Celtic anger as SFA ruling sparks fury over controversial dismissal

Celtic have expressed their frustration after failing in their bid to overturn Auston Trusty’s red card, with a Scottish FA tribunal rejecting the club’s appeal and confirming that the defender’s suspension will stand.

The decision follows Trusty’s dismissal during Celtic’s draw with Hearts at Tynecastle, where he was initially shown a yellow card for a challenge on Landry Kabore. However, after a VAR review, the on-field decision was upgraded to a red card on the grounds that the American defender had denied an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

While the officials judged the intervention to be justified, Celtic have consistently argued that the referee’s original call did not meet the threshold required for VAR involvement. The club believe the incident did not constitute a “clear and obvious error”, a key requirement under the VAR Protocol.

That stance was reiterated after Tuesday’s hearing, which failed to deliver the outcome Celtic were hoping for. The club remain unhappy with both the process and the conclusion, particularly given the wider debate surrounding the use of VAR in Scottish football and its impact on match-defining moments.

In a strongly worded statement, Celtic said: “Celtic’s appeal over the red card shown to Auston Trusty in the draw against Hearts at Tynecastle on Sunday has been dismissed, following a Scottish FA hearing today (Tuesday).

“Clearly we are very disappointed at the outcome of today’s appeal.

“The VAR Protocol requires that VAR only intervenes when there is a ‘clear and obvious error’.

“It is difficult to see how the original yellow card decision is a clear and obvious error and accordingly, VAR’s intervention by the refereeing team was not consistent with the rules.

“We await the written judgement but will be ensuring further discussions with the SFA on the matter as we seek to understand the rationale for this and other decisions.”

Trusty’s suspension now leaves Celtic without another defensive option at a crucial point in the season, adding to the sense of grievance felt within the club. Supporters have also voiced their anger, with many questioning the consistency of VAR decisions across the league.

While the written judgement is still to be issued, Celtic’s statement suggests the matter is far from closed, with further dialogue planned between the club and the governing body as scrutiny of officiating standards continues