Honest Mistakes Week Three - We Do Nothing
Week three saw The Rangers dispatch 4-4-2 Ross County by six goals without much incident.
Whereas Celtic’s win at St Mirren was sprinkled with some interesting calls.
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The impact of incorrect big calls can be evaluated using the framework outlined here -> Honest Mistakes in the SPFL.
25/08/24 St Mirren vs Celtic
Incident 1
Referee: Chris Graham
Game Minute: 30th
Score At Time: 0-1
Incident
Maeda goes down under challenge from Gogic in the box
Outcome
No decision following VAR review
Evidence
Sportscene - Premiership Highlights 2024/25: 25/08/2024 - BBC iPlayer
At 7:38
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict
Initial on field decision: No foul committed
Maeda breaks into box and tangles with Gogic. The St Mirren player appears to clearly win the ball first with his left leg and then both players tangle from the secondary momentum. Maeda goes to ground but his protests fall on deaf ears. Not all contact is a foul as we know and here we have another example of this. Gogic can’t help the accidental contact of his leg after winning the ball. For me, no foul was committed.
Verdict: CORRECT decision
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
Incident 2
Referee: Chris Graham
Game Minute: 41st
Score At Time: 0-2
Incident
Maeda goes down under challenge from Rooney
Outcome
No decision following VAR review
Evidence
Evidence provided
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict
Initial on field decision: No foul committed
Same Celtic player involved again. This time as the St Mirren defender attempts to slide and clear a ball that flashes across the box, Maeda runs in on his blindside and does get to the ball first. Rooney is off balance and doesn’t appear to make any contact with the ball but also doesn’t appear to impede Maeda from getting his foot to the ball either. Then there is secondary and minimal contact from the defenders momentum which knocks Maeda off balance. He is then straight back on his feet to play the ball again and his reaction is not that of a player who feels he has been fouled. Minimal contact here that should not have been penalised as a foul in my opinion.
Verdict: CORRECT decision
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
Incident 3
Referee: Chris Graham
Game Minute: 58th
Score At Time: 0-2
Incident
McGregor goes down in the box reaching for a pass
Outcome
No decision following VAR review
Evidence
Sportscene - Premiership Highlights 2024/25: 25/08/2024 - BBC iPlayer
At 11:30
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict
Initial on field decision: No foul committed
McGregor tries to get on the end of a pass and runs into a St Mirren defender. For me this is not a deliberate act to block or obstruct McGregor. The defender's eyes are on the ball not the man and he is retreating backwards. There does not appear to be any intention on his part to block off McGregor, who is trying to run into space that is simply not there.
Verdict: CORRECT decision
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
Incident 4
Referee: Chris Graham
Game Minute: 73rd
Score At Time: 0-3
Incident
Rooney and Taylor clash
Outcome
Foul to St Mirren and Yellow Card to both players
Evidence
Evidence provided
Yorkshire Whistler Verdict
Initial on field decision: No foul committed
Bit of pushing and pulling between both players out wide. Taylor raises his arms to shrug Rooney off, who looks to take some offence and from the clip presented, it seems right as the camera pans across, that Rooney has a petulant swipe at Taylor’s legs.
To be fair this looks like an act of frustration at not being given a free kick in his favour and does not meet the criteria for violent conduct in my opinion. A caution for unsporting behaviour yes, but not a sending-off offence.
Verdict: CORRECT decision not to review and issue what would have been a harsh red card.
Expected Points Outcome: No impact
Summary
My thanks as always to the Yorkshire Whistler.
A quiet build-up to the Derby this week. The pattern of referees not giving decisions and then VAR considering what is now a higher bar for intervention continues. So long as it is applied consistently etc.
In terms of the overall position:
Celtic have 0.08 LESS expected points due to the impact of Honest Mistakes.
Celtic lead by two points after three matches.
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