Double standards on show for all to see as Lee, Dallas, Dickinson and Ross all featured in the Scottish Cup controversies at Celtic Park yesterday evening as Celtic edged out Dundee to reach the quarter finals of the Scottish Cup…
Referee Ryan Lee Celtic v Dundee, Scottish Cup, Fifth Round, Celtic Park, Glasgow, 07 February 2026. Photo Stuart Wallace Shutterstock/ IMAGO
I recently wrote about the ‘honest mistakes’ going into overdrive as the season enters its final few months and what we witnessed in last night’s Scottish cup clash between Celtic andDundee fully justified my fears, or perhaps paranoia..
We were lucky to scrape through in the end, all down to a trudged and disjointed display from our own point of view, that can’t be overlooked, but the actions or lack of actions should I say, in regard to the on field officials and their colleagues on VAR has to be questioned.
Also, even though we know they are going heavy on semantics in an attempt to bend reality.
The defender puts hands on the Celtic forward outside the box (arms bent no motion) the actual ‘Push’ (extending arms with force on to the Celtic forward) is inside the box. pic.twitter.com/aMRKAfUaaI
— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) February 7, 2026
If you're going to get technical about VAR's literal interpretation of the denial of a penalty, these two frames prove that the push was initiated when Cvancara was inside the box. https://t.co/DwbqJ6whqo pic.twitter.com/TWoP6W7YVa
— Celtic F1rst (@CelticF1rst) February 7, 2026
Late in the first half we were awarded a free kick just on the edge of the Dundee box, after Tomas Cvancara was fouled by a Dark blues defender, but on a closer inspection it was quite clear the offence was inside the box, meaning it should have been overruled and a spot kick awarded instead.
I don’t blame the on field official as it was hard to judge in real time, but that’s what VAR is for right? Not in this instance it seems, as it was cleared in under ten seconds, by none other than David Dickinson the saviour of James Tavernier during that week and Andrew Dallas, the man who once awarded the Rangers FOUR spot kicks in the same game, nothing to see here.
Tierney now booted on the face by Congrieve. Referee Ryan Lee only gives a yellow. Lee has allowed Dundee to boot Celtic off the park. Lee has also let Dundee off with non-stop time-wasting. Lee really is a joke of a ref. Celtic 11 vs 15 Dundee (& SFA) today pic.twitter.com/HpGasDKZFb
— The Global Tablet of Jurisprudence (@gtj1247) February 7, 2026
Rival supporters are pointing out the refusal to award theRangers a spot kick for a similar offence in last season’s Premier Sports cup final, but we’re all big enough to admit we got off with one then, but it’s still not an excuse for Dallas’s ‘blunder’ last night.
Then there was the incident that in a way ironically saved our day as it added on the extra minutes that allowed us to grab that vital dramatic equaliser. The one that saw Kieran Tierney almost knocked out when he received a nasty boot in the face.
They are grappling so Congreve knows exactly where Tierney is, and his movements, so this is not a player being surprised by an opponent appearing for a header. Should have been a red, seriously endangering the safety of an opponent. One for wee Willie @gordonduncan7 @ScotlandSky pic.twitter.com/EONg4VZD0l
— Paul (@squire67) February 7, 2026
The Dundee player was cautioned, but it was surely worthy of a straight red, the same fate Yang received at Tynecastle two years ago, when VAR insisted the on field official had a closer look, and who was on VAR that day? John Beaton!! Nothing to see here. Didn’t Celtic appeal that one too and got nowhere with that, other than a bill from the Scottish FA with 30 days to pay.
We also had Douglas ‘red red’ Ross running the line, and his quick reaction to call a ball out in a dangerous situation, was another incident of the questionable variety.
The double standards were all on show for all to see. Don’t expect any apologies though. Willie Collum will be squirming on his next VAR review show trying to justify the failing of his Rangers supporting match officials.
Don’t miss Sandman’s Definitive Ratings which are up now on The Celtic Star.
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Celtic in the Thirties by Matt Corr. Click on image to order
