"“There's always been this narrative surrounding Scottish football and referees,” BBC Sport football expert and former Celtic forward Chris Sutton said. “Whose side are the referees are on? That's the way it's viewed among both fan bases. “There's always there's been conspiracy theories doing the rounds.”"
"After Celtic's controversial win over Motherwell on Wednesday, match referee John Beaton and his family were put under police surveillance following a leak of their personal details online. “This is the inevitable consequence of the heightening criticism, intolerance and scapegoating demonstrated this season by media pundits, supporters, official supporters' groups, clubs, players, managers and former match officials,” the Scottish FA said."
"“Those who have sought to apportion blame and conspiracy towards match officials to deflect from defeats or perceived injustices throughout the season have contributed to an environment that puts the safety of our staff and match officials in jeopardy. “The Scottish FA condemns in the strongest possible terms attempts to compromise the safety of match officials.”"
"On Saturday, Celtic meet Hearts a first-in-a-generation final game of the season to determine the Scottish Premiership champions. It will be once again incredibly high stakes and, for the officials, extreme pressure. The rumour and speculation of supporters was tested to its limits on Wednesday when Celtic were given a hugely controversial and crucial stoppage-time penalty at Motherwell, given after a video assistant referee (VAR) review."
Scottish football refereeing is surrounded by narratives of bias, with fans on both sides questioning which teams referees support. After Celtic’s controversial stoppage-time win over Motherwell, match referee John Beaton and his family were placed under police surveillance following a leak of personal details online. The Scottish FA condemned attempts to compromise match officials’ safety and linked the danger to escalating criticism, intolerance, scapegoating, and conspiracy claims. Celtic’s next match against Hearts carries high stakes for the Premiership title, with officials facing extreme pressure. Rumors about referees being sympathetic to Celtic or Rangers have intensified, and VAR involvement in the Motherwell penalty added to the controversy.
Read at www.bbc.com
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