Former Premier League whistler and Celtic Fan Dermot Gallagher has told Sky Sports ref watch Willie Collum had to yellow card Odsonne Edouard during the Glasgow Derby because the defender pulls out.
Celtic were denied a penalty and perhaps a victory because of the decision. We have seen these types of fouls given even after VAR checked in the Premier League.
There’s minimal contact but there is still contact and that’s enough for plenty of referees to point to the spot. Given Collum has a history of giving soft penalties or even phantom penalties, it’s incredible he draws the line here.
Gallagher is a Celtic fan but is giving his own objective opinion and to be fair he’s disagreed with many VAR penalty decisions in the past.
Speaking to Sky Sports News as cited by SunSport, the former whistler said:
“It’s not a penalty and when you see the angle he has to yellow card him.
“If the referee isn’t giving a penalty he has to book the player for diving.
“It’s difficult to tell but the referee has the best view, he’s looking at the player.
“That’s the referee’s view and the angle shows the knees buckling, if you like, which wouldn’t say it was a trip.
“I think, in defence of Edouard, he sees the contact coming and he anticipates it – but the defender pulls out.”
Gallagher has spoken about his Celtic fandom in the past and a bizarre interview recently showed the former ref speaking in a much thicker Irish accent that he claims he had to tone down for Sky Sports TV.
It’s all about opinions but I would disagree with Gallagher on this one. Is it a soft penalty? Yes, but it’s still a penalty.
It was a pen all day long. Gollum had a decision to make, give the first spfl penalty against der hun of the season, or book Big Eddie. He bottled it! Plain and simple. It wasn’t going to be him that gave that first penalty, and he certainly wasn’t going to give it against Celtic!
It would have been statement O’clock at ibrokes, and wee willie wouldn’t have had another spfl game for what’s left of the season.