A fan clip circulating online from Celtic’s 3-1 derby win over Rangers has reignited the debate around VAR consistency in Scottish football, with many supporters questioning how Mikey Moore escaped punishment for an apparent strike on Callum McGregor.
The footage, which has spread rapidly across social media since full-time, appears to show the Rangers winger lashing out at the Celtic captain during an off-the-ball coming together in the second half at Celtic Park.
Remarkably, neither referee Nick Walsh nor VAR intervened.
That has left plenty of Celtic supporters asking the same question tonight, how exactly was this not reviewed as violent conduct?
Especially when compared to Auston Trusty’s recent red card against Hibs.
In that incident, the Celtic defender was dismissed for bringing his arm down towards an opponent who had been grappling with him. At the time it felt harsh because it was felt there was minimal force involved and no clear intent to strike the player. Yet VAR stepped in quickly and the red card followed.
Today, there appears to be far less grey area.
The fan footage doing the rounds shows Moore making a movement towards McGregor that, at the very least, should have triggered a lengthy VAR check. Instead, play carried on and the incident was barely mentioned during coverage of the game.
That silence has frustrated sections of the Celtic support even more than the incident itself.
There was significant discussion around Alistair Johnston’s booking during the match, with pundits on Sky Sports eventually agreeing the Canadian was fortunate not to see red after catching Moore high in a challenge.
But there has been little appetite elsewhere to analyse the footage involving McGregor.
That contrast will not go unnoticed among supporters already convinced officiating standards and VAR intervention lack consistency.
It is not even necessarily about demanding retrospective punishment for Moore.
It is the wider issue.
Celtic have seen players punished heavily this season after VAR reviews. Trusty’s red card against Hibs remains fresh in the memory because many believed the contact involved there was significantly softer than what appeared in the derby footage today.
Yet one incident becomes a major talking point for days while another seemingly disappears into the background entirely.
In the end, Celtic still found a way to blow Rangers away.
Daizen Maeda’s stunning double, including an outrageous overhead kick, ensured the controversy did not cost Martin O’Neill’s side in the title race.
But as clips continue to emerge online tonight, the questions around Scottish football’s use of VAR are not going away any time soon.
