Willie Collum, head of referees at the Scottish FA, has publicly reviewed three pivotal incidents that affected Hearts' title challenge and explained the reasoning behind each decision
The Scottish Football Association’s head of referees, Willie Collum, has publicly reviewed a trio of contentious incidents that played a part in Hearts’ push for the Premiership title. In a detailed explanation released alongside a VAR review presentation, Collum revisited calls from a Motherwell v Hearts fixture and a subsequent Motherwell v Celtic match that together influenced the final-week permutations of the championship.
Those incidents included a denied penalty appeal for Hearts winger Alexandros Kyziridis, an earlier handball claim against Motherwell’s Emmanuel Longelo that was also rejected, and a late, match-defining spot-kick awarded to Celtic after contact involving Sam Nicholson and Auston Trusty.
Collum accepts some criticism while defending other decisions, and his overview sheds light on how the VAR process and on-field refereeing interacted in each case.
The Kyziridis challenge: why the penalty was turned down
During the short-corner sequence at Fir Park, Alexandros Kyziridis went to ground following a challenge from Tawanda Maswanhise.
Referee Steve McLean initially stayed with a no-penalty call but was invited by the VAR team to view the monitor. The VAR room reportedly felt the incident merited a penalty, telling the match official that “if there’s contact it has to be a penalty kick.” However, McLean asked for an angle that was not available, and with the replay material on hand he retained his on-field decision.
Collum has now said that the VAR team’s first impression was a penalty and that there is legitimate debate within refereeing circles about the correctness of the outcome. In his view, informed by the limited camera perspectives, the incident could be considered a penalty. He added that this point of the season and the circumstances around it mean the refereeing body will discuss the decision further during preseason education to improve clarity and consistency.
VAR limitations and the monitor protocol
One of Collum’s central messages concerns the practical limits of VAR: if a referee requests an additional angle that does not exist, the official must at times stick with the original on-pitch judgment. The sequence illustrated how the interaction between on-field officials and the video room can hinge on what footage is available, and how that lack of clarity can fuel debate among clubs and supporters.
The Longelo handball claim that was dismissed
Earlier in the same match, Motherwell left-back Emmanuel Longelo was involved in an incident where the ball made contact with his arm. Referee McLean judged the contact to be above the t-shirt line, and VAR reviewers concurred after examining the replays. Collum described this as an example of accurate on-field decision-making, backed by the VAR images, rather than a failure of the review process.
He noted that when a player’s arm movement is toward the ball and a punishable part of the arm makes contact, it should be a penalty. In this instance, however, the pictures suggested the ball hit the area at the sleeve or t-shirt line and that the on-pitch call was correct. Collum used the example to reinforce the point that consistency in handball rulings remains a priority and that VAR’s role is to support, not replace, the match referee.
The contentious Celtic penalty and the Key Match Incident Panel review
A few days after the Hearts v Motherwell game, a late incident in Motherwell v Celtic resulted in averted chaos when a stoppage from referee John Beaton, following a VAR check, led to a spot-kick for Celtic. The assistant VAR flagged that Sam Nicholson’s hand was in an unnatural position as he contested a header with Auston Trusty. Communication issues between the pitch official and the VAR team were reported, but the penalty was ultimately awarded and converted, changing a 2-2 scoreline to a 3-2 Celtic victory.
That decision drew international attention and fierce criticism. The Scottish FA’s Key Match Incident Panel later reviewed the call and returned a 2-1 vote that the penalty was incorrect. Collum, however, defended the match team’s process in public briefings and on the VAR review show: he said that still images and the panel’s interpretation led the match officials to consider the contact to be a clear handball and therefore punishable.
Aftermath and security concerns
The fallout from the Nicholson decision extended beyond sports debate. Referee John Beaton received overnight police protection after personal details were leaked online, underscoring how heated scrutiny of match officials can spill into the personal realm. Collum acknowledged this wider context while reiterating the importance of transparent review work and improved communication between the VAR operators and on-field referees.
What comes next: learning points and consistency goals
Collum concluded by saying the episodes show both where the system worked and where it needs refinement. He highlighted that teaching points will be taken into refereeing education ahead of the next season, focusing on monitor protocol, the handling of handball interpretations and better coordination among the VAR, the AVAR and the match referee. He also pointed to statistics showing a reduction in clear errors compared with the prior season, suggesting progress even as high-profile mistakes remain under intense public scrutiny.
For clubs and supporters, the rulings had real consequences: the combination of the denied Kyziridis appeal and the awarded Celtic penalty altered the title equation on the final weekend, leading to a decisive match at Celtic Park and a dramatic end to the campaign. Collum’s public review aims to explain the decisions, outline steps to improve consistency and provide a degree of transparency in a debate that remains emotive across Scottish football.
