Dermot Gallagher and Jay Bothroyd clash over contentious incident in fiery Rangers vs Celtic Old Firm derby
Dermot Gallagher and Jay Bothroyd were at odds over a contentious moment in the Old Firm derby between Rangers and Celtic on Saturday (30 December).
The Light Blues went down 2-1 at Celtic Park to fall eight points off the leaders, albeit with two games in hand.
However, the visitors were left fuming when a penalty was not awarded against Alistair Johnson for handball when tussling with Abdallah Sima.
It was later revealed that Sima was offside in the build-up anyway but referee Willie Collum had judged no offence had taken place.
Ex-FIFA referee Gallagher, speaking on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch segment (1 January, 10:30), explained why a penalty would not have been given anyway but felt it was a handball.
He said: “This incident was checked for a penalty, Willie Collum the VAR felt no penalty so, therefore, a goalkick was given. People saying they later they found an offside but don’t forget if the penalty had been given the next check would have the APP, the attacking phase, and once they’ve checked they’d have found an offside.
“So, although a penalty would have been given it would have been disallowed because the offside came first. So, whichever way you look at it, whether it was later in the game it came to light, it would have come to light once the penalty is given.
“I think Alistair Johnson’s lucky because he clearly moves his hand to the ball. So he’s given a goalkick because it bounces off Sima, that’s the referee’s decision. Once he’s given the goalkick, it defaults back to the referee’s decision because the offside would never be checked because it didn’t matter.”
However, former Cardiff City striker Bothroyd disagreed and felt it wasn’t a penalty anyway, saying: “I don’t think that was a penalty to be honest, you have to take it into context, he’s battling with the defender, trying to hold him off, gone shoulder to shoulder, he hasn’t intentionally hit the ball away, it just happened as he’s trying to protect the ball from the forward.
“I don’t think that is a handball, you give handball’s like that there’s going to be loads every single game. You’re going so fast you’re not thinking about knocking the ball away with the hand.
“In the pace of the game that is completely accidental, he wouldn’t know his hand is there, he’s thinking I want to stop the forward from getting the ball, while he’s doing that his hand has unfortunately hit the ball but I don’t think that’s intentional at all.”
Get your head around this…
This one really is an absolute minefield isn’t it?
Look, forget what Bothroyd says, it is 100 per cent a handball, no ifs, buts, ands or maybes. How that was not judged to be a handball by the VAR is frankly absolutely baffling.
Where it does, admittedly, become a little confusing is the fact that it looks as though Sima would have been pinged for offside in the build-up anyway so, ultimately, it becomes somewhat immaterial.
But it still does not forgive how bad the process is. A penalty should have been awarded and, yes, it might have ultimately not been given anyway but the communication and the process surrounding this was an absolute shambles.
Rangers cannot allow it to fester, though. They have to dust themselves off and look towards the clash with Kilmarnock on Tuesday (2 January).
The gap to Celtic is now at eight points but with two games in hand it is all to play for still.
In other Rangers news, a “ridiculous” Jack Butland exit update has emerged.