VAR AUDIO REVEALS REFREE SAYING CELTIC STAR EXAGGERATED CONTACT BEFORE CHECK, THE FANS ARE HAVING THEIR SAY

And the audio from one incident during Celtic and St Johnstone’s Scottish Cup tie has revealed the referee thought a Hoops star was ‘exaggerating’.

It ended 5-0 on the day to see the Hoops comfortably through to the final, but the Saints did have the ball in the net once.

Makenzie Kirk’s stunning goal from range was ruled out after a VAR review for a push on Adam Idah’s back in the build-up.

But the man in the middle Calum Scott let it stand to begin with, believing the striker was making a meal of the contact.

The audio between the officials confirmed that, with Scott’s immediate reaction being: “No. That’s not a foul.

“He’s looking for that, all day.

“He feels minimal contact and he exaggerates it and falls down.

“On-field decision is goal.”

He then repeats his ‘exaggerated’ claim to Arne Engels before letting him know they ‘always check’ with VAR.

The Video Assistant Referee Andrew Dallas then chimes in himself: “So Calum [referee] can you just tell me you’ve seen the two hands on the back pushing him?”

The whistler responds: “I thought the contact was minimal and he’s fallen forward while the hands were on him, which is why he goes down.

“I thought it was exaggerated.”

But Dallas said otherwise with the benefit of replays: “I think it’s a foul. I think there’s a clear image of two hands in the back.

“He pushes him to the ground. I don’t see the Celtic player going forward.

“If anything, the push makes him go forward.

“Calum’s looking through him, Calum’s not looking side-on.

“There’s two arms clearly on the back and there’s a pushing motion.

“I’m going to recommend an on-field review to disallow a goal for a foul in the build-up. If you want to come across I’ll let you see it.

“The Celtic player is leaning back the way. He’s not leaning forward at the point the contact comes.

“He put the two arms on the back and he pushes him as he’s trying to play the ball.”

It’s at this point the referee makes the call to award a free kick having seen the incident back.

Despite his initial scepticism, Scott’s eventual decision was deemed the right one by Head of Referee Operations Willie Collum.

He said: “For us it’s the right outcome.

“I think the referee, what costs him here is his positioning.

“He’s almost looking through the Celtic player and he can’t see what the actual contact is.

“And the VAR immediately then has to go into a check as it’s clearly in the attacking phase of play.

“This is in the build-up to the goal and the VAR is correct to recommend an on-field review.

“The images are clear here, it’s two hands in the back, it’s a push.

“I don’t think there’s many people in football would understand if we allow that goal. It’s expected here to be disallowed.

“I’m convinced by this decision.”