Rangers v Celtic: Ex-SFA official speaks out on Connor Goldson controversy at Ibrox
Former SFA referee Steve Conroy has delivered his verdict after Connor Goldson was penalised for a handball as Rangers drew 3-3 with Celtic on Sunday (7 April).
Nicolas Kuhn’s cross was headed towards Jack Butland’s goal, which was well saved, but a VAR check would show the ball clipping Goldson’s elbow before reaching Daizen Maeda.
John Beaton was advised to take a second look on the monitor, which normally only means one thing, pointing towards the spot, with Matt O’Riley chipping a penalty to take a 2-0 lead.
Writing for the Daily Record on Sunday (7 April, 12:35pm), Conroy said: “Handball is a farce. That should never be a penalty, but it absolutely is in the current climate.”
Should Connor Goldson have been penalised in Rangers v Celtic?
Rangers fans will feel that the decision was incredibly harsh, but by the letter of the law, Beaton was right to give the penalty, giving the Hoops the perfect opportunity to double their lead.
Of course, when a referee is called over to the pitchside monitor, there is usually only ever one outcome, and that is exactly what happened in Goldson’s case. He will feel very hard done by in the derby.
Without the defender’s slight touch, Celtic may have likely scored, which is why there was no other decision but to award the penalty.
It was certainly a tough pill to swallow at the time, especially considering how tight the Scottish Premiership title race currently is, but an incredible comeback meant Rangers salvaged one point.
Philippe Clement’s side were awarded their own penalty in the second half, as Alistair Johnson was penalised for bringing Fabio Silva down in the box, who spent much of the match on the floor.
There will be a lot of debate surrounding both penalty decisions, and as expected, referee Beaton was at the very centre of it all during the Old Firm derby.
In other Rangers news, police concerns have been sparked ahead of the Celtic clash amid a recent development in Scotland.
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