Motherwell's £5,000 Fine Upheld After VAR Controversy
Motherwell have failed in their bid to cut a £5,000 fine for their furious reaction to a last-gasp penalty decision against Celtic – but former midfielder Elliot Watt has seen his suspension eased.
The Scottish FA appeal panel has upheld the original sanction against the club over a social media post published after referee John Beaton, with VAR support, awarded a stoppage-time spot-kick for handball against Sam Nicholson in May’s 3-2 defeat at Fir Park.
Motherwell’s post, which featured the line “as the world of football mocks our game” alongside a video montage of the incident, was judged to have crossed the line in its criticism of the officials. The penalty, converted by Kelechi Iheanacho with virtually the final kick, sparked an immediate storm and has refused to die down all summer.
The club were charged with breaching rules that prohibit comments about referees which imply “bias or incompetence”. The appeal panel has now backed that original verdict and the £5,000 punishment stands.
The pressure has eased slightly for Watt.
The former Motherwell player, now at Samsunspor in Turkey, was originally hit with a four-game ban for his own reaction on social media, where he branded the call the “worst VAR decision in history” on his X account. His suspension has been cut to two matches, with a further two games suspended until the end of next season, leaving him under clear warning but no longer facing the full weight of the initial ruling.
The same flashpoint has already dragged another high-profile name into disciplinary trouble. Last week, Rangers manager Derek McInnes had his touchline punishment reduced on appeal from an immediate three-game ban to two matches for his comments about the decision.
Speaking in his role as Hearts manager at the time, McInnes described the award as “disgusting” in a television interview and claimed “we are up against everybody” – words that, like Motherwell’s post and Watt’s outburst, have now been formally marked down in the SFA’s growing VAR-era charge sheet.
