SNS GroupThe SFA say referee John Beaton and his family were placed under police surveillance following a leak of personal details online after being at the centre of a controversial VAR call.
Beaton was the man in the middle as a hotly-debated penalty was awarded to Celtic in the 96th minute of Wednesday’s clash with Motherwell at Fir Park.
The penalty sparked controversy not just in Scottish football but worldwide.
Former Hearts midfielder Sam Nicholson was penalised for handball after jumping to head the ball away. The ball appeared to hit his raised hand right in front of his head.
Beaton was called to the monitor by video assistant Andrew Dallas as five minutes of stoppage time were coming to a close.
He pointed to the spot, and Kelechi Iheanacho kept his cool to seal victory and spark a pitch invasion from the visiting fans.
Hearts boss Derek McInnes branded the penalty award “disgusting” and said, “It feels like us against everybody”.
Now, the SFA have said Beaton and his family were forced to spend Thursday night at home under police surveillance while his children needed protection at school following the incident.
Scottish football’s governing body condemned “irresponsible knee-jerk post-match media interviews” in the fallout of the game.
They described the sharing of the referee’s personal details online as “vigilantism” fuelled by criticism by media pundits, players, managers and former match officials.
The SFA said it will be seeking to strengthen its rules to better protect those involved in the game.
Watch
What the managers said about controversial VAR decision
A statement read: “The Scottish FA condemns in the strongest possible terms attempts to compromise the safety of match officials. Such vigilantism, motivated by decisions perceived to be right or wrong on a field of play, is a scourge on our national game and we are grateful to Police Scotland for their swift intervention.
“We are also clear, sadly, that this is the inevitable consequence of the heightening criticism, intolerance and scapegoating demonstrated this season by media pundits, supporters, official supporters’ groups, clubs, players, managers and former match officials.
“We do not make that point lightly as the national association. Yet it is an inconvenient truth. Those who have sought to apportion blame and conspiracy towards match officials to deflect from defeats or perceived injustices throughout the season have contributed to an environment that puts the safety of our staff and match officials in jeopardy.
“This is the consequence of a hysterical media narrative, fuelled by irresponsible knee-jerk post-match media interviews, commentary and official social media posts. The cumulative effect impacts on our ability to provide enough referees to service our game at all levels. When it compromises the safety and wellbeing of our most senior match officials, enough is enough.
“Referees are not infallible. Mistakes will be made on the field, and subjective calls made in front of the VAR monitor, just as managers will pick the wrong team, goalkeepers concede soft goals and strikers miss from five yards out. Yet the reaction to these inevitabilities could not be more contrasting.
“What happened yesterday is not an isolated incident. There are many examples of match officials being placed in harmful situations but with individuals fearful of speaking out lest it exacerbates the situation or causes further alarm to friends, family and colleagues.
“We will not allow this to become the norm. We will not allow a situation where match officials require special provision to protect their children at school to be considered an occupational hazard. We will not allow a situation where staying at home with the front door locked and avoiding the hazards of public interaction becomes a coping strategy.
“The Scottish FA will be seeking to strengthen its rules to better protect those integral to the game and urge those who will doubtless join us in condemning incidents like this to support those proposals, not contribute to their watering-down on the basis of self-preservation.
“As we approach what should be an exciting finale to the season, we ask those who have personalised and hyperbolised their opinions, those who have sought the easy way out by attributing defeats to perceived refereeing errors, and those who have approved incendiary statements and posts to reflect on their contribution to creating an environment of intimidation, fear and alarm.
“We urge tolerance and perspective to prevent any further, unthinkable escalation.”
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