Watch: Bernard Ponsonby’s Brilliant Douglas Ross Celtic Takedown

BBC Scotland’s election coverage briefly turned into football chat after Douglas Ross found himself on the receiving end of some Celtic-related criticism live on air.

Ross, who continues to work as an assistant referee alongside his political career, was part of the officiating team during Celtic’s recent match against Hibernian at Easter Road.

That game produced several major VAR flashpoints.

Jamie McGrath avoided an immediate red card for his challenge on Alistair Johnston before VAR intervened and upgraded the decision. Later in the match, Daizen Maeda had a goal initially ruled out for offside by Ross before another VAR check confirmed the Celtic forward was clearly onside.

What made both incidents stand out even more was Ross was positioned on the same side of the pitch for each decision but still ended up getting both calls wrong before VAR stepped in.

During BBC Scotland’s election programme, presenter Martin Geissler decided to bring it up while discussing Ross’ night.

As the conversation briefly shifted away from politics, Geissler asked Ross about his performance during the Hibs against Celtic match.

Ross quickly tried to move away from the subject.

He said: “Let’s move onto politics.”

That response immediately sparked a reaction from veteran political journalist Bernard Ponsonby, who was also part of the panel discussion.

Ponsonby, a respected political broadcaster and well-known Celtic supporter, could not resist adding his own verdict on the officiating display.

He replied: “Running the line badly.

“Well thank goodness for VAR.”

Bernard 🤝 pic.twitter.com/BP5lIPoXYG

— Tam sellic son (@TamseIIicsonIII) May 8, 2026

The exchange quickly spread online among supporters who were already frustrated by several moments from the Easter Road game.

The Maeda offside decision in particular drew criticism because Ross appeared out of line with play when the flag went up despite the move ending with the ball in the net. VAR eventually corrected the decision and awarded the goal.

The McGrath challenge also became a major talking point.

Ross had a close view of the tackle on Johnston but no red card was shown initially until VAR advised referee David Dickinson to review the incident properly.

Celtic still left Easter Road with a 2-1 victory, but the officiating remained one of the dominant post-match discussions.

This latest exchange on BBC Scotland only ensured the debate continued a few days longer.