Meekings, Guidetti, Lafferty, Levein, Celtic-Rangers offsides: Worst Scottish football calls which would have been overturned by VAR

St Johnstone's trip to Easter Road to face Hibs marks a significant point in Scottish football’s history. VAR will be introduced for the first time in a domestic fixture.

It is a huge moment in the country’s game and one which will leave an indelible mark for as long as the technology is used. It has already been in operation at international level and European competition as well as leagues across Europe and is one welcomed by referees and managers.

VAR does split opinion amongst football fans, though. It will provide a different experience to those who attend matches on a weekly basis with more and longer breaks for decisions to be made. At the same time, it should increase the number of correct decisions referees make with officials often criticised by managers, players and supporters. We look at some of the worst decisions Scottish football has witnessed which would likely have been corrected by VAR.

Josh Meekings handball

It was one of the most egregious decisions in recent years in Scottish football. Celtic were leading Inverness CT in the Scottish Cup semi-final when a ball was played to the back post at Hampden Park for Leigh Griffiths to head towards an open goal only for Josh Meekings to block the attempt with an outstretched arm which made him bigger. The non-decision from referee Steven McLean was made worse by the fact the game featured extra officials to one side of each goal. Inverness would go on to win in extra-time and lift the trophy when they defeated Falkirk. The ICT centre-back was subsequently hit with a ban for the incident. The following season David McCracken was not penalised in the first-leg of a Premiership play-off between Falkirk and Hibs at Easter Road, despite stopping the ball with his hand in full view of the referee.

Kyle Lafferty dive

Another terrible decision made worse by the fact an official was standing very close to the incident. Charlie Mulgrew, in action for Aberdeen at Ibrox, was clearing a ball up the line when Kyle Lafferty slid in to block it, catching the Dons defender late. Mulgrew squared up to the Northern Irish striker with the latter touching his head against his opponent’s. Remarkably it was Lafferty who threw himself to the ground holding his face despite there being minimal contact and absolutely no motion from the Aberdeen defender. When the red card was produced he was mystified.

John Guidetti’s slip

Inverness CT's Josh Meekings handles a header from Celtic's Leigh Griffiths in the 2015 Scottish Cup final.

Willie Collum awarded Celtic a penalty in a Scottish Cup clash with then Championship Hearts at Tynecastle Park for what he judged to be a foul by Brad McKay on John Guidetti. If VAR was operational it would see there was no contact from the Hearts defender as the Celtic forward fell to the ground. Guidetti didn't face any ban for the way he won the penalty with the Scottish FA’s appliance officer accepting the reasoning that he had simply slipped and fell into McKay as he hit the turf.

Craig Levein’s bafflement

"We’d be as well not turning up today. We couldn't win that game no matter how well we played.” That was the start of one of the most famous post-match interviews. Then Dundee United manager Craig Levein talking about Mike McCurry's performance for the match at Ibrox. United lost but were right to feel aggrieved by a number of decisions. Firstly, David Weir bringing down Noel Hunt in the box with the striker through on goal. A red card offence. United then had a goal wrongly ruled out for offside. There were then two other off-the-ball incidents, including Daniel Cousin headbutting Lee Wilkie.

The Old Firm offside calls

Celtic's John Guidetti won a penalty for this incident against Hearts in 2014.

One of the most baffling offside calls in Scottish football history remains David Robertson's at Ibrox against Celtic. The teams met in a league fixture which finished 3-3 in the 1995/96 season. With the visitors leading 1-0, Brian Laudrup produced a wonderful pass to slip in Robertson behind the visitor's backline. Despite running from deep past two Celtic players and firing past Stewart Kerr, Robertson was adjudged to be offside. Not that Gerry McNee on commentary realised, taking five minutes to get to grips with the fact it wasn't a goal. Just over a year later at the same end of the ground Jorge Cadete thought he had netted an equaliser for Celtic against Rangers when he latched onto a knockdown, swivelled and fired into the goal. Again, the flag was raised by the far-side linesman.

Ghost goals

While goal-line technology doesn't feature as part of the introduction of VAR there will be some grounds where cameras will be able to help with such decisions. There have been a few incidents in the past of a clear goal being scored but for whatever reason it has been missed. For example Paddy Connolly’s ‘goal' for Dundee United at Partick Thistle. The officials somehow missed both the goal being scored and the Thistle defender catching the ball as it came back out. At the same ground, at the same end of the pitch in 2018, Kris Doolan scored with a great strike which too was ruled out despite hitting the net via the bar inside the goal. Then there is Hibs. Twice the Easter Road side were denied goals that were clearly over the line in Edinburgh derby matches with Hearts.

Dods incident

VAR is introduced into Scottish football this week. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group)

A decision which will likely only be remembered by very few, but a League Cup clash between Falkirk and Stenhousemuir saw a truly awful decision. Breaking free, Stewart Kean played in Andy Rodgers who was wiped out by Falkirk centre-back Darren Dods. The defender realises what he has done, conceded a penalty and a likely red card, as he lies prone on the surface. But the referee doesn't make the decision. Rodgers is understandably incandescent as the Falkirk commentators speak positively about how Dods won the ball.