Stephen McManus scores handball goal for Celtic against Falkirk

It is the third week of the 2008/2009 Scottish Premier League season and for the third week controversial decisions have favoured Celtic. This time in their game against Falkirk when Stephen McManus opened the scoring with a goal from a handball. From the Times
And you can add to this the fact that Celtic’s opener from Stephen McManus wasn’t just the result of a dubious free kick awarded against Falkirk, but was actually palmed into the net by McManus, who later admitted to his crime.

See below for a gif of Stephen McManus scoring with the handball.



Michael Higdon the Falkirk striker was scathing in his remarks after the match, stating in The Herald "The referees do bottle it because they keep making the same mistakes all the time." He cited Charlie Richardson's refusal to give a penalty against Celtic at Tannadice last week and said that Brines, who stopped play before Zander Diamond scored against the champions late last season, was "obviously a Celtic fan".

He continued his criticism in the The Daily Record This referee must be a Celtic fan. I was marking Stephen McManus on the free-kick so it is more frustrating for me that he scored. It was a clear hand-ball. I even asked McManus after it and he admitted he handled the ball into the net.The referee didn't give us a foul but it was so obvious. McManus just ran in front of a crowd of players and scooped it in with his hand. I couldn't believe it. I could have knocked the referee out to be honest. It was a double whammy for us as it was never a free-kick that led to the goal.The ref gave the free-kick then didn't disallow the goal. I just can't believe it.

The decision to give the free kick can be seen below



This is not the first time Falkirk have suffered due to controversial decisions in games against Celtic - It is their third consecutive league game where there has been controversy, more details here and here. John Hughes was to refer to this and the games Celtic had against St Mirren and Dundee United, when dubious decision impacted on the match result, in comments made on the BBC website.

I wonder if it's maybe pre-meditated, or maybe it's just me, wee Gus and Craig Levein. Or maybe I'm just being paranoid.


Date: 23 August 2008

Referee: Ian Brines

Sport should be a level playing field

The policy of this blog is not to say that any referee, nor any other football official in Scotland, is biased, incompetent, corrupt or dishonest. This is merely a record of any inconsistencies or coincidences which appear to favour one club over others. If such a record does show systematic inconsistencies which favour one club over others then we call for an independent and impartial inquiry into Scottish football to investigate these irregularities.

In recent years Italian football has suffered a corruption scandal, with the 2006 Calciopoli case, the Romanian league has suffered from match fixing, as has German football, Belgian football has endured a betting scandal, and there are ongoing investigations in the conduct of major teams like FC Porto for match fixing in the Portuguese league.

There is nothing to suggest that Scottish football should automatically be considered a special case insulated from these trends witnessed in other European leagues in recent years. If there is a pattern of inconsistency and coincidences in Scottish football then similar questions ought to be raised about why such irregularities are happening.

Dundee United denied four penalties against Celtic

Dundee United had four penalty decisions denied in their match against Celtic on Sunday 17 August 2008. These were two handballs, one foul by Vennegoor of Hesselink wrestling Lee Wilkie in the box
and worst of all this foul on Roy O'Donovan by Gary Caldwell


From the BBC report of the game (report features video highlights)

United had earlier been angered when denied a penalty after Roy O'Donovan was challenged by Gary Caldwell.

...

Celtic's Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink held down Lee Wilkie inside the visitors' box with what resembled a bear hug.

...

United ought to have had a penalty four minutes later when O'Donovan appeared to be felled as he tricked his way past Caldwell in the penalty box. The home side were furious not to be given the decision by referee Charlie Richmond.

...

[United] had two claims for handball in the penalty box turned down.

Date: Sunday 17 August 2008

Referee: Charlie Richmond

Celtic awarded controversial penalty to defeat St Mirren

When Will Haining and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink contested a floated, high pass from Lee Naylor, Hesselink was offside. As play moved on, Vennegoor of Hesselink raised his arm to hold back Hain and, on the edge of the penalty box, contact was made. Referee Eddie Smith had an unobstructed view. As the challenge developed Hesselink manoeuvred himself in front of Haining and hit a shot that slid wide as Hesselink fell to ground. There was not even an appeal from the Dutchman for a penalty, but Eddie Smith thought different and pointed to the spot and went on to show Haining a red card.

As the photograph below shows Haining was not holding or pulling on Hesselink to illegally impede his shot.


An animated gif of part of the incident can be seen below.
Unfortunately the video which goes into more cannot be posted due to it being removed from youtube for copyright violations. Copyright violations which have not been applied to footage showing a clip of the penalty being scored!

Click on the photograph below to see referee looking happy with his decision.


After the game, St Mirren manager Gus McPherson, was to accuse referee Eddie Smith of having winked at him following the decision stating: "The referee was winking at me. He would need to explain why, I don't know whether he was trying to irritate me or not, I don't know. But he'll deny it. It's so, so difficult to say what you really feel. We've seen it go on a number of times now and you've just got to bite your tongue."

Referee Eddie Smith had previously been involved in a controversial decision in a St Mirren v Celtic match earlier in the year when he had awarded Nakamura a freekick for a dive on the edge of the box, which the Japanese international subsequently scored from.

From the BBC report:

Celtic got their defence of the Scottish Premier League title off to a winning start thanks to a controversial Barry Robson penalty against St Mirren.

...

[Vennegoor of Hesselink] poked the ball wide of the post under pressure from Haining.

Referee Smith decided that the striker had been tugged from behind by the defender, who was shown a red card, although television pictures suggested that Vennegoor of Hesselink had been doing his own share of holding.

Date: Sunday 10 August 2008

Referee: Eddie Smith

Aberdeen have equaliser controversially disallowed against Celtic

Zander Diamond scores a last minute equaliser for Aberdeen against Celtic on Saturday 19th April 2008, which would have effectively halted Celtics title challenge. However referee Ian Brines controversially disallows the goal because of a handball by Barry Nicholson seconds earlier. Barry Nicholsons hands were no where near the ball as he jumped and headed it on as the screencap below shows.



Video of incident below.



Date: 19 April 2008

Referee: Ian Brines

Offside goals, unpunished fouls, handballs and objects thrown

This is a placeholder entry which will be expanded upon, relating to the double header Old Firm games at Celtic park in April 2008.

Scott McDonald's goal which was offside



Vennegoor of Hesselink assault on Amdy Faye;



Vennegoor of Hesselink has a dangerous challenge on Allan McGregor go unpunished;



Scott McDonald awarded a penalty for an incident which occurred outside the box as seen below;



There were further incidents in these matches, including Paul Hartley escaping without punishment for a studs up wild challenge on Lee McCulloch that broke bones in his foot, Paul Hartley taking Barry Ferguson out the game by targetting an already injured ankle, Gary Caldwell handling the ball twice in his penalty box without a foul being given and Barry Robson with a first minute elbow on Christian Dailly. Nacho Novo also had a mobile phone thrown at him by a Celtic supporter and the Rangers club doctor was hit by a coin as he treated an injured player. Celtic escaped any punishment for both incidents, and the culprits have not been found nor banned from Celtic park.

Nakamura dives and Celtic win three points against St Mirren

This is currently a placeholder entry until photographic or video evidence can be provided rather than just a subjective opinion. (If you want to help here then comment on this entry)

From the Guardian report of the game
With three minutes to play at Love Street, thoughts of a pivotal afternoon and Rangers owing a debt of gratitude to St Mirren were prevalent. The Paisley outfit, who held Celtic to a draw at Parkhead in December, appeared well on course to aid Rangers' bid to wrestle the championship from across the city once again; that the hosts did not claim a point here is due in full to a highly dubious, 87th minute decision by Eddie Smith, the referee, and the individual brilliance of Shunsuke Nakamura.

St Mirren, like every club in Scotland and several across Europe, are all-too aware of the talent Nakamura possesses from dead-ball situations so a collective intake of breath from the home support was natural as Smith controversially deemed that Gary Mason had illegally challenged the Japan midfielder, 25 yards from goal.

Date: Sunday February 24 2008

Referee: Eddie Smith