Announce Scottish Football Association Referee John Beaton was subjected to police protection after his personal data was leaked online, following the great controversy sparked by a penalty kick he awarded in favor of… Celtic During his victory over Motherwell 3-2 in the Scottish Premier League.
The controversial penalty kick came in stoppage time, after Beaton decided, after reviewing the video assistant referee technology, to award a handball to Motherwell player Sam Nicholson, despite the Celtic players not requesting a penalty kick.
Kelechi Iheanacho scored the kick successfully, keeping Celtic’s hopes of competing for the league title alive, as the team is only one point away from the leaders before the final round of the tournament.
The Scottish Federation said in a statement that Peyton and his family spent last night under police protection after their personal information was shared on the Internet, denouncing what it described as attempts to endanger the safety of referees.
The Federation also criticized what it considered “hysterical media discourse” and irresponsible statements and publications on social media following the match, stressing that refereeing errors are part of football, but they do not justify exposing referees and their families to threats or harm.
