Celtic may feel they were denied another key penalty at Ibrox after an early incident involving Liam Scales.
The flashpoint came in the 11th minute, with Rangers already 1–0 up.
As a corner was whipped into the box, Scales made a run towards the front-post area where the ball was clearly heading. However, Rangers’ No.42, Chukwuani, wrapped both arms around the Celtic defender and wrestled him to the ground.
Crucially, the hold prevented Scales from attacking the delivery. The fact he never reached the ball is the issue, he was stopped from doing so. Yet neither the referee nor VAR intervened.
Another clear penalty missed.
Scales has got away from the Rangers player who then wraps his arms around Scales and wrestles him to the ground. pic.twitter.com/PIAb4S11yS— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) March 1, 2026
The incident felt eerily familiar. Just a week earlier against Hibernian, Scales was also denied a penalty after having his shirt pulled in the box, with the explanation later offered that he was not held for long enough. That same logic appears to have been applied again here!
Celtic would go on to fall 2–0 behind by the 26th minute, making the lack of intervention even more costly. While Martin O’Neill’s side produced a spirited and unexpected second-half comeback to salvage a point, questions will again be asked about consistency in decision-making.
If shirt pulls and grappling that clearly stop a player from attacking the ball do not meet the threshold for a penalty, Celtic, and others, are entitled to ask what does.
The official explanation is one thing! The real explanation however is, “the incident was in the wrong penalty area with the wrong team on the attack for a penalty to be awarded”.
As we know beyond any shadow of doubt, the officials in Scotland are the most corrupt set anywhere in Europe. Given that Willie Collum was the man put in charge, we were never in any doubt this was going to be the case. As a referee, Willie was always blatantly anti-Celtic for some reason and tried to use the fact that he was once employed as a Religious Instructor by the Catholic School system to help defend such arguments, even though his every performance in Celtic games would prove otherwise.
Make no mistake, if Willie Collum and many of his referees are above board, fair referees who judge and treat all clubs the same, donald trump is a good man who is a good president!