The temperature around Saturday’s title decider between Celtic and Hearts has already started rising after the Foundation of Hearts released a strongly-worded statement about recent refereeing decisions.
The supporters’ group, who are the majority shareholders at Tynecastle, backed Derek McInnes and his players after Wednesday night’s 3-0 win over Falkirk but also openly questioned officiating standards ahead of the trip to Celtic Park.
It comes only a day after McInnes himself heavily criticised the late penalty awarded to Celtic at Fir Park during the dramatic 3-2 win over Motherwell.
Kelechi Iheanacho’s stoppage-time spot-kick completely changed the title picture after Hearts looked set to head into the final day firmly in control. Instead, Celtic now know victory at Parkhead on Saturday would secure the Premiership title.
That late decision has clearly left frustration building inside Tynecastle.
The Foundation of Hearts statement stopped short of directly accusing officials of bias, but the timing and wording leave little doubt over what incidents they were referring to. The group also mentioned Hearts’ own complaints over decisions in recent matches.
Foundation of Hearts chairman Gerry Mallon released the statement on Thursday afternoon.
A Foundation of Hearts statement read in full: “All of us at the Foundation of Hearts congratulate our magnificent team and manager, Derek McInnes, on their outstanding achievements in this momentous season, and urge all Heart of Midlothian supporters to get right behind them for Saturday’s final game of the campaign.
We have, however, been extremely concerned by a number of refereeing and VAR decisions across the last two rounds of fixtures, which have had a significant impact on outcomes for Hearts and others. That this has occurred at such a crucial stage of the season is particularly disappointing. We understand that the club shares these concerns and has made representations to the football authorities seeking clarification on recent decisions.
At a time when Scottish football is subject to heightened scrutiny, both nationally and internationally, it is important that confidence in officiating standards is maintained.
We therefore call on those responsible for the officiating of Saturday’s match to ensure that the highest standards of decision-making are applied, so that the game is decided by the players on the pitch and the team is given the fair opportunity it has earned.”
The statement adds another layer to what was already going to be an intense afternoon in Glasgow.
From Celtic’s side, the focus will stay on the football itself. Martin O’Neill’s team recovered from a difficult position at Fir Park and now have the chance to win the league in front of a packed Celtic Park.
But the build-up is now becoming increasingly dominated by refereeing discussion.
That rarely helps anyone going into matches of this size.
