The Almost Lost Art Of The Protest

REGULAR READERS of this pish will know, I have a very-low opinion of the intelligence levels along the sixth-floor Corridor of Power at Hampden, where reside the High Heid Yins of the Scottish Football Association, the Scottish Professional Football League and the various other governing bodies who are charged with running our game.

Thus, I fear, for all the sound and fury raised by the SFA's Review Panel deciding the crucial penalty awarded via a VAR intervention, to Celtic at Motherwell in the penultimate game of their season should not have been awarded.

Cue the usual amount of sound and noise, split, as ever, along party lines. We have the grievously-offended Celtic Family, pointing out, this review panel has no real power and their finding means nothing. On the other hand, we have the usual suspects from elsewhere, insisting that since a clear mistake has been made, Celtic should lose that victory – the result ought to be back-tracked to the draw it would have been but for that late penalty.

This would mean, Celtic being docked the two points, leaving them and Hearts tied on 80 points – with the Edinburgh club winning the league on goal difference. This would seem, to those of us with a feel for Scottish Football history like karma, the Gorgie men winning the league on goal difference, having lost it to Kilmarnock, on goal average, back in 1965.

Unfortunately, for those wishing to see Celtic lose this league title – I don't see this happening. Can you really see the wilder elements of the Celtic Family accepting the loss of the crown? When things do not go their way, they have a history of panning-in windown and civil disobedience which suggests, they might sack Hampden and make millions of Pounds Sterling worth of improvements.

No way will the game's High Heid Yins give those wilder elements the chance to make their lives difficult.

Of more danger to Celtic's 2025-26 title is the ongoing investigation into the chaotic conclusion of their final home game, against Hearts. Of course, some might conclude that the High Heid Yins of Fitba in this country had already put in place an authorised version of the events, designed to ensure, the title goes to Celtic, regardless of the sanctions available to the governing body to address the unsavoury end to that game.

There is an old tradition which has long held great favour in my home God's County of Ayrshire. Down here, it was said, your local team was never out of the Scottish Junior Cup until their protest had been dismissed by the Scottish Junior Football Association panel.

I reckon, Hearts have a strong protest going around that last game – plus the VAR decisions from their and Celtic's games against Motherwell. VAR wrongly it seems came down in favour of Celtic, while wrongly coming down in favour of Motherwell in the other game.

All Hearts need is the cash to hire the right Advocate to plead on their behalf and the determination to take the case all the way to the Court of Arbitration in Sport if necessary.