Alan Muir has officially stepped down from his role as one of Scottish football’s full-time Video Assistant Referees following a string of poor mistakes, two of which directly impacted Celtic this season.
The former referee, who had been promoted to the VAR position by SFA referees’ chief Willie Collum, has left the post by mutual agreement after talks with Collum and VAR manager Martin Atkinson. [Herald Scotland]
Muir’s short stint in the VAR hub at Clydesdale House was marked by controversy, particularly surrounding decisions made during Celtic’s matches. The first major flashpoint came at Fir Park in October, when Daizen Maeda had a goal ruled out against Motherwell for handball. However, the Scottish FA’s Key Match Incident Panel later found that a penalty should have been awarded to Celtic instead, as Motherwell defender Stephen O’Donnell had fouled Maeda in the lead-up.
The situation escalated further in February during a match against Hibernian at Easter Road. Once again, Maeda thought he had found the back of the net with a late equaliser, only for VAR—headed by Muir—to intervene and disallow the goal, ruling that Alistair Johnston’s cross had gone out of play. While Muir will no longer be involved in active VAR duties, he may still be utilised in a referee observer role moving forward.
His exit reduces the number of full-time VAR officials in Scottish football, leaving just Andrew Dallas and Greg Aitken in the role. For Celtic fans, Muir’s departure will likely be seen as overdue, with frustration long simmering over decisions that could have impacted key moments in the title race. The hope now will be for greater consistency and accountability from those tasked with overseeing the technology.
