Hearts 'extremely concerned' by refereeing decisions as strong message sent to Celtic Park officials

The Foundation of Hearts, which controls 75 per cent of the club, issued a statement attributed to chairman Gerry Mallon on Thursday expressing “extreme concern” by recent refereeing decisions which have had a "significant impact" on the title race.

Hearts were denied two possible penalties in their 1-1 draw with Motherwell at Fir Park last Saturday for a handball against Emmanuel Longelo, which was not picked up by VAR, and a challenge by Tawanda Maswanhise on Alexandros Kyziridis which did result in referee Steven McLean being sent to the monitor only to stick with his onfield decision.

Celtic, meanwhile, avoided a first half red card for defender Alistair Johnston in their 3-1 victory over Rangers on Sunday despite the defender catching Mikey Moore with a follow through on the ankle before being awarded a highly contentious stoppage time penalty to secure a 3-2 victory at Fir Park in midweek.

Referee John Beaton gave the spot-kick after being sent to the VAR monitor by Andrew Dallas to check a handball offence against Sam Nicholson, which Kelechi Iheanacho converted to keep Celtic a point behind leaders Hearts at the top of the table going into the last game.

Had the match at Motherwell finished 2-2, then Hearts, who defeated Falkirk 3-0 at Tynecastle, would have had to lose by three goals at Celtic Park to miss out on clinching their first title in 66 years. Now, any win for Celtic will see them crowned champions for a fifth successive season with Hearts needing to avoid defeat.

The Celtic penalty decision was branded "disgusting" by Hearts manager Derek McInnes while Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou claimed Scottish football risked "ridicule" as he ranked the call among the worst he had ever seen.

FoH chairman Mallon revealed the club has contacted the Scottish Football Association seeking an explanation for the decision as he sent a strong message to referee Don Robertson and VAR Kevin Clancy, who have been appointed to take charge of the title showdown at Parkhead.

"All of us at the Foundation of Hearts congratulate our magnificent team and manager, Derek McInnes, on their outstanding achievements in this momentous season, and urge all Heart of Midlothian supporters to get right behind them for Saturday’s final game of the campaign," Mallon stated.

"We have, however, been extremely concerned by a number of refereeing and VAR decisions across the last two rounds of fixtures, which have had a significant impact on outcomes for Hearts and others. That this has occurred at such a crucial stage of the season is particularly disappointing. We understand that the club shares these concerns and has made representations to the football authorities seeking clarification on recent decisions.

"At a time when Scottish football is subject to heightened scrutiny, both nationally and internationally, it is important that confidence in officiating standards is maintained.

"We therefore call on those responsible for the officiating of Saturday’s match to ensure that the highest standards of decision-making are applied, so that the game is decided by the players on the pitch and the team is given the fair opportunity it has earned."