SFA issues verdict on Celtic’s match-winning penalty against Motherwell – what happens now?

FootballSports
23 May 2026 • 5:20 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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SFA issues verdict on Celtic’s match-winning penalty against Motherwell – what happens now?

  • The Scottish Football Association's key match incident (KMI) panel ruled that Celtic's match-winning penalty against Motherwell was incorrectly awarded, a decision that significantly impacted Hearts' title hopes.
  • The KMI panel also confirmed that a previous decision, where Hearts were denied a penalty against Motherwell, was incorrect, with these two calls ultimately affecting the title race where Hearts finished two points behind Celtic.
  • The Scottish Senior Football Referees Association has condemned the 'entirely disproportionate' scrutiny and abuse directed at match officials, including threats and the leaking of personal details, following recent controversial decisions.
  • Match referee John Beaton was placed under police protection after his personal details were leaked online following the controversial penalty decision in the Celtic-Motherwell game.
  • The Scottish Professional Football League has launched a disciplinary investigation into five matches from the end of the season, including the Celtic versus Hearts title decider, due to incidents of unacceptable conduct such as pitch invasions.

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