off a Rangers goal correctly, why did the Daily Record hide the real publication where he made his comments?
In fact, Hackett told Ibrox News: “The person who makes the best judgment as to whether the whole of the ball is out of play is the assistant referee.
“To make that accurate judgement, he is not looking over the flag straight down the goal line, he is, in fact, a good yard or more out of position.
“So, a goal is ruled out by a guess rather than factual evidence.
“Having worked with Hawkeye, I am aware of the distorted view that the referee from his position is open to, and the assistant just made a guess.
“I do not blame the officials, but the authorities need to extend the goal line technology from corner flag to corner flag to ensure that goals are not ruled out at the elite level by guessing the ball is out of play.”
The fact that he is writing this in an Ibrox fan media outlet and the Daily Record not only didn’t critique it but covered up the actual publication to take an unwarranted swing at the officials, is a new low for this lowbrow publication.
