AS the clock ticked down to kick-off at Fir Park on November 9 last year, Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou and referee Willie Collum had a quiet confab.
The Hoops boss was out to have a look at underfoot conditions while the match official was checking the VAR touchline monitors.
CQN does not have a clue to the topic of discussion between Postecoglou and Collum. It could have been the weather for all we know.
PRE-MATCH CHAT…Ange Postecoglou is discussion with referee Willie Collum at Fir Park in November.
What we do know is that the champions were due to play Motherwell only four days after a ludicrous new technology decision to award Dundee United a penalty-kick at Parkhead.
Alexandro Bernabei was adjudged to have handled a header from Steven Fletcher which was missed by whistler David Dickinson.
He was instructed by his assistant Nick Walsh in the VAR studios to have another look at the incident and, as everyone anticipated, the referee returned, awarded a nonsensical spot-kick and booked the bemused Argentinian defender.
Fletcher scored to make it 1-1, but the champions fought back to eventually win 4-2.
No doubt Postecoglou and Collum would have been hoping the match in Lanarkshire would pass without incident.
VAR-CICAL…Willie Collum awards the free-kick much to the relief of keeper Liam Kelly.
Alas, Celtic were on the receiving end of yet another highly questionable VAR decision when a goal from Filipe Jota was ruled out. There was never conclusive proof the Portuguese flyer was infringing in an illegal position and, outrageously, the VAR camera at that particular angle was not functioning.
Still, without a shred of evidence, the powers-that-be still decided Jota was in an offside position. How they reached that firm conclusion is anyone’s guess.
We wonder what the Celtic boss may have said to Collum after the game which the Hoops deservedly won 2-1.
The wise Greek-Australian most likely kept his counsel. Sometimes silence is golden.
