Celtic have been rocked by a major controversy in the Premiership title race after a bombshell admission from the Scottish FA regarding their recent defeat to Hibernian.
The Hoops suffered a 2-1 loss at Parkhead, a result that has now come under even greater scrutiny following confirmation that a key refereeing decision went against them at a decisive moment in the match.
With the score level at 1-1, and Celtic already reduced to ten men after Auston Trusty’s red card for an off-the-ball incident involving Jamie McGrath, Liam Scales appeared to be clearly pulled inside the penalty area during a corner.
Despite strong appeals from the Celtic players, no penalty was awarded.
Hibernian would go on to capitalise, with Kai Andrews scoring the winner to secure all three points for the visitors — a result that has had a direct impact on the title race.
Now, Scottish FA head of referees Willie Collum has admitted the decision was incorrect and that Celtic should have been given the opportunity to take the lead from the spot.
“So, the VAR here describes the action of the holding and about proximity, about the area the ball is going into.
“And for us, this should be a penalty kick. This should be an on-field review for a penalty.”
He continued:
“There’s too much holding here. There’s too much impact for us.
“This shows the clear holding, the clear impact; it’s prolonged there for a bit.
“Should be a penalty kick.”
The admission has effectively highlighted how Celtic were denied a clear chance to change the outcome of the game — a moment that, in the context of a tight title race, feels as damaging as a points deduction.
The controversy has been compounded by concerns over how the VAR team handled the incident.
It was noted during the review that officials appeared to build a case for awarding a penalty, only to step away from recommending an on-field review without providing a clear explanation.
Collum addressed that lack of clarity, adding:
“If they had gone to on-field review after what they’d said, the VAR team, it would have been an excellent example because of the clear criteria used.
“But we need criteria.
“We’ve told the VAR teams now, and the on-field referee, ‘not enough’ is not a good description.
“They need to explain why we don’t think that is a penalty.”
While no formal points deduction has been issued, the reality for Celtic is that the missed decision has cost them dearly in the title race.
At 1-1, a penalty could have shifted momentum, potentially changed the result, and altered the standings. Instead, they were left empty-handed — a situation that now feels like a significant blow in their pursuit of the title.
With the margins so fine at the top of the table, this moment could yet prove to be one of the defining turning points of the season.
