Give me strength- Sutton hits out at Dermot Gallagher verdict

Chris Sutton has hit out at Dermot Gallagher’s verdict on Celtic’s controversial defeat away to Hearts last Sunday.

Every Monday morning the former EPL ref is put on the spotlight by Sky Sports news to give his verdict on the flashpoints from the weekend matches.

Celtic’s visit to Tynecastle produced two penalties and a red card during the first 45 minutes prompting Brendan Rodgers to question the match officials.

The handball against Tomoki Iwata created most controversy and comment with barely anyone prepared to say that John Beaton and Don Robertson had called it correctly.

Sutton was on co-commentary duty at Tynecastle for Sky Sports, discussing the match in the Daily Record he wasn’t impressed by the verdict of that channel’s refereeing expert:

I saw ex-EPL ref Dermot Gallagher praising the officials for being consistent with these kind of handball calls in Scotland. Give me strength. Are we meant to congratulate them for consistently getting them wrong? So with all that went on I don’t blame Rodgers for being raging.

The Laws of the Game by FIFA are universal, there is no leeway for different interpretations across FIFA member countries.

Rodgers has been issued with a Notice of Complaint by the SFA with the hearing scheduled for March 28 with a guilty verdict carrying at least a two match touchline ban.

At his media conference yesterday Rodgers said that he had no regrets about his comments and would defend himself and Celtic against the Notice of Complaint.