This edition covers fixtures on the 1st, 2nd and 8th of April 2023 – match days 30 and 31.
The impact of a call being incorrect can be evaluated using the framework outlined here -> Honest Mistakes in the SPFL.
01/04/23 The Rangers vs Dundee United
Incident 1
| Referee | Don Robertson |
| Game Minute | |
| Score At Time | 1-0 |
| Incident | Tillman goes down in the box |
| Outcome | No decision |
| Evidence | (1) Rangers 2-0 Dundee United | Malik Tillman Shines In Dominant Performance | cinch Premiership – YouTube
At 1:30 |
| Yorkshire Whistler Verdict | Birighitti parries a shot and Tillman stretches to get to the rebound before the keeper can recover in time. Tillman clearly contacts the ball first, whilst also under pressure from a Dundee Utd defender. The keeper’s outstretched arms do not make any contact with the ball, but crucially nor do they contact Tillman.
The Rangers attacker simply jumps into the air, perhaps anticipating more meaningful contact or simply trying to buy a soft penalty decision from the referee.
The referee rightly dismisses the appeal as no foul is made here.
Verdict: CORRECT DECISION |
| Expected Points
Outcome |
No impact |
Incident 2
| Referee | Don Robertson |
| Game Minute | |
| Score At Time | 2-0 |
| Incident | Morelos goes down in the box |
| Outcome | No decision |
| Evidence | (1) Rangers 2-0 Dundee United | Malik Tillman Shines In Dominant Performance | cinch Premiership – YouTube
At 3:45 |
| Yorkshire Whistler Verdict | A Rangers shot is deflected onwards and is it spirals downwards back into the 6-yard box. Several players, including Morelos, anticipate where the ball will fall. Morelos and a Dundee Utd defender are competing to stand in the same space and the defender’s arms do come out as he sets his body position accordingly. There is minimal contact into Morelos, but certainly nothing that warrants the dramatic jump that Morelos then performs.
I’m comfortable that slight upper body contact seen does not constitute a push and that no fouls is committed here.
Verdict: CORRECT DECISION |
| Expected Points
Outcome |
No impact |
Incident 3
| Referee | Don Robertson |
| Game Minute | |
| Score At Time | 2-0 |
| Incident | High ball comes into box |
| Outcome | After VAR check, no handball detected |
| Evidence | (1) Rangers 2-0 Dundee United | Malik Tillman Shines In Dominant Performance | cinch Premiership – YouTube
At 4:50 |
| Yorkshire Whistler Verdict | A Dundee Utd & Rangers play both jump in close proximity and it is the Dundee Utd player who wins the header, but the ball then appears to ricochet onto his right arm immediately after. This is one of those clips where we can see there is clearly ball to arm contact, but the contact is purely accidental. His right arm is slightly extended as part of his natural body shape when attempting to head the ball. As such this is body shape is expected as part of his body movement for that scenario and so should not have been judged as a foul.
Verdict: CORRECT DECISION |
| Expected Points
Outcome |
No impact |
02/04/23 Ross County vs Celtic
Incident 1
| Referee | Willie Collum |
| Game Minute | 45th |
| Score At Time | 0-0 |
| Incident | Carter-Vickers and Iacovitti challenge for a corner |
| Outcome | Penalty to Celtic for handball on VAR review |
| Evidence | Ross County 0-2 Celtic | Bernabei Rocket Seals The Three Points | cinch Premiership – YouTube
At 1:30 |
08/04/23 Celtic vs The Rangers
Incident 1
| Referee | Kevin Clancy |
| Game Minute | 20th |
| Score At Time | 0-0 |
| Incident | Morelos scores for TRFC |
| Outcome | VAR review supports on field decision to disallow goal |
| Evidence | (1) Celtic 3-2 Rangers | Furuhashi The Hero In Dramatic Old Firm Derby! | cinch Premiership – YouTube and https://twitter.com/CfcLavs/status/1645704173160128513?s=20
At 00:43 |
| Yorkshire Whistler Verdict | A Rangers corner is crossed in. Morelos and Johnston compete for the ball, and it is Morelos who wins the contest and pokes the ball home from close range.
The referee, who is well positioned, immediately signals for a defensive free kick, and disallows the goal. Interesting decision here, as my first thought in real time was that I was struggling to see where any clear foul had been committed. Even upon watching the replays, I don’t feel Morelos does a great deal wrong here. We see both players with their arms on each other, that element of physical contact we are used to seeing in the game, evident from one of many set pieces. Neither player oversteps the mark in terms of unfair grappling/pushing. It is my belief that the mutual grabbing here sees the Celtic defender slightly off balance as he twists mid-air to attempt to head the ball.
Yes, Morelos has his arms on him but there is not enough for a clear push here and I feel the referee has made the wrong call here. Due to the upper body contact made by both players being a subjective decision here, is why VAR does not intervene. They would say that it’s the referee’s opinion as to the element of contact being made constituting a foul or not. As no clear and obvious error has occurred, they will have not recommended an on-field review. If the goal had been awarded, I suspect the same thought process would have applied and the goal would not have been disallowed by VAR either.
Verdict: INCORRECT DECISION. Goal should have stood. |
| Expected Points
Outcome |
Celtic +0.6 xPts
TRFC -0.6 xPts |
Incident 2
| Referee | Kevin Clancy |
| Game Minute | 38th |
| Score At Time | 1-0 |
| Incident | Raskin and McGregor clash |
| Outcome | YC to both Raskin and McGregor |
| Evidence |
|
| Yorkshire Whistler Verdict | Tempers flare after an initial foul on Johnston.
Raskin & McGregor both shown a yellow card for adopting aggressive attitudes. The referee has probably shown the yellow cards to help maintain his match control. Neither player particularly acts worse than the other. The referee could have given them both a public rebuke rather than show the yellow cards. But as both players are sanctioned equally, I’m comfortable with the on-field decision at the time.
Verdict: CORRECT DECISION |
| Expected Points
Outcome |
No impact |
Incident 3
| Referee | Kevin Clancy |
| Game Minute | 51st |
| Score At Time | 1-1 |
| Incident | Morelos header is blocked from a corner |
| Outcome | No decision |
| Evidence | BBC iPlayer – Sportscene – Premiership Highlights 2022/23: 08/04/2023
At 9:00 |
| Yorkshire Whistler Verdict | Morelos gets a header off at goal which is blocked by his own teammate. There is a question of a possible infringement by the Celtic man challenging Morelos at the time.
Like the disallowed Morelos goal, I see mutual contact/grappling from both players but nothing that oversteps the mark and so am comfortable no foul committed here. Also, Taylor was marking Jack very closely with his arms either side of him, but at no time is there a clear pull or infringement here either. Jack is simply occupying the space to distract the Celtic defence and you can tell by his own lack of a reaction, that he has not been impeded here.
Verdict: CORRECT DECISION |
| Expected Points
Outcome |
No impact |
Incident 4
| Referee | Kevin Clancy |
| Game Minute | 53rd |
| Score At Time | 1-1 |
| Incident | Furuhashi and Davies clash off the ball |
| Outcome | No decision |
| Evidence | https://twitter.com/Zeshankenzo/status/1645528431717928960?s=20 |
| Yorkshire Whistler Verdict | An off the ball coming together here as both players swerve to chase a long ball over the top. Davies does make what I believe accidental upper body contact, but Furuhashi goes to ground very easily here. Davies does not look at the Celtic player and there is no intent whatsoever.
Not every piece of contact is a foul and again I am comfortable that no foul is awarded here.
Verdict: CORRECT DECISION |
| Expected Points
Outcome |
No impact |
Incident 5
| Referee | Kevin Clancy |
| Game Minute | 62nd |
| Score At Time | 1-1 |
| Incident | Furuhashi scores for Celtic after ball falls off Jota |
| Outcome | Goal to Celtic |
| Evidence | (1) Celtic 3-2 Rangers | Furuhashi The Hero In Dramatic Old Firm Derby! | cinch Premiership – YouTube
At 3:02 |
| Yorkshire Whistler Verdict | Slight question of offside in the build up to this goal but a quick review indicates the Celtic wide man is level as the pass is made.
Also looked at a possible handball against Jota prior to Furuhashi scoring. Again, the ball is headed at him from incredibly close range and his arms are tucked in as opposed to being extended. The only way this would have been interpreted as a foul is if Jota was adjudged to have handled the ball even accidentally and he himself had scored the goal. As we know accidental handball contact (if it even it his hand which is questionable) that then leads to any other player scoring the goal is not penalised as an offence.
Verdict: CORRECT DECISION to award the goal |
| Expected Points
Outcome |
No impact |
Incident 6
| Referee | Kevin Clancy |
| Game Minute | 81st |
| Score At Time | 3-2 |
| Incident | Oh goes down in the box under challenge from Souttar |
| Outcome | No decision |
| Evidence | https://twitter.com/Sloany2022/status/1645141730549702657?s=20 |
| Yorkshire Whistler Verdict | Oh cuts inside into the oncoming challenge and goes to ground very easily.
Oh changes his direction and as a consequence runs into the path of the incoming Souttar. It’s not that Souttar mis times a tackle but rather he is not making any attempt to tackle. The defender is simply running to get back and cover and Oh tries to run into a space Souttar has just occupied at the same time. There appears to be a hand in the back of Oh, but this is not a push and Oh is already going to ground easily before there is any contact from the arm. It is not a push and as such no foul is committed in my opinion.
Verdict: CORRECT DECISION not to award a foul |
| Expected Points
Outcome |
No impact |
Summary
My thanks as always to the Yorkshire Whistler.
Despite the noise following the Derby, Kevin Clancy appears to have got nearly all the calls correct. The disallowed Alfredo Morelos goal seems to have authorised a highly coordinated and personalised attack on the referee. The YW thinks he got that wrong. Fair enough. You and I may not agree but I am confident no threats of violence will be made on the back of that disappointment.
As with Kyogo Furuhashi’s contested winner against Heart of Midlothian last season, it seems Celtic catching a break with a big call in a major game unleashes considerable anxiety amongst certain sections of Scottish football. All very revealing.
It remains the case that this is the first bad call impacting The Rangers since 27th August 2022 when Ross County should have conceded a penalty at Ibrox.
It is the first major call in a big game since John Lundstram’s sending off at Hibernian on the 20th August 2022.
I suspect the prevailing pattern will remain unchanged especially as Scottish referees now see the unchallenged consequences of perceived poor calls.
In terms of impact on the expected points picture:
Based on the in-match game state when the decisions were made (or not made), The Rangers have 4.39 MORE expected points due to the cumulative impact of Honest Mistakes and Celtic 3.52 LESS.
A swing of 7.91 xPts.
Celtic lead by 12 points and 29 goals after 31 matches.
As has been stated and now restated both players are grappling with each other “six of one half of dozen of the other” however as the ball comes over BOTH players stop grappling with each other…. Then Morelos pushes Johnston …that “push” gives the referee a decision to make…… Had Morelos NOT pushed Johnston he would not have had the time and space to put the ball in the net
Morelos pushes johnstone toget to the ball same at hampden when he pushed mooy out the way Morelos is a cheat tillman is a diver and cheats never won.
Did this expert see the video from an other angle where Moreles pull him in then pushes him to the ground? Probably not!
I agree with others.
Morelos and Johnston are initially in a clinch but they break free and then Morelos, only, puts hands on Johnston, which clearly affects his ability to challenge for the ball.
If, instead, Johnston had gone down when they were grappling then no foul should have been awarded.
If this had happened at the other end involving Oh then I would have been disappointed…in Oh, as it was a clear and obvious foul.
On another matter, do others still get email notification of new posts on here, as mine seem to have stopped?
I’m subscribed on WordPress and my email junk folders are clear, so can’t see what I’m doing wrong, if the facility is still available.
Yes email notifications have stopped and I’m not sure why. Will need to investigate but so far it has proven above my technical ability to work out!
Any WordPress gurus?
For me, Davies/Kyogo is called wrong by YW. Long ball is going left (of screen) and Kyogo starts running in that direction. Davies, by contrast, doesn’t chase the ball, he immediately runs in opposite direction (to right of screen), with one intention – stop Kyogo reaching the ball. It’s blatant, clear and obvious. Free-kick and yellow to Davies.
Hmm. The more I see it the more uncertain I become. He does move “the wrong” way as you say. I’m not 100% sure he sees Kyogo though and he may just be vaguely aware he’s in that direction. Or he may just be a crap defender (never rule that out). It’s possible he’s not confident of getting to the ball so wants to get in the way of Kyogo to slow him down and let his goalside teammates deal with the ball. In that context the collision could be completely accidental and not a foul.
As I say, it’s like one of those weird optical illusion drawings that actually makes less sense the more you look at it. He probably did do it deliberately on balance, but I don’t actually mind the ref/var not seeing and punishing it because it could have been a simple collision without intent.
What’s good about this series is we will all likely disagree with YW once or twice a season, but the number of incidents he reviews form a trend, and trends are much harder to disagree with. I’m (despite being highly biased) satisfied from his reports over the past 3 years that his understanding and application of the laws of the game is sensible and supportable, thus the trend conclusions can be considered valid.
Wouldn’t argue with anything you’ve said there, Martin. And certainly wouldn’t blame ref (or YW) for not giving it. Just my reading, from a tv screen. Who’d be a ref, eh? 🙂
Like others I disagree re the Morelos goal, but with a caveat. What we see from replays is the holding (seriously, Ange, we need to stop holding shirts!) and the push. What we don’t get is the context of what Clancy says. The holding is going on before the ball is played. If I’m referee and in that position I’d be shouting at them to let each other go/keep their hands to themselves. In that context, if they let go then one of them uses hands and score, I’m giving a foul 100% of the time and when they complain I’d say “I told you X times to keep your hands to yourself and you still pushed him”
Morelos especially is known as a grabber/ pusher and the above would be a way of managing that behaviour. In an ideal world his shot wouldn’t have gone in, but the “I’m watching you” effect would still have hit home. KC clearly goes to blow straight away, before we know where the ball is going.
The question we must ask is had the ball not gone in the net, would everyone be complaining? If not, why not? It’s the same decision making process.
My suspicion is that it happened as I’ve written, but we don’t have that context and with fewer data, we reach poorer conclusions.
This is really interesting, Martin. But the context of what Clancy SAYS is probably a little bit of an unknowable. There are quite a few things like that in this series (the YW judging on a second yellow, without seeing all of the potentially cumulative fouls etc.). But, unless the SFA were to publish recordings of the microphone communications between officials (fine with me), I’m not sure we’d be able to judge on that consistently. Certainly though, the hypothetical you illustrate strikes me as highly likely.
Oh I agree. To be honest, given the clips YW gets and the lack of context of the whole game (I’m sure he has better ways to spend his time, I’m grateful for the time he already gives) he does a remarkable job. Unfortunately we are never going to find out what he said. I can only go by how I manage pulling in the box and apply it retrospectively in a haphazard way.
But I suppose the point is that without the context we cannot possibly say it was a clearly good or bad call. So why the media have jumped on it is (almost) beyond me. If he did get it wrong/there wasn’t verbal warnings beforehand then still it’s hardly the mistake of the season and definitely not worth the backlash. This is only still being talked about a week later because it involved the ibrox club.
The media has jumped on it because McCoist expressed an emphatic opinion on the matter in real time and Walker agreed. For the record, I’ve no problem with that. Their shared opinion was hardly unreasonable, indeed, it has turned out to be in line with the YW’s view.
It then became a potentially game-changing moment which hinged on a potentially incorrect decision in an important match. The football media everywhere jumps on issues of that kind.
But I think it’s because the instant reaction on the Sky coverage (which is how most spectators, and in this case ALL Rangers fans, will have seen it) was so pronounced, it became an obvious talking point. I’m led to believe that neither the BBC nor the Clyde coverage was anywhere near so emphatic.
I think too that (as I think you or someone else said, without scrolling back), the fact that it went in makes it a bigger talking point too.
As for the outrageous extremes of the reaction from the (sizeable) hardline of the Rangers support, I broadly agree with Alan’s take in the Huddle Breakdown. They’re used to exerting cultural control. I think the real friction comes from where I basically disagree: they just don’t have it.
Insightful as always.
I broadly agree with all of these interpretations. The Morelos decision was soft as can be, but certainly enough of a foul there to warrant the decision – and without the loathsome backlash, of course. For my own untrained eyes, I agreed with the Huddle Breakdown take that it was a decision in the same ballpark as the Oh penalty claim. But, it was harsh, for sure. Martin’s interpretation on the thread was interesting, as ever.
Good to see that since the World Cup break, the big decisions in the SPFL Premiership continue to be largely good ones – either by the ref or by VAR (at least those curated by CBN; other teams/opponents may be getting a raw deal – I just don’t know, or care all that much).
It seems ridiculous that there is no one coordinating a model like this on a larger basis, for all clubs/games in the league.