Scottish FA referees chief Willie Collum has labelled the VAR decision to disallow a St Mirren goal against Celtic as a 'textbook' example of the process. The call came during Celtic's 2-1 win at the SMiSA Stadium on September 5, a result that helped maintain the club's perfect start to the Premiership season.
Collum explained the sequence that led to Camilo Duran's effort being ruled out. He said the VAR team, unable to draw a definitive offside line because the striker was too close to defender Alex Gogic, sent referee Ryan Lee to the pitchside monitor for a subjective review. "Very happy, this is textbook for us," Collum said. "We don't guess decisions."
The offside review process
Collum detailed that cameras are calibrated five hours before kick-off to ensure accuracy. For the incident involving Duran, the VAR officials established the correct kick point and used multiple camera angles to assess the position. With no clear line possible, the final judgment was left to the on-field official after a review. Collum emphasized this protocol is designed to remove guesswork from critical moments.
The decision proved significant in the context of the match. St Mirren had taken a first-half lead from the penalty spot before Liam Scales equalised early in the second period. Yang Hyun-Jun then scored the winner for Celtic in the 68th minute, with an assist from the very player, Duran, who had earlier seen a goal chalked off.
Celtic's strong league position
That victory forms part of a four-game winning run in the league for Brendan Rodgers's side. Celtic currently sit first in the Premiership with 18 points from six matches, having scored 14 goals and conceded just three. They hold a five-point lead over rivals Rangers as they prepare for their next fixture, an away trip to face ninth-placed Dundee United on December 30.
The team will be without several key players for the foreseeable future, with Alistair Johnston, Callum Osmand, and Jota all currently sidelined. Fans can track the team's progress and upcoming schedule on the club's fixtures and standings pages.
Collum's comments aim to provide clarity on a system that often draws scrutiny. By highlighting this specific incident, he sought to demonstrate the thorough steps officials take, even when the final call relies on the referee's judgment at the monitor. The 2-1 win at St Mirren was followed by another narrow victory, a 1-0 win at St Johnstone on September 9 secured by a Mika Baur goal.
