Honest Mistakes - Week 4
When Edinburgh and Glasgow clash, the Yorkshire Whistler has a severely disrupted week. Added to my holiday, we’re a bit late this week but here we are.
The impact of big calls being incorrect can be evaluated using the framework outlined here -> Honest Mistakes in the SPFL.
20/08/22 Hibernian vs The Rangers
Incident 1
Referee Willie Collum Game Minute 16th
Incident Tavernier pulls back Bushiri in the box Outcome No decision Evidence BBC iPlayer - Sportscene - Premiership Highlights 2022/23: 20/08/2022
At 2:12
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict Tavernier pulls back Bushiri in box
Initial on field decision: No foul
Hibs ball into the penalty area, sees Tavernier and 2 Hibs players aerially challenge for ball. Tavernier is in the middle of the sandwich here, his arms are touching Bushiri and also the other Hibs player is touching the Rangers player.
Contact both ways? Yes. Clear impediment? Not for me. No obvious foul either way, more like the regular jostling and contact expected in an aerial challenge.
Verdict - Correct decision.
Expected Points
Outcome
No impact
Incident 2
Referee Willie Collum Game Minute 25th
Incident Doyle-Hayes fouls Lundstram Outcome Foul to TRFC and YC for Doyle-Hayes Evidence BBC iPlayer - Sportscene - Premiership Highlights 2022/23: 20/08/2022
At 2:35
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict Doyle-Hayes fouls Lundstram
Initial on field decision: Foul to Rangers. Yellow card shown to Hibs player
Happy with this decision. Doyle Hayes stretches for the tackle, gets nothing on ball and catches Lundstram late. Comfortable this sits in the ‘reckless tackle’ area that is caution criteria.
Verdict: Correct decision
Expected Points
Outcome
No impact
Incident 3
Referee Willie Collum Game Minute 45th
Incident Colak goes down in box under challenge from Bushiri Outcome Penalty to TRFC and YC to Bushiri Evidence BBC iPlayer - Sportscene - Premiership Highlights 2022/23: 20/08/2022
At 3:20
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict Bushiri penalised for foul on Colak
Initial on field decision: foul and penalty to Rangers. Caution shown to Bushiri
As ball is played back to Hibs keeper, on the edge of the box Bushiri and Colak have a coming together and Colak drops to floor.
I’m disappointed in this decision. My thought in both real time and again after watching replay, is that there is momentary contact but at no point is a clear shirt pull or other infringement seen.
Bushiri hands touch Colaks back for a moment and Colak far too easily drops to the deck. Colak has hoodwinked the referee here in my opinion, who I suspect has been swayed by the arm movement of Bushiri and Colaks reaction.
Verdict: Incorrect decision: No foul committed and likely caution to Colak for simulation.
Expected Points
Outcome
TRFC +0.59 xPts
Incident 4
Referee Willie Collum Game Minute 51st
Incident Boyle scores for Hibernian Outcome Goal to Hibernian Evidence BBC iPlayer - Sportscene - Premiership Highlights 2022/23: 20/08/2022
At 4:38
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict Boyle scores for Hibs
Initial on field decision: Goal to Hibs
Question of offside from the Hibs left winger here before he squares to Boyle.
This is a very marginal call either way as the ball is played out wide. Frustratingly the camera angle provided is not the best which makes trying to draw the imaginary ‘VAR’ lines to assess offside flawed.
In my opinion it is the left central defender of Rangers who is at risk at playing the Hibs player onside.
If we ignore the HIbs players left arm which we know is not included as an active body part when judging offside, we are looking at his lower arm pit being in line or front of the Rangers central defender.
I’m not entirely convinced either way that it is, and on that basis will give the benefit of doubt to the attacker.
Verdict: Correct decision.
Expected Points
Outcome
No impact
Incident 5
Referee Willie Collum Game Minute 66th
Incident Lundstram fouls Boyle Outcome Foul to Hibernian and Red Card to Lundstram Evidence BBC iPlayer - Sportscene - Premiership Highlights 2022/23: 20/08/2022
At 5:57
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict Lundstram fouls Boyle
Initial on field decision: Foul and Lundstram sent off
Boyle launches a counter attack and Lundstram slides in from behind to commit, knowingly a tactical foul to prevent the counter. I suspect any player making this type of cynical tackle is fully expecting to receive a yellow card and will ‘take one for the team’.
However, surprisingly the referee brandishes a red card and must have interpreted the challenge as ‘excessive force/ endangers opponents’ safety’.
On review, Lundstram makes contact on the lower shin but it is a clip designed to trip the opponent and doesn’t constitute reckless force.
Verdict: Incorrect decision. Foul and yellow card expected outcome.
On a side note, an incredibly similar incident occurred in the same weekend in EPL between Newcastle & Man City. VAR correctly intervened when Trippier was initially shown red card for tripping de Bruyne. On field review led to match day referee rescinding red card and downgraded to yellow card.
Expected Points
Outcome
TRFC -0.35 xPts
Incident 6
Referee Willie Collum Game Minute 75th
Incident Morelos clashes with Cabraja Outcome Foul to Hibernian and Red Card to Morelos Evidence BBC iPlayer - Sportscene - Premiership Highlights 2022/23: 20/08/2022
At 6:28
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict Morelos fouls Cabraja
Initial on field decision:
Morelos shown red card after incident with Cabraja.
Morelos is backing into Hibs player as he attempts to retain possession of ball.
There is an initial fore arm outstretched by Morelos which I’m okay with, but then he appears to simultaneously swing his arm again behind and also swivel and kick out towards the Hibs player.
He never intentionally looks at the Hibs player but I believe instinctively knows where the player is.
Although the contact is minimal, it is the intent here. The referee is well positioned and is satisfied of Morelos intent. I feel the arm swing and kick out combined, meet the criteria of violent conduct (intent here regardless of level of actual contact)
Verdict: Correct decision
Expected Points
Outcome
No impact
21/08/22 Celtic vs Hearts
Incident 1
Referee Kevin Clancy Game Minute 55th
Incident Sibbick fouls Turnbull Outcome Foul to Celtic and YC to Sibbick Evidence BBC iPlayer - Sportscene - Premiership Highlights 2022/23: 21/08/2022
At 6:20
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict Sibbick foul on Turnbull
Initial on field decision: Foul to Celtic, yellow card shown to Sibbick
Sibbick catches the Celtic player late. Appears to stand on Turnbull’s foot from the momentum of the challenge. Reckless definitely.
Verdict: Correct Decision
Expected Points
Outcome
No impact
Incident 2
Referee Kevin Clancy Game Minute 62nd
Incident Cochrane fouls Juranovic Outcome Foul to Celtic and YC to Cochrane Evidence BBC iPlayer - Sportscene - Premiership Highlights 2022/23: 21/08/2022
At 7:19
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict Cochrane foul on Juranovic
Initial on field decision: Foul to Celtic, yellow card shown to Cochrane.
Juranovic looks to break and Cochrane pulls him back around the shoulder and waist.
Clear yellow card under criteria ‘commits any other offence which interferes with or stops a promising attack’
Verdict: Correct Decision
Expected Points
Outcome
No impact
Incident 3
Referee Kevin Clancy Game Minute 89th
Incident Cochrane fouls McGregor Outcome Foul to Celtic and second YC/RC to Cochrane Evidence BBC iPlayer - Sportscene - Premiership Highlights 2022/23: 21/08/2022
At 8:55
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict Cochrane fouls McGregor
Initial on field decision: Foul to Celtic and Cochrane sent off for 2nd yellow card.
Cochrane raises his foot to ball, appears to catch the Celtic player around the shin.
Silly tackle to make when already on a yellow card. Reckless.
Verdict: Correct decision
Expected Points
Outcome
No impact
Incident 4
Referee Kevin Clancy Game Minute 90th
Incident Sibbick fouls Abada Outcome Foul to Celtic and second YC/RC to Sibbick Evidence BBC iPlayer - Sportscene - Premiership Highlights 2022/23: 21/08/2022
At 9:27
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict Sibbick fouls Abada
Initial on field decision: foul to Celtic, Sibbick sent off for 2nd yellow card.
Again, Sibbick already on a yellow card commits a foul when he impedes the run of Abada. Although contact is minimal and it is not reckless in nature, the caution is correctly shown for the same reason as Cochranes first yellow card ‘commits any other offence which interferes with or stops a promising attack’
Verdict: Correct decision
Expected Points
Outcome
No impact
Summary
My thanks as always to the Yorkshire Whistler.
That was a marathon week of sitting in the dark watching video!
Again, if you relied upon the mainstream media for a take on the games, you would probably conclude that The Rangers were robbed and so were Hearts.
The truth, of course, is rather different. Collum made a bad call against both Hibernian and the Ibrox outfit but got the other calls right.
At Celtic Park, Clancy was correct in penalising a Hearts side sent out to foul and impeded. Their manager did nothing to protect booked players.
Slight change to the Expected Points position, then.
The Rangers have 0.09 MORE points than expected due to the cumulative impact of Honest Mistakes.
Celtic lead by 2 points after 4 matches.