SPFL have finally clocked the circus from Saturday and are set to investigate the ref, and VAR after Celtic’s 3-1 win over Falkirk.

“SPFL Set to Investigate Ref, VAR on Celtic vs Falkirk Match”

It’s taken 90 minutes of madness, a week of fury, and a stat sheet that reads like a practical joke, but the SPFL are finally doing what every Falkirk fan screamed for on Saturday: open a proper investigation into the referee and VAR after Celtic’s 3-1 win at Parkhead.

Let’s not dress this up. Falkirk were robbed. Not “unlucky”, not “naive”, robbed. John McGlynn’s side walked into the lion’s den with an injury crisis, three key men out, and still made the champions look ordinary for long spells. The numbers don’t lie: 6 shots on target to Celtic’s 2. Expected goals: 1.77 to 0.77 in our favour. Kasper Schmeichel, Celtic’s keeper, finished with 6 saves and was handed man of the match. When the opposition goalie is your biggest threat, you know you’ve done something right. Except the scoreboard said 3-1 Celtic.

That’s where the men in black come in. Before a ball was even kicked, the SFA appointed the so-called “kung-fu kick ref” for this tie. Social media exploded. Falkirk fans knew what was coming. And sure enough, the officiating was a shambles. Big decisions went missing. Fouls ignored. A potential serious foul play incident that had ex-ref Keith Hackett publicly calling for IFAB to change the laws because it was that bad. He called it “endangering an opponent” and said the game is crying out for accountability. He’s right.

Then there’s VAR. Or rather, where was it? The whole point of the system is to correct clear and obvious errors. On Saturday it was on mute. No intervention, no review, no protection for a Falkirk side that earned more from the game. You can’t spend millions on technology then switch it off when Celtic are under the cosh. If the roles were reversed and it was 3-1 to Falkirk with those stats, you think Parkhead would’ve stayed quiet? Not a chance.

So now the SPFL are “set to investigate”. Good. Long overdue. But let’s be clear what this isn’t: it’s not sour grapes. Falkirk didn’t lose because Celtic were brilliant. They lost because the officials had a stinker and VAR took the day off. You can handle being beaten by better players. You can’t handle being beaten by a whistle and a blank screen.

This isn’t just about one game either. It’s about credibility. Falkirk went to Celtic Park, played the better football, created the better chances, and left with nothing because the basics of officiating failed. If the SPFL are serious about protecting the integrity of the league, then the outcome of this investigation has to mean more than a quiet word and a note in next week’s appointments. There has to be accountability. Refs drop down a division for less. VAR operators get stood down for missing offsides. What happens when you miss the entire point of the game?

Falkirk fans aren’t asking for the result to be overturned. We’re not deluded. We’re asking for respect. For consistency. For the same standards applied at Parkhead as are applied at the Falkirk Stadium. Because right now it feels like there’s one rule for the big clubs and another for the rest of us.

The SPFL say they’ll investigate. Falkirk will be watching. So will every other club outside the Old Firm who’s ever felt the game tilt the second they cross the white line at Celtic Park.

Saturday proved we can match them. The investigation needs to prove the SPFL can match us on fairness. Until then, 3-1 will always have an asterisk next to it.