Russell F Burkeley Jr

Refs are incompetent, not corrupt. Celtic didn't cheat. Hearts won the league.

@crisp_tomato @cmcc74 @SaorAlbannach Depends

@cmcc74 @scottish_party @SaorAlbannach Are you allowed to have your hands up in the air?

It's genuinely funny to see a fan base that still raises a delayed player registration from 30 years ago insist that there's absolutely nothing suspicious about the SFA. I've spotted five main attempts at Celtic fan sophistry this week: 1) Claim that any criticism is motivated by anti-catholic and anti-irish bigotry. Don't bother checking the posting history of whom you accuse. 2) Assert that corruption is ok because Hearts benefitted from mistakes, but remember to omit all the other ones that went against them, or the other ones that favoured Celtic or otherwise make imbecilic claims re; the rules of the game. 3) Pretend that you would see nothing wrong with a Hearts fan appointing Edinburgh referees who then made 'mistakes' that benefited Hearts resulting in Celtic losing the title. 4) Pretend that the KMI panel, appointed by the SFA, is no different to your mates blethering in the pub. 5) Accept that refereeing standards are bad, but insist that Celtic had it worse because [insert other claim from years ago] and that 14 out of the last 15 league titles is, err, evidence of that.

@cmcc74 @SaorAlbannach My answer: I don't think the selection of angles we've had are conclusive on whether it hits his hand, but happy to concede for the sake of argument that it did - because that doesn't actually matter when, as I say, Trusty pushed his hand on to the ball. So what's your answer?

@scottish_party @SaorAlbannach So you avoid my question and expect me to answer yours. I'll give you an honest answer, but only if you directly answer the question I asked first. Otherwise move on

@cmcc74 @SaorAlbannach Are you able to admit it only hit his hand because Trusty pushed his hand into the "unnatural" position in which it hits his hand?

@SaorAlbannach I think it's pretty clear that the ball hits Nicholson's hand, which was very high. Are you able to admit that this happened?

Not stolen, given

@Zeshankenzo @realshocks The spirit of the law is "fairness" & can only guide ref's decision where no direct provision applies, which there is for the duration of added time - it can be increased, not reduced (Law 7.3). In any event, fairness = Hearts not losing the chance to score in the 60 secs left

@scottish_party @realshocks More than one official has now proven the ‘spirit of the law’ angle is applicable either way in regard to ending the match, and others backed or inferred. Also important regarding ‘where does it all end’ silly arguments.

Rangers fan Dickinson was the 4th official and the ball hit the net with 30 seconds in the clock. So we know that’s wrong. It took 1 minute to take centre after the Shankland goal and on 98 mins the players were shaking hands signalling end of the game. #56

@Jynks67 @rabdee You're saying no team has ever scored 2 goals in any 30 or 60 secs period of in play time? Only 1 of many examples is Leeds-Man U (2022). Irrelevant anyway. Police/ref wouldn't have allowed resumption with risk of another pitch invasion at full time. Next.

@scottish_party @rabdee It’s more than very unlikely which is why it’s never happened in the entire written history of professional football. Who has said the game wasn’t able to resume?

I might be missing something here, but this whole "did he, didn't he" debate about how the game ended on Saturday could all be settled very easily. All the SFA need to do is release the audio which, even in the bedlam going on around it, will capture the referees whistle being blown. The SPFL say he told them it had ended, so it's very easy to prove that. This tiresome debate is going to go on forever until they do. I'm surprised it's not been released already tbqh.

@PatrickSMurphy4 @celtic_thoughts @andrewgmorton & Slavia-Sparta = a 0-3 forfeit. Why prefer 1 "precedent" over another? Only 1 accords with the Laws. Also, Leverkusen-Bremen is different - ref added nothing to the 90 whereas in Celtic-Hearts 8 then 0.5 mins were added, which were unlawfully reduced per Law 7.3. Nice try, next

@scottish_party @celtic_thoughts @andrewgmorton Whodda thunk it?.............🤔 x.com/CaptainHin3874…

Once and for all, it appears we can safely conclude that Don Robertson did indeed blow for full time. Footage of Robertson, who holds his whistle in his right hand, appearing to have it raised to his mouth as he jogged towards the dugouts. Glad we can put that one to bed.

@PatrickSMurphy4 @celtic_thoughts @andrewgmorton Unlawfully. That something happens, doesn't mean its within the Laws of the Game, see Maradona handball in '86

@scottish_party @celtic_thoughts @andrewgmorton Oh yes it can. It was reduced by 27 seconds.

@PatrickSMurphy4 @celtic_thoughts @andrewgmorton Wrong again. Added time can only be increased, not reduced, per Law 7.3. It was reduced by 1 minute as they had decided that amount of time was still to play following the restart after the Osmand goal, which wasn't allowed to happen. That was unlawful.

@scottish_party @celtic_thoughts @andrewgmorton No, the ref is the arbiter of time. He has it within the framework of the laws to end it.

Lol but I thought the ref ended the game?

@PatrickSMurphy4 @celtic_thoughts @andrewgmorton That the ref/SPFL acted unlawfully is irrelevant to the point I'm making. Laws of the game provided match didn't finish

@scottish_party @celtic_thoughts @andrewgmorton Which club has the name on that trophy and the manager of which club do you see holding up said 2025-26 season trophy?😏

@Jynks67 @rabdee You mean 2 scored in a combined 30 secs from 2 restarts? V unlikely, but possible - & a pitch invasion is not a lawful reason to eliminate that possibility. Anyway there 1 min left & even if 60-0, if the game unable to resume, only lawful procedure is suspension then abandonment

@rabdee @scottish_party @pieandbov It’s not 2 goals scored in the space of a minute, it’s 2 goals scored in 30s immediately following a restart

@realshocks @Zeshankenzo That was precisely my point. Like with handball, no one - Celtic/SFA/pitch invaders - intended to get the game suspended/abandoned, but the rules dictate that (not ending the match prematurely) should have happened

@scottish_party @Zeshankenzo Handball doesn't have to be unintentional any more. I think it used to be, but not anymore. Intentional handball is one reason for a penalty, but also arms in an unnatural position or something like that.

Excellent take 👏 👏 👏. Football, while hugely meaningful, is not quite enough to achieve purpose in life, the lack of which drives people to alcohol, drugs and ultimately destruction.

I enjoy how he's tagging his team in the hope they'll publicly adopt his terrible reasoning. The officials said there was a minute to play from restart so they increased added time. It cannot be reduced under the Law of the Game 7.3, but they did. Why?

@spamcrolla @Beesh24240265 Celtic won the league because (1) Rangers beat them, causing them to sack Nancy, & (2) terrible ref decisions

@Beesh24240265 If you beat us they would have won league but you didn’t

How can Michael Stewart claim that 1 decision at fir park cost hearts the title when the league is played over 38 games the man is an absolute bell end

@PatrickSMurphy4 @celtic_thoughts @andrewgmorton Now you're just saying words

@scottish_party @celtic_thoughts @andrewgmorton Yep, they may be but remember, Braveheart was based on a true story and 99% of it was wrong.😏

@PatrickSMurphy4 @celtic_thoughts @andrewgmorton Neither picture is an argument that Robertson was correct to end the game, which he wasn't, because sufficient time had not elapsed

@scottish_party @celtic_thoughts @andrewgmorton I'll show you otherwise.

@PatrickSMurphy4 @celtic_thoughts @andrewgmorton Everything I have said is 100% correct & based on the laws of the game as applied to the facts established by the evidence we have of what occurred on Saturday. Show me otherwise with substantive argument, not empty rhetoric

@scottish_party @celtic_thoughts @andrewgmorton Just about everything you've written above freaks into that bracket, Russell.