Motherwell's Failed Appeal Against £5,000 Fine for VAR Reaction
Motherwell have failed in their bid to overturn a £5,000 fine for their furious reaction to a last-minute penalty decision against Celtic – but Elliot Watt has seen his suspension cut.
An independent Scottish FA appeal panel backed the original ruling that the club overstepped the mark with a social media post after referee John Beaton, with VAR support, awarded a stoppage-time spot-kick for handball against Sam Nicholson in May’s 3-2 defeat at Fir Park.
The post carried the stinging line “as the world of football mocks our game” alongside a video montage of the incident, a clear swipe at the officials and the technology that helped make the call. The pressure of the moment had been immense; Kelechi Iheanacho buried the penalty with virtually the last kick, turning a dramatic afternoon into a bitter one for the home side.
The panel ruled that the club’s reaction breached regulations prohibiting criticism of match officials that suggests “bias or incompetence”, and the £5,000 sanction stands.
Watt, now at Samsunspor in Turkey, had been hit even harder initially. His “worst VAR decision in history” post on X drew a four-game suspension, a punishment that underlined the SFA’s determination to clamp down on public attacks on referees.
This time, though, there was some leniency. His ban has been reduced to two matches, with a further two games suspended until the end of next season. Step out of line again, and those extra matches will come into play.
The case drops into an already simmering debate over the treatment of officials and the use of VAR in Scotland. Only last week, Rangers manager Derek McInnes had his own punishment eased after comments about the same flashpoint.
McInnes, then Hearts boss, had been handed a three-game touchline ban for labelling the decision “disgusting” in a television interview and claiming “we are up against everybody”. On appeal, that was trimmed to a two-match immediate ban.
Different clubs, different voices, same incident. The message from the SFA is unmistakable: you can rage in private, but if you take aim at referees in public and question their integrity, it will cost you.
