Des Roache claims John Beaton’s reputation has been damaged by Celtic penalty call

Former referee Des Roache believes the controversy surrounding John Beaton’s late penalty decision in Celtic’s clash with Motherwell has dealt a major blow to the official’s reputation…

Beaton awarded Celtic a decisive spot-kick after reviewing a handball incident involving Motherwell’s Sam Nicholson, with the Scottish FA reportedly satisfied the call was correct.

However, the decision continues to divide opinion, with Roache among those who strongly disagree with the outcome. The ex-official admitted he feared the worst the moment Beaton was sent to the pitchside monitor.

He told the Daily Record: “As soon as he was called over, I had a sinking feeling he was going to give it. The speed of the review shocked me more than anything. Within seconds he had changed his mind and awarded the penalty.

“I appreciate referees are human and mistakes can happen, but at that level you’re expected to show authority and confidence in your own judgement. If you’re considered one of the leading referees in the country, then you should be capable of standing by your original call if you genuinely believe it was correct.”

Roache argued that Beaton should have resisted the recommendation from Andrew Dallas on VAR and warned the fallout could seriously damage his future credibility.

He said: “There was enormous pressure attached to that moment because of the possible consequences. I would have liked to think John had enough belief in his own decision-making to say, ‘No, I’m sticking with what I saw.’

“I’ve heard people say he’s been badly treated by the reaction, but I think the situation is far more damaging than that. This could have a lasting impact on how he is viewed in the game. Among supporters and people inside football, his reputation has taken a huge hit.”

Roache also criticised the wider standards of officiating in Scotland and questioned the consistency of guidance being given around handball decisions.

He added: “The problem isn’t personal and it’s not about targeting individuals like Willie Collum. The issue is that we keep hearing different interpretations for incidents that look extremely similar. One week certain handballs are explained as accidental and not punishable, then another week a completely different standard is applied.

The handball rule appears to change constantly

“Refereeing comes down to coaching, education and consistency, and right now there doesn’t seem to be any clear line. The same officials continue to take charge of major matches despite repeated controversy.

“The handball rule appears to change constantly and that’s creating frustration across the game. At the moment Scottish refereeing is becoming a source of ridicule because supporters no longer know what decisions they can trust.”

Conor Spence

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