Willie Collum Breaks Silence on Celtic’s VAR Controversy vs St Johnstone
Willie Collum Defends VAR Call That Overturned Celtic Penalty vs St Johnstone
Willie Collum, Head of Refereeing at the Scottish FA, has defended the controversial decision to overturn a Celtic penalty during their recent match against St Johnstone, stating that the VAR intervention was “correct.”
Celtic were already in firm control of the match, leading 4-0 at half-time, but continued to push forward in the second half. Around the 64-minute mark, veteran winger James Forrest looked to add further misery to the visitors as he weaved his way through the defence in typical fashion. Forrest was brought to ground in the box, prompting referee Calum Scott to point to the penalty spot.
However, after a review with VAR, the referee reversed his decision, much to the frustration of some Celtic fans and pundits who felt the penalty should have stood.
Speaking on the SFA’s VAR Review Show, Collum provided a detailed breakdown of the incident.
“There is an initial challenge outside the box,” he said, “but as they come into the box, the first challenge is what the referee initially awards the penalty for.”
Collum went on to explain how the VAR team evaluated the footage and ultimately determined that the contact was insufficient to merit a spot-kick.
“Watching the footage live in the VAR centre, it looked like a penalty kick, but when you start to analyse the challenge the referee has punished, there is no contact or minimal contact,” Collum said. “There has been talk about an arm coming across the face of Forrest that’s not enough in terms of a threshold for us to award a penalty kick here. This is a correct intervention.”
The incident has sparked fresh debate about the consistency of VAR decisions in Scottish football, particularly in matches involving the league’s top sides. While some supporters appreciated the transparency provided by Collum’s explanation, others questioned the clarity and application of the rules governing penalty calls.
Despite the overturned penalty, Celtic had already done the damage in the first half and comfortably saw out the match. Their focus now turns to the league, where they travel to face Dundee United at Tannadice this afternoon. Brendan Rodgers’ men need only to avoid defeat to be crowned Scottish Premiership champions for a fourth consecutive season.
Forrest, who was substituted shortly after the penalty incident, has been a key part of Celtic’s late-season push, bringing experience and composure in crucial moments. Whether or not the penalty would have added to the scoreline is now academic, but the VAR discussion will likely rumble on.
As the title race nears its conclusion, the spotlight will remain firmly on the officials, and Collum’s comments are a clear attempt to offer more insight and accountability around refereeing decisions in Scotland’s top flight.
